18 September | Teens
«“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 proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;…To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” » Luke 4: 18,19
When Jesus began His ministry, He read a passage from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue that said, “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 proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Let's understand each part:
· Preaching good news to the poor: Jesus came to bring hope and joy to those who felt forgotten and undervalued by society. He showed that everyone is important to God.
· Proclaiming liberty to captives: Jesus came to free people from everything that held them back, such as sin, fear and sadness. He teaches us that, with Him, we are truly free.
· Restoring sight to the blind: Jesus healed many blind people, but He also came to open our spiritual eyes, so that we can see the truth about God and His love for us.
· Freeing the oppressed: Jesus came to bring relief and comfort to those who were burdened and oppressed by life's difficulties.
· Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord: Jesus announced that it was time for God to show His goodness and forgiveness to all who turned to Him. Jesus fulfilled all these things and invites us to follow His example.
Take Action
Share one of these characteristics of Jesus' ministry with five different friends. Tell them how Jesus can bring hope, freedom, vision, relief and grace into their lives. By doing so, you'll be spreading the good news of Jesus, just as He did!