He Came to Set the Captives Free

Luke wrote his gospel around the year 80 AD. To a large audience. Who were they? We do not really know. What we do know is that it was addressed to Theophilus . Like all of us when we write a letter, we know to whom we are writing, and we know that there is a purpose to the letter. Luke’s Gospel is the same. We know to whom the book is written but what was is the purpose of this book.

:4says, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. So, Luke writes to affirm that which Theophilus has already learnt. What is it the Luke wants to solidify? Luke’s audience was facing a rejection from society due to the early Christians no longer accepting the belief systems of their previous religion. For pagans it was no longer accepting paganism and for the Jews it was no longer accepting the messiah the Jews had longed for. It is for this reason that Luke establishes that Jesus is God’s own son and the real promised Messiah sent to save the world.

says, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. So, Luke writes to affirm that which Theophilus has already learnt. What is it the Luke wants to solidify? Luke’s audience was facing a rejection from society due to the early Christians no longer accepting the belief systems of their previous religion. For pagans it was no longer accepting paganism and for the Jews it was no longer accepting the messiah the Jews had longed for. It is for this reason that Luke establishes that Jesus is God’s own Son and the real promised Messiah sent to save the world.

When Luke writes about the temptation of Jesus we see that the linage of Jesus is taken all the way back to Adam thereby linking Jesus with all of humanity. Suggesting that the people back then could have been struggling with the origin and mission of Christ. Could it also be possible that today some 2000 years later that we are still struggling with the same things?

When Luke writes about the temptation of Jesus, we see that the linage of Jesus is taken all the way back to Adam thereby linking Jesus with all of humanity. Suggesting that the people back then could have been struggling with the origin and mission of Christ. Could it also be possible that today some 2000 years later that we are still struggling with the same things?

I think this struggle for us is a very valid point. Do we really understand what Jesus came to this earth for? Satan even brought Jesus into this mind set when he took Him up to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. The location of this temptation is interesting. There must have been other places in the area that must have been higher. But was this location not chosen by satan for a specific reason? Once again satan calls on Jesus to step outside the life that He believed He was to be on. Questioning His true identity, questioning His ultimate mission. A mission that was set in the councils of heaven, before the world was created. God and Christ covenanted that if man would prove disloyal Christ with the Father would take the place of transgressor.

Is it possible that satan standing with Jesus at the pinnacle of the temple wall was saying to Jesus, “jump and show me who you are, and I will believe in you?” Satan even uses Scripture to get his point across. He says that God will look after you, “He will send angels to keep charge over you, they will bear you up in their hands and you will not dash your foot on the stone.” Satan quotes Scripture , Psalm that speaks to those who trust in God will receive His protection. If Jesus, then had to jump off the pinnacle God would protect Him and crush and defeat satan.

Is it possible that satan standing with Jesus at the pinnacle of the temple wall was saying to Jesus, “jump and show me who you are and I will believe in you?” Satan even uses Scripture to get his point across. He says that God will look after you, “He will send angels to keep charge over you, they will bear you up in their hands and you will not dash your foot on the stone.” Satan quotes Scripture , Psalm that speaks to those who trust in God will receive His protection. If Jesus then had to jump off the pinnacle God would protect Him and crush and defeat satan.

As satan was saying these things could he be saying to Jesus, “You know this temple behind you, all that is has stood for, all that it represents, all that it points to can all be by passed if you will jump off and in doing so you will prove to me who you are and I will believe and you will not have to endure death for this world.” Jesus knew the intimate details of the plan of salvation and He knew how they were expressed in the sanctuary service. Now, He is being called to turn His back on that which He came to do.

It is interesting that Luke uses the same root word “ballo” here and in and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Does this not make you think of Jesus words in “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. These people were not wanting to be a light. They were even wanting throw, the Light of the world off the cliff.

These words throw in v9 and thrust in v29 link the sections. In this passage of Scripture where they want to thrust Jesus off the cliff He has just read from , 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; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

, 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; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

. Once He had read that He says in today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus was saying that He has come to save, set free. This is not what satan wanted. He wanted Jesus to give up on His mission for us. But the love that Jesus has for all us is so great that He would never give up. As He is one with the Father, He was prepared to take the place off the sinner and suffer the penalty of justice should fall on man must now fall on Him.

. Once He had read that He says in :21Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus was saying that He has come to save, set free. This is not what satan wanted. He wanted Jesus to give up on His mission for us. But the love that Jesus has for all us is so great that He would never give up. As He is one with the Father, He was prepared to take the place off the sinner and suffer the penalty of justice that must fall on Him.

Satan was saying that you do not need to die in order to accomplish the plan of salvation. But Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death. It is not a natural consequence. Those in the hearing of Jesus as He read were saying that we are not willing to accept what you are offering us. Satan did not want Jesus to offer the gift of Salvation to the world. What are we doing today? Do we look at Calvary and say no? Do we like those who heard the Scriptures read take Jesus and want to throw Him off a cliff because it does not fit with what we or I want to believe?

It is interesting that Luke uses the same root word ballo here and in and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. These words link the section. This passage of Scripture Jesus reads from , 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; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” . Once He had read that He says in Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus was saying that He has come to save, set free. This is not what satan wanted. He wanted Jesus to give up on His mission for us. But the love that Jesus has for all us is so great that He would never give up. As He is one with the Father He was prepare to take the place off the sinner and suffer the penalty of justice that must fall on Him.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

Being set free is the full and unconditional acceptance of what Jesus has done for us even if we are not able to fully understand it..

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

Being set free is the full and unconditional acceptance of what Jesus has done for us even if we are not able to fully understand it.

and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

Satan was saying that you do not need to die in order to accomplish the plan of salvation. But Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death. It is not a natural consequence. Those in the hearing of Jesus as He read were saying that we are willing to accept what you are offering us. Satan did not want Jesus to offer the gift of Salvation to the world. What are we doing today? Do we look at calvary and say no? Do we like those who heard the Scriptures read take Jesus and want to throw Him off a cliff because it does not fit with what we or I want to believe.

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

Being set free is the full and unconditional acceptance of what Jesus has done for us even if we are not able to fully understand it.

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

As we look at this section of Scripture, we can see two issues coming out. The one is that satan does not want Jesus to accomplish the plan of salvation and to do this he plays on the sin of presumption. Christs perfect faith and confidence in God could have caused Him to challenge God to act on His behalf, test God when it was not the will of God. Christ sets the example by bearing patiently this trial. When we are in similar situations, we are called to bear the trials in the same way knowing that God will give us the power to be victorious. We are not all saved out of or from our difficulties, temptation. But we are all given the strength of Christ to endure these and to remain faith full as He did. The second issue here is the denial of who Jesus was and His purpose for coming to earth by the people in the Synagogue that Sabbath. Also, Jesus was given the opportunity to deny the cross and not walk that path.

But Jesus knew that the penalty of the law and as the law had been broken this penalty had to be met. The only one who could meet this penalty and offer salvation was Jesus. It was on Him that the sin and sins of the world were to rest. In the book Redemption Ellen White says, “in the agonizing temptations of the wilderness were for us. In Adam all was lost but in Christ is man’s only hope of restoration. This penalty has fallen on only one, Jesus. His death was absolute. He did not die an eternal death. He died for us so that we could partake of His life. Jesus who knew no sin became sin for us, He took our sin upon Himself and was made to be sin for us. He voluntarily became obedient unto that death which sin brings. He died for us and not for Himself and since there was no stain of sin upon Him it was not possible that death should hold Him. To all who accept him he imparts his own life, which has triumphed over death, and they receive the penalty of the law in him. This means that as we accept Jesus atoning sacrifice for us, our life of sin and the penalty we are to receive Jesus willing accepted.

The victory over death and sin is what the devil was trying to get Jesus to deny. He was trying to get Jesus to turn His back on us. He was trying to get Jesus to deny the path He had chosen to walk. When Jesus read the scriptures that Sabbath those that wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff were denying His life and His victory over sin. They were not willing to accept Him and His life. Are we accepting or rejecting Jesus? Salvation is found only in Christ. May we not deny that which Jesus suffered so greatly for. It is only in Christ covering us with His life that we can have life. Today may all of us accept salvation which is only found in Christ.

The victory over death and sin is what the devil was trying to get Jesus to deny. He was trying to get Jesus to turn His back on us. He was trying to get Jesus to deny the path He had chosen to walk. When Jesus read the scriptures that Sabbath those that wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff were denying His life and His victory over sin. They were not willing to accept Him and His life.

Amen

Are we accepting or rejecting Jesus? Salvation is found only in Christ. May we not deny that which Jesus suffered so greatly for. It is only in Christ covering us with His life that we can have life. Today may all of us accept salvation which is only found in Christ.

Amen

He Came to Set the Captives Free

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