The light of the gospel shines bright where darkness increases. As darkness increases in the land, it is the power of the good news of Jesus that will dispel darkness and bring deliverance and healing. The power of the gospel is the revelation of Jesus.
Isaiah declares in Chapter 61:1 that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him and anointed him to “preach good news to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
In the context of Isaiah, as a prophet he was sent from the council of the Lord to preach the good news that Yahweh the King would bring deliverance from Babylonian captivity. Jesus comes along, according to the Gospel of Luke (4:18) and quotes this very Scripture and declares it is fulfilled in their hearing.
Jesus after being filled with the Spirit, sent into the wilderness and overcoming the testing of Satan, came out in power and then said the words recorded in Luke 4:17-20. Jesus is declaring the Good News that Yahweh the King has come embodied in flesh to bring the new age of the kingdom. He came as the suffering servant to bring a spiritual jubilee that would lead to the ultimate deliverance from spiritual captivity.
Isaiah, who stood as a witness of the delivering power of Yahweh, declared that it was the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance, yet pointed to the ultimate fulfillment through Jesus. The word “acceptable” in Isaiah 61:2 means “delight, pleasure and acceptance” but derives from the Hebrew word that means “to be crushed and bruised.”
The power to set people free through the light of the glorious gospel comes through the revelation of the crushing that Jesus suffered for us so that we can be set free. Just as the Word became incarnate in a body to shine the light of the Good News to those in darkness, that same light must be seen through His body, the church, in these times of darkness. Death worked in Christ so life could work in us; therefore as Paul declares, our embracing of the cross is the power of the gospel that will shine light and give light to others (see 2 Cor. 4:10-12).
In this podcast, we will continue to unpack the power of the gospel and its effect on us as individuals, our interpersonal relationships and the structures and systems that perpetuate the darkness the light of gospel is meant to dispel.
To hear more of this revelatory word, listen to the podcast, the Power of the Gospel, Part 2.
Purchase Wayland Henderson’s latest book on discipleship: Walking with God: Repairing the Breach and Restoring the Ancient Path to Discipleship. {eoa}
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