Good News in a Bad News World

Luke 4:16–21 NKJV

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. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

This life is not easy. Life hurts.

We live in a fallen world. We live in a world with fallen people.

We live in a broken world. We live in a world of broken people.

We live in a hurting world. We live in a world of hurting people. Hurting people hurt people.

We are living in a confused world. We are living in world of confused people.

We are living in a world filled with chaos. We are living in a world with people whose hearts and minds are filled with chaos.

Something is wrong.

Something is wrong and we all know it.

Something is wrong and we all feel it.

When life gets hard, when we discern the fallenness, see the brokenness, feel the hurt, are disoriented in the confusion, are unsettled by the chaos, we often ask the question, “Why?”.

Our natural inclination is to find someone to blame.

Adam blamed his wife, Eve.

Eve blamed the Serpent.

Who is really to blame?

We are ALL to blame.

In our fallenness, we have all contributed to the difficulty, brokenness, pain, confusion, chaos, and dysfunction.

We have all been hurt, and we have all hurt others.

We have all been victims, and we have all victimized others.

We have all received the blame, and we have all blamed others.

There are no innocent parties.

We are all guilty.

We all stand convicted.

We all stand condemned.

We all stand sentenced.

We all await the execution of the penalty we deserve.

EXCEPT for the intervention of God’s mercy and grace.

On what merit? The merit of Christ.

By what means? The means of the Cross.

On what basis? The basis of grace alone.

On what condition? The condition of faith alone in Christ alone.

Jesus Christ came to bring Good News into a Bad News world.

Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit to do what no other could do.

To preach the gospel (Good News) to the poor (in heart).

To heal the brokenhearted.

To proclaim liberty to the captives.

To give sight to the blind.

To liberate the oppressed.

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (The Year of Jubilee)

Jesus came the first time to rescue us from the penalty of sin.

Jesus sent His Spirit to rescue us from the corruption of sin.

Jesus will come the second time to rescue us from the presence of sin.

Response to the Word

Jesus came to bring Good News into a Bad News World.

The Good News means

You can be saved from the guilt of your sins.

Your heart can be healed from the brokenness within

You can be free from the darkness and hold of the past.

You can see what you could not see before (spiritual light).

You can be free from Satan’s oppression.

You can have a fresh beginning with God from now throughout eternity.