Prophecies about Jesus: He will preach good news

I have some good news and some bad news. Yesterday, the Tigers (rugby league) won, but the Matilda’s (soccer) lost. Most people prefer to hear the bad news first because we prefer stories with happy endings. But bad news dominates in our news media because it gets higher ratings. The Good News Network was founded in USA in 1997 because the media was failing to report the positive news.

When Jesus visited the Jewish synagogue in His hometown Nazareth, He read about good news from Isaiah (61:1-2; 58:6) in the Bible.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk. 4:18-19).

Then He said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:21). That’s a short sermon – one sentence (He would Have said more, but this is the main point)! He told them who it was about (Him) and when it was about (then). He was the “anointed” one (the Christ) proclaiming a message of good news. Jesus was the promised Messiah. The people of Israel had waited a long time for the fulfillment of promises that God made throughout their history – about 2,000 years from Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), 1,000 years from David and 700 years from this prophecy by Isaiah.

This shows Jesus’ primary purpose – to proclaim (or preach) good news and to bring God’s favor. It’s like a Mission Statement. Elsewhere He said that He came to die – “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). He came to bring deliverance and salvation through His death and resurrection. Jesus is the good news.

This passage is addressed to the poor, the prisoners, the blind and the oppressed, who are disadvantaged and marginalized. Those with the major problems in society. But it also applies to spiritual needs – spiritual poverty, spiritual captivity, spiritual blindness, and spiritual oppression. Jesus is saying that His good news is the answer to the major problems in society. The good news addresses the bad news about our sin. He came to die for our sins and remove the barrier between us and God.

The “year of God’s favor” may refer to the Hebrew Jubilee year when all slaves were released, and debts cancelled (Lev. 25). Likewise, believers are freed from being slaves to sin and their relationship with God is restored.

Prayer

Father God, in a world where there is so much bad news, we thank you for the good news that came through Jesus. He is the promised Jewish Messiah that fulfilled the promises and patterns in the Old Testament. He preached a message of good news, and we all need that good news.

Thanks, that Jesus was the good news – He died to take the punishment for our sins. Because of this we look forward to your favor rather than your judgment. So, we offer thanks and praise for all that you have done through Jesus. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Written, August 2023