The Ministry

Luke 4

Jesus had just been baptized, tempted in the wilderness by the devil, and now has “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.” This is when and where his ministry started, in the city he was raised in and at the synagogue he most likely grew up going to. Jesus began his ministry by reading Isaiah 61:1-2 from a scroll and ended the reading by saying that this Scripture had been fulfilled. But how? How could the one who had just read these verses be the “anointed” like it said in Isaiah? How could this man be the Messiah who came to fulfill all these things? 

In the verses Jesus read it said Jesus would bring good news to the poor, liberty to the captives and oppressed, sight to the blind, and proclaim the year of Jubilee. Jesus did so much of this in his earthly ministry, and more: he brought good news to our spiritual poverty; he proclaimed liberty from our captivity and oppression to sin; he brought sight to our spiritual blindness; and he canceled our debt by paying for it on the cross. Isn’t it amazing to look back at the reading from Isaiah and see he accomplished all of this in his life, death, resurrection, and glorification?

Prayer:

Father, would I not miss the work of Christ that has been done for me. Propel me to see what you are doing and join in on that work to make your Kingdom come. Thank you for inviting us into that work. It is a gift to partner with you - help me remember that.

Question to Consider:

What is God inviting you into, asking you to partner with him in?