Luke 4 | Anticipation Fulfilled
I wonder what it was like for people of Jesus’ hometown? I wonder what it was like for people of Jesus’ day at all.
Imagine.
All the way since Genesis 3, there has been anticipation.
Anticipation through centuries for One who would come and put things right. The promises were sure, made by a promise-keeping God, but when? When would these come about?
Through tragedy and slavery, drought and famine, good kings and bad kings, prophets and warnings, blessings and curses… Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
And then, silence. For 400 years between the Old Testament and the New, there was no new prophetic message. No new reminder of hope.
And then, it happened. In a tiny little town, He came. Finally! He came.
Not many knew it at first, but when the time was right, Jesus began His good work.
What would it have been like to be in the synagogue the day the Word made flesh read the Word inspired and declared this to be the day?
If only the people of Jesus’ hometown knew what was happening. Alas, they did not. They tried to throw Him off a cliff.
But Jesus would not be thwarted. He went on His way, fulfilling His mission: bringing good news to the poor, sight to the blind, liberty to the oppressed, and freedom for the captives. Yes! This would be the time of God’s favor, when the Messiah would do all this by the word of His mouth, and the obedience of His sacrifice.
The arrival of the Son of God meant freedom for the child of man.
Will we listen? Will we remember every day that Jesus is our true joy and freedom? Not anything else that captures our hearts and distracts us from our mission.
Just Jesus.
He’s all we ever need.
“‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’” Luke 4:18-19