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Session 2

1. Devotional

   The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor… Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. (Luke 4:18-21)

   When Jesus was born, the angel’s announcement of “good news of great joy” was more than just a call for the shepherds to be happy. It was the announcement that God had come to heal and free his people; the Messiah had been born! Later, Jesus confirmed this message of good news. Near the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus went into a synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth in Galilee and read from Isaiah 61:1-2, a passage that is generally considered to anticipate the coming of the Messiah. He read:

   The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Luke 4:18-19)

   Luke tells us that “The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him” (Luke 4:20). I’ve always pictured a group of very learned Jewish scholars and rabbis sitting around, listening to Jesus reading, and nodding in approval. Then he says these words: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Wait. What? Luke tells us that, at the time, “all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth” (Luke 4:22). So, it would be natural to assume that these men were pleased with him. But then, in verse 24, Jesus reprimanded these same men by saying that a prophet is never accepted in his home town. Jesus knew his audience well. In verse 29, Luke tells us, “They rose up and drove him out of town… so that they could throw him down the cliff.” You don’t have to read too closely between the lines to know that they were not happy about his claim to be the Messiah. But the events of Jesus’ public ministry—especially his miracles—were designed to prove that what he said in Luke 4 was true. Jesus did miracles for a number of reasons. For one, having the character of God, he had great compassion for people. Matthew 9:36 says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom for captives, healing the sick, were all evidence of our Lord’s great kindness and mercy. And this supernatural, undeserved compassion continues for us today. But there was another reason Jesus did miracles. In John 20:30-31, the apostle John tells us that “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Jesus did not come to earth as a helpless baby just so he could heal a few people and feed some crowds for an afternoon. He came to earth to give us life in his name. And his miracles give us just a small taste of what that life will be like in eternity—no hunger, no captivity, no disease, no oppression, no poverty. The Spirit of the Lord really was upon him. He really did proclaim good news to the poor and liberty to the captives. He really did heal the blind and free the oppressed. And these reversals from sickness to health, from captivity to freedom, from poverty to fullness were all signs that he really was the Messiah. We should note that in the Bible “poor” doesn’t always mean “without material wealth.” Jesus himself was poor in the worldly sense—he had no home, no possessions, he was born in a stable. But when Jesus said he came to bring good news to the poor, he was also talking about more than just lifting people out of their physical poverty. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, in Matthew 5:3, he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Dutch theologian Herman Ridderbos, in his book The Coming of the Kingdom, wrote:

   It may be said that the concept “poor” is determined both socially and in a religious-ethical sense. But above all, this word derives its meaning from the fact that such “poor” … are the true people of God … in contrast to those who have fastened their hope upon this world.¹

   Jesus had a heart for those in poverty, and he came to proclaim good news to them, but more than this, he brought good news to those who were poor in spirit—those who knew they needed him—regardless of whether or not they were materially poor. To the poor in spirit, he brought the good news of their inheritance in the kingdom of God. As difficult as life may seem at times, if we believe in Jesus, he will give us abundant life in his name (John 10:10). Our darkness will turn to light (John 8:12), our sorrow will turn to joy (John 16:20), and we will inherit the kingdom of God. Praise God, he is our hope and salvation! This is indeed good news of great joy!

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   ¹ Ridderbos, H. (1962). The Coming of the Kingdom (p. 189). P&R Publishing.

2. Watch

3. Personal Application

   • Read the following passages. How might a recognition of your own poverty before God change your attitude toward the poor in your community?
     • Deuteronomy 15:11
     • Proverbs 14:31
     • Matthew 5:42
     • Acts 20:35
     • Galatians 2:10
     • James 1:27
     • 1 John 3:17
   • Write down a list of times when your life has turned from darkness to light or from sorrow to joy. What brought about the change? Spend some time in prayer and thank God for these reversals.
   • Pray and watch for God to bring you someone who needs to hear the good news of the gospel. Share your story with them of how God has saved you.