Today in Your Hearing

I. Hometown - John the Baptist, Jesus mission was founded on a prophecy from Isaiah

a. Jesus launches his ministry from his home synagogue. In front of all the people that have watched him grow up

i. Most would reject him – We know him, we know his daddy etc….

b. His custom to be found in the synagogue on the Sabbath

i. Jesus does not call us to anything he was not willing to do

1. Yes church attendance is critical.

ii. He knew the Word – he knew where to find the part of Isaiah he needed to read – and without chapter and verse numbers.

c. Like John the Baptist he finds his mission in a prophecy from Isaiah

i. His Mission Statement if you will

II. Word plus Spirit

a. We mentioned this in John the Baptist series

b. Jesus not only opened the scroll as a physical act but he opened up the scripture and gave meaning – an act of the Holy Spirit in our own lives to open up the meaning of the scriptures.

c. To preach – to speak to the lost, the blind and those held captive to the slavery of sin

i. To preach the good news to the poor

1. Poor – poor in life, wealth, class / status in society, in spiritual state

d. Power when we read the word and mix it with the power of the Holy Spirit

e. Most like read with confidence – out loud for the people to hear

f. The OT points to Christ and he himself confirms it by proclaiming the OT prophecy is fulfilled

i. He stand as prophet and savior

III. Anointing Jesus was anointed for his task

a. Anoint means to set someone apart, to authorize and equip him or her for a task of spiritual importance. Jesus Christ is set apart by the work of the Holy Spirit for his ministry of preaching, healing and deliverance. The Holy Spirit sets Christians apart for the ministry in Christ’s name – Logos

i. Messiah & Christ both = Anointed One

b. Again an anointing done by the Holy Spirit

i. Like the anointing done for a King or Priest

1. Oil in OT often symbolizes the Holy Spirit

c. – Jesus anointed

i. God anointed with the Holy Spirit (all flows from the Father)

1. At the end of Jesus ministry Jesus said he would ask the Father to send the comforter

ii. Anointed with power – is this not a different aspect of the Holy Spirit

iii. Then went about preaching and doing good

1. Healing all who were under the tyranny of the Devil because God was with him

a. Not just a physical healing

d. (lead into authority)

i. Heavens opened up – Seat of God / throne of God

ii. The Holy Spirit descending like a dove

IV. The Father gives him authority – this is my son

a. The kings son always had powered

b. Again flows from the Father

c. Jesus could read from Isaiah with confidence that what Isaiah had said was about him because his Father had anointed him and given him authority. He was not acting on his own.

d. Jesus also always recognized his authority came from the Father

i.

1. Always points back to the Father

2. Speaks what the Father has said

V. Open the Eyes of the Blind

a. A physical but more a spiritual blindness

b. – blind guides leading the blind

i. Those who heard Jesus words and saw the miracles and still refused to believe

c.

i. The people were oppressed not just by the Romans but by the religious leaders

ii. Blind guides, fools and people

d. Our sin, selfishness, pridefulness, rebellion and disobedience blind us from the reality of who Jesus really is.

e. But there is hope

i. god of this age has blinded – god of this age – satan also god of this world

ii. Glory of Christ is the Father (remember Christ always points to the Father)

iii. Jesus Christ is the one that shines the light into our blindness our dark world

1. Light shone in our hearts – the inside matters.

2. And so our light shines to bring the light of Christ to the darkness

VI. Set the Captives free – deliver from bondage

a.

i. Slave to sin – bondage

ii. The truth will set you free – what truth?

1. Some translations read who the son sets free

2. The truth of Jesus – his power his authority – his anointing

b.

i. Don’t take back up the yoke of slavery

ii. The Israelites longing to be back in Egypt

iii. – dog returns to its vomit

c. Pardon, forgiveness = set free – if you are pardoned for your crime you are set free from jail

VII. Today in your hearing

a. The year of the Lord’s favor has come

b. In your hearing you have faith

c. Hear the word, hear the word, hear the word

d. We are set free from Sin

i. Sin is a cruel task master -

1. Drags us down

2. Veils us from the truth of Chrsit

3. We can’t save our self

ii. From our sin – no longer slaves to sin – no longer in bondage

iii. No longer blind

iv. We now come to Christ as his slave

1. But he in turn makes us a sons and daughters and calls us friend (Prodigal son)

v. Since we are called sons and daughters we now have the authority through Jesus

vi. We are now anointed by the Holy Spirit

1. Not for our benefit but for our ministry to

vii. Now we proclaim the year of the lord to open the eyes of the blind and set the captives free of Conyers and Covington