“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, to recover the sight of the blind, to release the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Jesus changes everything because …
• … He gives hope to the hopeless.
“(God) desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) [ESV]
“Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God …” (Psalm 42:5) [GW]
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) [ISV]
• … He heals the brokenhearted.
“The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:17-18) [NLT]
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3) [NIV]
• … He came to set the captive free.
“Jesus said … ‘Everyone who sins is a slave of sin … But if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” (John 8: 34, 36) [NIV]
• … He came to reveal God to the world.
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) [NLT]
“Jesus said … ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!’” (John 14:9) [NLT]
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” (Hebrews 1:3a) [NIV]
“When you look for me, you will find me. When you wholeheartedly seek me.” (Jeremiah 29:13) [GW]
• … He came to purchase your freedom.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) [NLT]
“God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take, and the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver as you very well know. But he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” (1 Peter 1:18-19) [LB]