October 20, 2012

We Are Anointed To Proclaim Forgiveness & Healing


(Teaching notes for St. Luke’s Day 2012 by Rev. John Gishler)

This is a moment of high drama:
  • Jesus announces who He is and what He has come to do
  • Prophecy is fulfilled in their hearing – i.e.  I am the one who will release prisoners, open the eyes of the blind and release the oppressed
  • To understand this we need to notice the context in Luke – follows Jesus temptation by Satan, precedes an exorcism
  • Jesus is not talking about physical prisons or blindness
  • Jesus is talking about freeing people from spiritual prisons and spiritual blindness
  • We also believe in the physical healings of Jesus

 1.    “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (4.21)
a.    Isaiah had written this at least 400 years earlier.
b.    Hebrews expecting another saviour like Moses
c.    Moses was anointed by God to lead them out of physical slavery in Egypt to prosperity in a new land
d.    Moses had given them Laws to ensure they remained in right relationship to God
e.    Moses had given them instruction for animal sacrifices to atone for sins when they failed to keep the Laws
f.      Jesus proclaims Himself as the Saviour they expected