Why Jesus Came, Pt. 2

Why Jesus Came, Pt. 2

Whether you are "down and out" or "up and out", you are still out. But there is hope!

Why Jesus Came, Pt. 2

Since I am on sabbatical, over the next few weeks, we will be featuring devotions from a few guest writers, including my son, Bryant Forshee, Junior High Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church, and my son-in-law, Jeffrey Samplaski, Student Pastor at Great Hills Baptist Church. But first, for this week's devotions, I am republishing a series about why Jesus came to earth.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me
To preach the Gospel to the poor...
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."


(Luke 4:18-19)

Jesus came to preach the Good News to the poor.

The word "preach" or "proclaim" is used three times in Luke 4:18-19. There are two separate Greek words used, however: euaggelizo (to share the good news) and kerusso (a herald who announces significant news). Merriam Webster's dictionary defines a herald as "one who made proclamations, one who announces significant news."

This word euaggelizo is where we get our English words "evangelize" and "evangelism", which simply mean, to share good news. This is the word Paul used in 1 Corinthians 1:17:

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect."

Jesus and Paul shared good news, and I am sharing the same good news with you today! It is the best possible news I can share. For those with hurts, habits, and hang-ups, there is hope in the Savior who cares. He cared so much that He came from heaven and lived a perfect life, took upon Himself your sins and mine, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and arose from the dead on His third day in the tomb. He is alive, and by His Spirit He comes into our darkness, illuminates us, and gives us new life.

This is not a fairy tale but the Gospel in a nutshell! Jesus preaches the Gospel. He is the Gospel! He personifies the message He preaches. The Good News is that we can be forgiven of our sins through Christ and live eternally in heaven with Him.

If this is true, then what keeps us from receiving this wonderful news where we are divinely and eternally forgiven and we have a joy and a peace with God and our fellow man? The answer is pride. Most reject God because they refuse to humble themselves, believe in Jesus, and turn from sin. It is the same in every epoch and age: we think if we just try hard enough or meet the right person, get the right job, have the perfect kids or grandkids, etc, then we will find fulfillment. But the problem still remains: we are sinners who need the Savior.

The opposite of "proud in spirit" is "poor in spirit". The word "poor" does refer to the physically and economically poor, and they are historically more receptive to the Gospel. They more readily see their need for the Savior. The word "poor" also refers to "the poor in spirit", those who see their destitute position spiritually and admit they need a Savior. This is the same Greek word used in Matthew 5:3 where Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." The word is ptochos, which means "beggarly" and "destitute of wealth". The Gospel is for both the rich and the poor, but only those who humble themselves and recognize their poverty of spirit will receive the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Whether you are "down and out" or "up and out", you are still out. But there is hope! You can be blessed; you can be forgiven; you can have abundant life today and eternal life forever when you believe in and receive God's Remedy for your salvation: Jesus Christ!

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Podcast of the Week

 
What's After? Pt. 2

Pastor Danny continues in his overview of our new series about what happens to us after we die. This series will explore what the Bible has to say about death, heaven, and hell, as well as the recorded experiences of people who have lived through near death experiences (NDEs).
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Matthew Hall