Yesterday was our church's AGM. I reported on the state of our church and held our annual elections for Board and Assembly. It was a good day, if not a bit full. The one thing I really appreciated seeing were the many non-members who stayed to participate and hear what has taken place and what the future could look like.
In my report, I shared about Jesus' mission statement. Luke 4:16-21 shares that with his readers. “He [meaning Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21 NIV 2011)
Jesus was stating to them and in turn us, what his mission was all about, why he came. In a very real sense this was the dream that God had for his people.
Jesus proclaimed freedom to the captives.The gospel is a proclamation of liberty, like the message to Israel after 400 years of bondage in Egypt and 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
By the work of Christ sinners are delivered from the life long bonds of sin and guilt, and by his Spirit and grace from the bondage of corruption. There are people all around us that are held captive by their addictions, their fears, and their hurts. And they live in our neighbourhoods, they work beside us, they may even be our friends or family members.
Jesus came to give sight to the blind. He came with words to bring light to those whose minds sat in the dark, but also with the power to give sight to them that were blind. Giving sight to the blind is a part of preaching the gospel.Words are only half the Gospel, action with the power of God behind it changes lives and circumstances.
Jesus came to announce God's favour. He came to let the world know that the God that they had offended was willing to be reconciled to them, and to accept them on new terms; that there was a way of making them acceptable to him; that there is now a time of good will toward men. God’s favour is about new beginnings for those who accept the good news.
Does my Savior both Rescue and Change People inside and out? Everyone would love being rescued, but I think we’re a little surprised when Jesus wants to change us and our circumstances as well. It might be hard for us to believe, but Jesus really wants to make us and those around us into new people. That was his dream. And as his followers, his apprentices, it must become our dream too!
That's a message we can take to our world.
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