GOD’S DELIVERER
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn
Have you noticed that everyone has a screen name (username) online? One can look at a screen name and know a lot about that person's life and priorities. What does your screen name say about you? If Jesus had lived in our computer age, and if He had chosen for Himself a screen name, what do you think it would have been?
How about Isaiah61? That is the ID Jesus logs on in Luke 4.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn," (Isaiah 61:1-2)
Luke 4 records an episode in Jesus' life where He drew on today's Bible verses. He saw Himself in a scroll written 700 years earlier. When Jesus read the passage, it was like looking in a mirror, and He saw Himself and His mission in the portrait painted by the Prophet Isaiah.
We have all heard the expression, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Here Jesus sets a precedent that carries over for the rest of His ministry.
“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.” (Luke 4:16)
Jesus had been traveling through the cities of Galilee, healing the sick, casting out demons, speaking of the Kingdom of God, and Jesus was creating quite a stir. Everyone had been asking, "Who is this Man? Where does He come from? What is He up to? What are His intentions?" Those were the questions being asked at that time and they did not have to wait long for an answer.
“And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”” (Luke 4:21)
In other words, "look no further. I am the One and today is the day! I am God's deliverer, and what I have just read is My mission." Jesus logs on with the screen name: Isaiah61, and this is what Jesus intends to do.
It is vital that we understand the intentions of Jesus. He calls on us to give Him our all, to love Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. Jesus expects us to pledge to Him our very lives.
Jesus wants to command our lives and sit on the throne of our hearts, and He expects to call the shots. It seems like the older we get, the harder it is for us to trust people. Once we have been let down a time or two, it is difficult to rely on others. Life's disappointments and betrayals cause us to get hardhearted and cynical.
We are unwilling to trust in general. It is even difficult to trust Jesus if we are not confident of His intentions. Our intentions will dictate the level of trust others place in us. The same thing is true with Jesus!
Today is the day you begin to prepare yourself for the rest of your life. By filling your mind with today's possibilities, not yesterday's failures, Jesus helps you to forge a new start, and become the person He knew you could be. Jesus opened the prison doors on the cross of Calvary. His power is available to us right now; all we have to do is believe it!
Jesus has wonderful intentions for our lives, but He waits until we are willing to acknowledge our need and lean on Him for help.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The intentions of Jesus never change! He wants to meet the needs we are living without. He wants to heal the hearts this world has broken. He wants to free those who are enslaved to sin. He wants to provide spiritual sight to us all. He wants to love us so deeply we will love again. And He wants to do it today. All we have to do is step over our sinful, stubborn pride, and lean on Jesus.
Will you lean on Jesus today?
Heavenly Father, I come into Your presence with such a thankful heart of love and thanksgiving for my deliverance that You have provided. I have total freedom in You. I may be in this world, but I am now part of the Kingdom of You, God. In Your Kingdom, is freedom, healing, and comfort. Knowing the joy of the Lord is my strength is beyond earthly comprehension. Your Holy Spirit reveals truth through Your Word, and You guiding me provides all I will ever need. I trust in You for my every need; now I must show others what You have made available by Jesus, Your Son. What a blessed life as I learn and know Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Jesus Has Wonderful Intentions For Our Lives, But He Waits Until We Are Willing To Acknowledge Our Need And Lean On Him For Help.
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