21-Day Growth Challenge | Day 15: "The Year of Jubilee, Everyday"
Key VersesLuke 4:18, "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 preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19] to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." 20 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. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Insight
In this text in which Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1, Jesus said he came to preach the "acceptable year of the Lord," he was talking about a year of Jubilee. (Leviticus 25:9-11)
Jubilee was one the holy occasions for the Jewish people. It occurred once every 50 years and lasted for one year. It’s main features were:
1. It began on the Day of Atonement—the holiest day of the year
2. Property bought or sold reverted back to its original owners in the inheritance
3. Indentured servants were released
4. Debts were cancelled
5. The land was fallow for the year: No sowing or reaping
Jubilee was an event that Jesus transformed into a spiritual place and reality. He changed it from once every 50 years, to everyday.
Jesus' Jubilee message was simple and straightforward:
1. Good news to the poor
2. Healing from a broken heart
3. Deliverance to the captives
4. Sight (natural and spiritual) for the blind
5. Liberty for the oppressed
6. Jubilee all the time
These words touch every person in need. This message was so progressive, cutting-edge, and action oriented until it offended the people in the synagogue. They were not prepared to hear Jesus say, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing.” It is interesting that when God makes extraordinary promises, it is the tendency of people to want to put such great blessings off to a different place or time. People think, "Surely something this great and this good could not be for us today, it must be for a day to come."
That is a religious mindset. The best things that God wants to do for people, He wants to do NOW. Our God is a God of action. As His servants, we must adopt the same mindset.
Day 15 | Online Exercise
Click here to take online exercise
