God for Us - Dec. 7th, 2025

Passage: Luke 4:18–19 (KJV)

Central Idea of the Text (CIT): Jesus declared His Spirit-anointed mission to bring spiritual deliverance, healing, and hope.

Sermonic Proposition: Jesus Christ still offers freedom, healing, and grace to all who believe—because God is for us.

Purpose (Evangelistic & Devotional): I want my hearers to trust that Christ’s mission is God’s favor toward them, and respond with faith and surrender.

Introduction:

Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you? Sometimes we even wonder if God is against us when life breaks our hearts or chains us in hardship. But the message of Jesus shatters that fear. In fact, when Jesus began His ministry, He stood up in His hometown synagogue of Nazareth and boldly announced the opposite of what many expected – that God is for us, not against us. Luke 4:18–19 records Jesus reading from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming good news for the poor, freedom for the captives, sight for the blind, and mercy for the broken. Imagine that moment: the local carpenter’s son, Jesus, takes the pulpit on the Sabbath. He reads, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…” and every eye is fixed on Him[1]. Then He sits down and declares, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21). In other words, “I am the fulfillment of God’s promise – I am here to bring God’s favor to you.”

That congregation marveled at His gracious words[2]. They had known Jesus as the quiet young man down the street, but now He claimed to be the Spirit-anointed Messiah bringing hope. Some were skeptical; by the end of the passage, their doubt turned to fury (Luke 4:22–29). Yet Jesus’s message stands: God has inaugurated a season of grace. By stopping His reading before the phrase “the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2), Jesus showed that now is the time of salvation and favor – the judgment would come later[3][4]. Christ’s first coming was all about offering mercy, not condemnation. The good news for us today is that “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17).

God is for us. That is the heartbeat of Jesus’ mission. He came to demonstrate that the Almighty is on the side of those who will humbly receive His grace. This morning, let’s walk through Luke 4:18–19 and see how each phrase of this prophecy reveals God’s heart for the hurting. The same Jesus who spoke these words in Nazareth is speaking to us now through Scripture, offering freedom and hope. No matter your situation – broken, bound, or searching for belonging – Jesus wants you to know God is for you in Christ.

(We’ll examine three truths from this passage, and with each one, I urge you to take it personally. First, Jesus shows us that…)

I. God Is for the Broken (Luke 4:18a)

“...to preach the gospel to the poor…”

Luke 4:18 KJV

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Jesus began, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor”[1]. Who are “the poor”? In the original language, the word means those who are destitute and afflicted – beggars in desperate need[5]. Certainly, many in Jesus’ audience were materially poor. But beyond material poverty, Christ had in mind the spiritually poor – people who sense their own emptiness and need for God[5]. In Matthew 5:3 Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The “poor” Jesus came for are those humble enough to admit their broken condition. He also mentions the “brokenhearted” in some manuscripts (“He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted”). Think of that: God’s Messiah came for the broken – the ones whose hearts have been shattered by sin, sorrow, and suffering[6].

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus gravitating to the broken ones. He announced “good tidings unto the meek” in Isaiah’s original prophecy (Isa. 61:1), meaning the meek and lowly who were overlooked by society[7]. Jesus did not arrive applauding the self-righteous religious elite; He came with good news (which is what “gospel” means) for those who knew they were bankrupt without God. He preached to fishermen and farmers, to beggars and prostitutes, to outcasts and sinners – offering them hope and salvation. No one was too low for His love. In fact, Jesus said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

Consider a biblical illustration: in Luke 7, Jesus encountered a widow following her only son’s coffin out of the city of Nain. Her heart was utterly broken by grief and loss. What did Jesus do? “When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not” (Luke 7:13). He then touched the bier and raised her son back to life, turning her mourning into joy. In one moment, Christ healed the brokenhearted quite literally by restoring her child. This miracle showcased Jesus’ heart: God cared about a grieving, destitute widow enough to stop a funeral and give her son back. The crowd exclaimed, “God hath visited His people” (Luke 7:16) – indeed He had! What a vivid proof that God is for the broken and hurting.

Even more common than raising the dead, Jesus healed broken hearts by forgiving sins and restoring worth to those who were despised. Luke 7 also tells of a sinful woman – likely a social outcast – who wept at Jesus’ feet and anointed them with costly oil. While others scorned her, Jesus said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven…thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:47, 50). Can you imagine the relief in that woman’s broken heart? She entered in shame and left in peace, accepted by God. Jesus truly “binds up the brokenhearted” (as Isaiah 61:1 says) by His grace.

What does this mean for you? It means if you are crushed under life’s burdens, God is on your side in Jesus Christ. The Lord draws near to the contrite. “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18). When you have nothing left, Jesus offers you everything. He died and rose again to fill your emptiness with His love and forgiveness. The gospel is good news for the poor – you don’t have to be rich, or important, or perfect to be saved. You only need to admit your need. God is for the broken-hearted sinner who cries out for mercy. He will not despise a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).

So take heart: Your brokenness is not a barrier to God – it is the very door through which His grace enters. If you feel unworthy or devastated by life, Jesus extends His hand to you. He says, “I have good news for you – your sins can be forgiven, your soul can be saved, your heart can be made whole.” Will you trust that God is for you? He proved it by sending Jesus. The anointed Savior has come for the broken.

(Transition: Not only is God for those who are broken and humble enough to admit their need, but Jesus’ mission shows us something further. He came to set us free from everything that binds us. Secondly...)

II. God Is for the Bound (Luke 4:18b)

“...He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

Jesus continued reading Isaiah’s prophecy, detailing a rescue mission for those in bondage. He declares that God sent Him to heal, to deliver, to give sight, and to set at liberty. These phrases paint a picture of people who are bound – chained by sin, oppression, darkness, and pain – and of the Savior who comes to break those chains.

“To preach deliverance to the captives” – The word “deliverance” here means release or pardon[8]. It’s the same word used for the forgiveness of sins (aphesis). Jesus is proclaiming that captives can be freed. Who are these captives? Not primarily prisoners of Rome, but prisoners of sin and Satan – all of us apart from Christ. Jesus said in John 8:34, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” By nature we are enslaved to sinful habits, guilty pasts, fears, and even demonic influences. The devil had bound many in Jesus’ day through disease and possession. But Christ came to break those spiritual shackles. When He cast out demons, He was freeing people from Satan’s grip. When He forgave sins, He unlocked the chains of guilt. He preached deliverance and then delivered – the message came with authority to set people free[8]. No wonder He later said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

“Recovering of sight to the blind” – Jesus fulfilled this literally by opening the eyes of many physically blind individuals. The prophets had foretold that the Messiah would “open the eyes of the blind” (Isaiah 35:5), and Jesus did exactly that: giving sight to beggars like Bartimaeus, to a man born blind in John 9, and others[9]. Each of those miracles was a living parable of a greater truth: we are all naturally spiritually blind until Christ gives us light. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” But Jesus, the Light of the World, came to shine into our darkness. When He preached and taught, people who had been groping in spiritual night suddenly saw the truth of God. Do you recall the story of Saul of Tarsus? He was physically struck blind on the road to Damascus, only to have his sight restored when he met Jesus – a picture of his inward eyes being opened. Later Jesus told Paul that He was sending him to the Gentiles “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” (Acts 26:18). That’s the mission of the gospel: turning on the light for those in darkness[10]. If you feel blinded – unable to see a way forward, unable to discern truth – come to Jesus. He opens eyes. He will help you see God’s reality and purpose for your life.

“To set at liberty them that are bruised” – The word “bruised” can also be translated “oppressed” or “crushed.” It evokes people beaten down by life, like slaves under a cruel master. Jesus says God sent Him to release such people from their torment[11]. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus doing this: lifting heavy burdens off of people. Think of the woman crippled for 18 years, bent double by an evil spirit – “whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years” – Jesus loosed her from that infirmity (Luke 13:11–16). Or consider those tormented by guilt and shame – like the adulterous woman in John 8, whom Jesus saved from stoning and sent away forgiven, effectively saying “Be free, sin no more.” Every miracle of healing and exorcism in Jesus’ ministry was a preview of the ultimate liberation He brings from sin’s curse. Isaiah 61’s language of “liberty” hearkens back to the Year of Jubilee in Israel, when every 50th year slaves were freed and debts forgiven[12][13]. Jesus is our Jubilee – He came to proclaim that the time of liberation has arrived!

One striking example of Jesus delivering the bound is the Gerasene demoniac (Luke 8:26–39). Here was a man utterly enslaved by evil: living among tombs, crying out in torment, his mind and body captive to a legion of demons. No chain could hold him – the town had given up on him. But Jesus crossed a stormy sea just to reach this one man. With a word of authority, He cast the demons out, shattering the spiritual chains that had bound the man for so long. The people later found this former madman “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind” (Luke 8:35). Hallelujah – that is what Jesus does! He brings sanity to the insane, peace to the tormented, liberty to the oppressed. The demoniac wanted to follow Jesus afterwards, but Jesus sent him home to be a living testimony of God’s deliverance. What a picture of “preaching deliverance to the captives” backed up by supernatural power.

Now, you might not relate to demon possession or physical blindness, but every human heart knows what it is to be bound by something. It could be addiction that you hide from others, bitterness and unforgiveness that imprisons your joy, crippling anxiety that blinds you to hope, or the crushing weight of regret and guilt. Jesus came for all these forms of bondage. There is no chain He cannot break! The same Jesus who drove out legions of demons can break the chains of addiction in your life. The One who opened blind eyes can open your eyes to His truth and grace. The One who forgave sinners can lift the heavy burden of shame off your shoulders. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17) – and Jesus was full of the Spirit, exercising God’s power to set people free[14].

Friend, God is for the bound. He sees you in your struggle and has sent a Deliverer. You don’t have to stay a captive one moment longer. Jesus stands here with the keys to your prison, ready to open the door. The gospel truth is that through Christ’s death and resurrection, the penalty of sin has been paid and its power broken[15]. You can be forgiven and transformed. “Sin shall not have dominion over you” (Rom. 6:14) when you belong to Jesus. Will you let Him set you free? Sometimes people hesitate – we get oddly comfortable in our chains or fear life outside our familiar prison. But listen: whatever binds you, life in Christ’s freedom is better. When He frees you, you are “free indeed” (John 8:36).

Perhaps you are a believer already – remember that Jesus calls us to share in this liberating mission. Just as the Father sent Him, He sends us to proclaim freedom to others[16]. We can’t break chains by our own power, but we carry His gospel which does. Every time you share with someone how Jesus saved you, or help someone find freedom from despair by pointing them to Christ, you are continuing His work of setting captives free. Let’s live as liberated people and invite others to the liberty that is in Jesus. God is for the bound – so much that He gave His only Son to break their bonds.

(Transition: We’ve seen that God is for the broken and for the bound. Finally, Jesus’ message in Nazareth climaxes with a grand proclamation of grace, showing that…)

III. God Is for the Believing (Luke 4:19)

“…to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Luke 4:19 KJV

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The last phrase Jesus read was, “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” This is a beautiful description of the era Christ was inaugurating – essentially, the time of God’s favor. The word “acceptable” can be understood as “favorable” or welcome. Jesus announces that now, in Him, God is welcoming sinners, accepting those who turn to Him, and pouring out grace. It’s as if He’s saying, “This is the year! The season of God’s goodwill toward men has come.” Remember how the angels sang at Jesus’ birth, “on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14)? Now the grown Messiah echoes that sentiment: God’s goodwill, His “for-us” disposition, is here in full force.

This idea of an “acceptable year” hearkens back (as mentioned) to the Year of Jubilee in Israel’s law[17]. Every 50th year, the trumpet of Jubilee sounded and liberty was proclaimed throughout the land (Leviticus 25:10). Debts were canceled, slaves were freed, and everyone had a fresh start economically and socially. It was a year of grace, a reset ordained by God. However, the Jubilee of old was just a shadow; Jesus is the substance. He is proclaiming the ultimate Jubilee – spiritual freedom and restoration for anyone who will receive Him. When He says “the year of the Lord,” it doesn’t mean a literal 365 days, but rather a period of time. We often call it the age of grace, the Church age – this current era in which the gospel is being preached and salvation is available to all. This “year” has been lasting from Christ’s first coming until now, and thank God it’s still going on!

Notice that Jesus stopped the reading at “the acceptable year of the Lord.” In Isaiah 61:2, the very next words are “and the day of vengeance of our God.” But Jesus closed the scroll before that part[4]. Why? Because that “day of vengeance” (judgment) was not for His first coming. It will come at His second coming, when the window of grace closes for this world[3][18]. But today, the window is wide open. Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation[18]. God is holding out the welcome mat of heaven to whosoever will believe. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). What does this require on our part? Faith. Simply to believe and receive Christ. That is why I’ve phrased this point “God is for the Believing.” The favor of God is experienced by those who respond to Jesus in faith.

When Jesus preached this in Nazareth, how did the people respond? At first, with amazement at His gracious words[2]. They sensed the grace, the “favor,” in what He was saying. But then doubt and unbelief crept in: “Is not this Joseph’s son?” they scoffed (Luke 4:22). Jesus, knowing their thoughts, challenged them that no prophet is accepted in his own country (4:24). He then gave two powerful examples from their Scriptures of how God’s grace went to outsiders – believing outsiders – when Israel was in unbelief[19][4]. He reminded them that in Elijah’s time, there were many widows in Israel during the famine, but Elijah was sent to a Gentile widow in Zarephath who trusted God’s word and saw miraculous provision[20]. Likewise, in Elisha’s time, many lepers in Israel remained leprous, but Naaman the Syrian came in faith and was healed[21]. Do you see the pattern? Those who believed – even unlikely people – experienced the Lord’s favor. Those who presumed or disbelieved missed it. Jesus’ hometown folk understood the implication: He was warning that if they refused to believe, God’s grace would move on to others (even the Gentiles). Instead of humbling their hearts, they hardened them and tried to throw Jesus off a cliff! Unbelief robbed them of the very blessings Jesus longed to give.

What a tragedy – and what a warning for us. God is for you, but you must receive His grace by faith. The age of favor is here, but it will not automatically benefit those who reject the Favor-Giver. Romans 8:31 asks, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” That promise is for those who are in Christ Jesus – those who have believed on Him. How do we know God is for us? “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all…” (Rom. 8:32). At the cross, God proved definitively that He is “for us.” Jesus died for our sins, in our place, so that we could be reconciled to God and not face His judgment. And He rose again, ushering in this glorious season of grace. Now whosoever believes in Him will not perish under wrath but have everlasting life (John 3:16). That is the essence of “the acceptable year of the Lord” – God’s acceptance offered to you through Jesus.

I urge you, do not let this gracious season pass you by. We are still living in the year of the Lord’s favor today, but none of us knows when it will end – either by our own death or by Christ’s return. There is an urgency to Jesus’ proclamation: “He hath sent Me… to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” In other words, “Don’t miss this! Now is the time of God’s favor. Seize it!” Today, if you hear His voice, respond with faith. Perhaps you’ve hesitated to fully trust Christ – maybe you feel unworthy or you fear what surrender might mean. Remember, He came because God loves you and wants to save you. He isn’t here to harm you or deprive you, but to rescue and restore you. Trusting Jesus is not a leap into the void; it’s stepping into the embrace of a God who is for you.

Think of Naaman the Syrian leper. At first he almost let pride keep him from the blessing – he was offended at the simple remedy Elisha gave (wash in the Jordan). But when he humbled himself and obeyed in faith, his flesh was healed like new. In the same way, the gospel may seem simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Some scoff or seek a more complicated path. But those who believe – who take God at His word – experience the miracle of salvation. God is for the believing. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith.” God’s grace is available, but it is through faith that we grab hold of it.

So, will you be like the faith-filled widow of Zarephath, who received God’s miraculous provision, or like the skeptical neighbors of Nazareth, who forfeited it? The choice is yours. Jesus has thrown open the door of acceptance with God – “By Him, all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:39). Walk through that door by trusting Him completely. Surrender your life to the Savior who gave His life for you. This is the year of the Lord’s favor – don’t delay.

Conclusion:

When Jesus finished reading in the synagogue, He proclaimed, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.” The Messiah had come, and with Him came God’s compassionate offer to humanity. Isaiah’s ancient words sprang to life in Jesus’ ministry: He preached good news to the poor, bound up the brokenhearted, set captives free, gave sight to the blind, and declared the time of God’s favor[12][17]. In every act and every sermon, Jesus was showing us the heart of the Father: a heart for us. He went to the cross to accomplish the ultimate healing and deliverance we needed – to save us from sin and death. On that cross, all our brokenness, bondage, and guilt were laid on Him. He died and rose again so that whosoever will may enter this age of Jubilee, having their spiritual debts canceled and chains loosed. What incredible grace!

Now the scroll is in our hands, so to speak. We have heard the Scripture. We have heard that “God is for us” – for the broken, for the bound, and for all who will believe. The question is: How will you respond? If you have never personally trusted Christ as your Savior and Lord, I invite you – no, implore you – come to Him today. Don’t walk out of here in the chains or darkness you came in with. Jesus is present by His Spirit, extending the same grace He announced 2,000 years ago. In His name I declare to you forgiveness of sins if you will repent and believe. Will you bow your heart to the One who gave Himself for you? You may feel unworthy; you may feel too broken or too bound. Take it from the Word of God: those are exactly the people Jesus came to save. He said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Step forward in faith, and you will find that God has been for you all along – He’s been waiting with open arms.

For those who have trusted Christ, this message is our hope and our commission. Hope, because even as believers we encounter sorrows and struggles – but we know our Redeemer’s mission. We can cry out to Him in our brokenness and find comfort; we can bring Him our burdens and find freedom afresh. We also have a commission: Jesus has passed the baton to His church to keep proclaiming “God’s favor is here!” We are to continue preaching the gospel to the spiritually poor, binding up the hurt through Christ’s love, and declaring liberty to the captives through the power of the cross. As long as this acceptable year of the Lord lasts, let’s make the good news known everywhere. Your neighbor, your coworker, your family member – they need to know God is for them in Christ. Who will tell them if not us? “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Rom. 10:15).

My friends, we live in a world where so many feel that God is against them or that God is distant and indifferent. But we carry an authoritative message to the contrary. In Jesus, God has shown Himself to be emphatically for us. He is for you in your pain, offering comfort. He is for you in your struggle, offering deliverance. He is for you in your seeking, offering salvation. The Lord has proclaimed an amnesty from heaven – a free pardon – but it must be received before it expires. Don’t be like Nazareth, letting unbelief snatch away your day of grace. Rather, embrace Jesus and then go out and “proclaim liberty” to others.

As we close, let the truth resound in your heart: God is not against you – He is for you in Christ. If God is for us, who can be against us? There is no enemy or circumstance that can ultimately overcome those who are held in the favor of Almighty God. Take that truth with you today. Let it banish your fears and give you courage to live for Jesus. And if you haven’t yet, respond to His invitation. This is the day of salvation. Jesus stands ready to save, heal, and restore. Come to Him, and you too will be able to testify: God is for me, and by His grace I am free! God is for us – may we forever praise Him for that unfathomable grace.

(Clear Gospel invitation:)

Will you trust Him right now? Turn from your sin and self, and turn to Jesus who died for you and rose again. In prayer, ask Him to forgive you and take control of your life. Surrender to the Savior who came to set you free. He will hear that faintest cry of faith. And dear believer, as you leave today, go with confidence and warmth, ready to share this good news with a world full of broken and bound people. The scroll of Isaiah has been fulfilled in Jesus, and we are living in the age of the Lord’s favor – let’s rejoice and proclaim it!

God is for us. God is for you. Leave this place knowing that in Christ, you are loved, you are free, and you carry the very favor of God into the world. “Blessed be the Lord God… for He hath visited and redeemed His people” (Luke 1:68). Let’s respond with faith and surrender, embracing all that Jesus came to give. Amen.

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HYPERLINK "https://drive.google.com/file/d/11A3pSA2kQuLpL8tAaULJSHmCpN_rqDUh" \h[1] [3] [4] [7] [19] [20] [21] Isa 61.1-3 Saviour or Judge.docx

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11A3pSA2kQuLpL8tAaULJSHmCpN_rqDUh

[2] [5] [6] [8] [9] [11] [12] [13] [17] [18] 13 Mk14-Lk8.docx

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t1j4-zsCmp3En4eSLERIMASNkco8NtLJ

[10] [14] [15] [16] Freedom_#6.docx

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14t0xqHK2r7w3tmLufiX96-fA0PyWGSte