“Spirit of the Lord”

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“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.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:14-21

So, who is going to jail this summer? There is Good News in this passage of Scripture: Jesus has been sent to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus isn’t just speaking of physical prisons. He’s also referring to spiritual prisons. Such as prisons of lust, greed, bitterness, criticism, and so on.

Some are planning to spend their summer vacations in spiritual prisons. Especially since this is the off-season in Las Vegas and there are lots of deals on hotel rooms. Others are already living in spiritual prisons, and they have been longing to be set free.

John Bunyan wrote an allegory of the Christian life in his famous work, Pilgrim’s Promise. Two of the characters in the book are named Christian and Hope and they are taken prisoner by a giant named Despair. They are locked in the dungeon of the giant’s Doubting Castle. After four days of beatings and bullying, Christian realizes that he has a key called Promise. When he puts the key in the lock of the prison door, it opens with ease. Christian and Hope discover that the key opens all the doors of Doubting Castle, and they are set free.

Jesus has promised to set us free. When you find yourself in a spiritual prison, ask the Lord for help. The door to your prison will fly open and you will walk into the freedom of His forgiveness and grace.

In Christ,

Pastor David