Welcome Announcement

Let’s begin by reflecting. Reflect on the last time you received some really good news. What was it about this bit of news that made it so good? Was it a long-awaited answer to prayer? A baptism – the welcoming of a person into God’s family and the Christian faith. News from a friend or family member. News that COVID restrictions have eased allowing us to return to some sort of normal life if there is such a thing as “normal”, the realisation that an adversity we are facing was not as bad as first intended or perhaps something else entirely.

Today’s Gospel reading is about the bringing of good news. In fact, our Gospel reading today is Luke’s illustration of an opening scene in the ministry of Jesus. It is Jesus’ manifesto for the work that lies ahead of him. It describes what Jesus came to do and is still doing in lives today.

Over recent weeks we have celebrated the birth of Jesus, learned of his baptism in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, his cousin, and now we see Jesus in the synagogue reading from a scroll by the Prophet Isaiah. When reading the whole of Luke Chapter 4, we first see Jesus deprived and tempted in the wilderness. He leaves the wilderness and returns to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News is beginning to spread about him, there is amazement, and a high reputation is being built. Later there is rejection and the chapter concludes with Jesus providing healing.

It has been described that Jesus is on a preaching tour. He has been in Galilee and now moved to a synagogue in Nazareth, the town in which he was brought up. Unlike the temple where sacrifices occur, a synagogue was an important institution among the Jews of the day. Originating during the exile, it provided a place where the Jews could study the scriptures and worship God. The synagogue in essence has three main functions – prayer, reading of scripture and teaching.[1] Jesus went to the synagogue as was his custom. It was the Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week – the day of rest, the day to worship God. Jesus was there to worship God, to pray, to read, to understand the scriptures and indicate how he would be applying them.

So, there are two questions. Why is this good news and what makes it good news?

News comes in many different forms and describes what has happened or what is going to happen! We, as a human society live in the events that have happened or will happen. A news item can paint a picture that makes us view the world differently from that point on. When it comes to good news, Theologian NT Wright describes the good news as a welcome announcement.[2]

The welcome announcement is that Jesus has come into the world to bring good news and by Jesus’ interactions the scripture which he proclaimed has been fulfilled. This is evident when we read of Jesus standing in the synagogue and reading the words from the Prophet Isaiah, words which glow with the message of God’s pity and compassion. So, we see Jesus finding the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”[3]

As I have prepared for this message today, I have reflected on verse 18 and three points resonate with me.

The first is the Spirit of the Lord is upon me. The ‘is’ is very important. It shows God’s presence is at work in all situations. God has poured out Himself through spirit and entered life, God enters Jesus’ life, and enters our lives too!

Secondly, Jesus recognising that he is the anointed one – the chosen one - the one that has been spoken of by the prophets. Filled with the power of the Spirit, Jesus is the anointed one. Anointed to go about and bring hope and healing to a fallen world.

Thirdly, to bring good news to the poor. Whether we like or not our lives are far from prefect. We live in a broken world. There was brokenness in Jesus’ time on earth and there remains brokenness in our world today. Jesus saw himself as coming with good news for the world’s troubled people; for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed. Jesus would be there for each one and that includes you and me. With the power of the Spirit upon Him, Jesus meets every need with love and compassion.

Our God is a God of love, and He cares for His people and the world He created deeply. God wants to redeem His people, you, and me. God sent Jesus as the anointed one through the power of the Spirit to show how to love and care for each other. Jesus is a game changer . An agent for change. His mission is to come alongside the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed to bring hope and bring healing. Jesus asks us to do the same and through the power of the Spirit we are equipped for good works as his followers.

Earlier in the service as the Baptism was being introduced, we heard that Baptism is about Blessing. Each person comes into the world as an Original Blessing. Shortly, Desiree will Baptise Elyse and as part of the Baptism Desiree will use oil to sign a cross on Elyse to show that she is marked as Christ’s own for ever. The oil signifies the Spirit of God and the anointing by the Holy Spirit. Each of us who have been baptised have been anointed with the Holy Spirit and have the Spirit of God working in us around us. As followers of Jesus, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue the work that Jesus started; to show love, to show compassion. Our words and actions are a welcomed announcement, and a troubled world can be viewed differently.

My prayer and encouragement for each of us is that we have the welcome announcement in our lives too! That we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and fill us with power as we go about our daily tasks. That showing love, care and compassion is evident with those we interact with allowing the world to be viewed differently. Amen.

Mark Stuckey, LLM

[1][1] Barclay, W. 1967 The Gospel of Luke – The Daily Study Bible, The Saint Andrew Press

[2] NT Wright -Simply Good News: The Welcome Announcement of Jesus the King (Devotional) https//ntwrightonline.org/youversion

[3] Luke 4: 18-19 (NRSV)