Good News to the Poor

In that moment in human history, Jesus the anointed one came to preach the good news to the poor. In His proclamation of the good news, Jesus brought true justice, God’s justice. For everyone has the right to hear. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

God’s ministry of reconciliation is indeed good news. In a moment in time, Jesus stepped down into our darkness and shone His glorious light. Jesus came to bring God’s true justice of equality to all. He was sent from the depths of the Father’s heart to heal the broken hearted, bring freedom to the captives, liberty to the oppressed and give recovery of sight to the blind. Jesus opened peoples’ spiritual eyes to the truth about God, self and others.

In that moment in human history, Jesus the anointed one came to preach the good news to the poor. In His proclamation of the good news, Jesus brought true justice, God’s justice. For everyone has the right to hear.

Let us read again Jesus’ declaration of His mission of reconciliation. I’m reading the New King James translation.

Let us read Luke 4:14-21 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 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.”

Jesus announces His mission and that all is fulfilled in their hearing. For Jesus came to preach the good news of peace, liberation and true justice of equality and respect. 

Jesus is the anointed one that all the prophets including Isaiah had said would come. Everything Jesus declares He has fulfilled. 

All of this is the work of God. For only God can heal the broken hearted and bring freedom to the captives. Only God can give recovery of sight to the blind and set at liberty those who are oppressed. 

God, the Eternal One promised centuries before Jesus’ coming that He would personally do all this. So when Jesus having read the passage in Isaiah declares “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,” He is saying,  Behold, it is I. I am the one who has come to fulfil it all. Jesus is saying to them that He is God the Son. God who became human and became the Son of Man. Jesus was and is and always will be fully divine. Yet in this moment in time He became fully human to personally bring the good news to us. 

In Jesus’ coming He reveals the heart of God. For the Father, Son and Spirit are one. Jesus is sent from the bosom of the Father in heaven. Of the seed of the Holy Spirit, anointed and testified of by the Spirit. Yes Jesus preaches the good news.

God’s desire for true justice never changes. So He relentlessly pursues humanity in love, as everyone has the right to hear. Not only the right to hear, but out of God’s great love, He gives everyone free choice. 

It is abhorrent to God the injustices and abuses of power of this world. These are the ways of evil and humanity’s selfish desires. They are the shame of humanity. For humanity chose to give over their power to their selfish desires and activate evil into God’s once perfect world. 

As God’s character never changes, His desire for justice, that is equality is evident since the dawn of time. For He created the first man and woman equal. He blessed them and empowered them equally. God gave them His identity and His power and authority to rule and reign equally in caring for His once perfect world. 

As centuries passed, God was never without a witness. Even to a rebellious people, God pursued in love. He sent His prophet to speak for Him and testify of Him. One such prophet was Isaiah. 

One of the dominant themes throughout the book of Isaiah and in fact the whole Bible is justice. That is true justice, God’s justice of equality, respect and liberty for all. 

Throughout His prophet Isaiah, God declares that He will personally bring true justice. Only He can do this as only He is just and true. This is indeed good news to all. 

With true justice comes peace. Peace with God, each other and self. A perfect peace that is both internal and external. That is a state of tranquility, a sanctuary or place of safety and harmony. 

This peace of the Eternal One brings freedom from the bondage of unforgiveness, guilt and shame. For it is His eternal peace that comes from His reconciliatory mission. Hearing and receiving the good news of the gospel of peace, forgiveness, honour and innocence is liberty to the captives. 

Regardless of the hierarchical systems and injustices of this world, true justice is that everyone has the right to hear the gospel of peace. Everyone has the right to free choice.

Through His prophet Isaiah, God speaks of a time when the whole world would come to know their creator. It will be the fulfilment of God’s justice on earth as it is in heaven. As everyone has the right to hear. 

Isaiah 52:6-10 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’ How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the LORD brings back Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. 

For in Jesus’ coming He is the fulfilment of all God has promised. That is healing, deliverance, salvation, liberty, revelation, equality and respect. Not just exclusively for those of Jewish lineage but for all people, nations and languages. 

Each one has an equal right to hear the truth. A right to be empowered to make an informed choice. Whatever gender, age, ethnicity, socio economic status, everyone has a right to hear. To hear the truth about God, self and each other. This is indeed good news. 

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He journeyed with His disciples. He did life with them. The resurrected Jesus even cooked breakfast for them. In one intimate moment Jesus gathered the twelve together. He shared God’s heart for true justice. He gave them His power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. Everywhere they went they carried His gospel of peace. 

Let us read Luke 9:1-6 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

In Luke’s account of sending out of the 12 disciples, the preaching of the good news is linked with healing others and having power and authority over demons. For they were sent out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Sent in Jesus’ power and authority, they  proclaimed the good news that the Son of God has come. To preach the good news to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are oppressed. For now is the acceptable time of the Eternal One. All is fulfilled in Jesus’ coming and in their hearing. For everyone has the right to hear.

As it is Jesus’ power and authority every disciple of Jesus has the same power and authority. Having recognised and accepted Jesus’ right to rule and reign in our lives, we have His identity.  We have different gifts according to God’s will and the needs around us, but each one has the  same Holy Spirit within. Each one has the same power and authority. That is the power and authority of Jesus.  

In the next chapter of Luke Jesus sends out 72 disciples. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension there is 120 gathered in the upper room. Over the ages of time, as a new disciple receives Jesus and His right to rule and reign, they receive Jesus’ identity. His power and authority over demons and healing of others. 

The gospel of peace must be preached. That is testified of who God is, what He has done and will do. Every disciple of Jesus, having received Jesus and His right to rule and reign testifies of Him. Everyone has a story and having received Jesus’ right to rule and reign testify of Him. For He is our peace.

Ephesians 2:14-22 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Jesus is the embodiment of the good news. The good news of peace with God, others and self. Jesus personally and intentionally is our peace. He has made one those of Jewish lineage and those non Jewish lineage. He has made those who were afar off and to those who were near equal. Every disciple of Jesus has the same Spirit within. Each one is a child of the living God and has the same Spirit to the Father. Every disciple of Jesus testifies of the good news. For God is a God of true justice. Therefore everyone has the right to hear. 

Before Jesus’ return the gospel must be preached to the ends of the age. The age when all who will come to Him have come. Even those who will never come to God, never receive Him and His right to rule and reign, have the right to hear. 

In Matthew 24:14 Jesus states, And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

As a witness to every nation, tribe, tongue and people the good news must be preached. Jesus declared it and it must be so.

Revelation 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!