September 29th~The Good News Has Come!

Mark 1:14, 15

Matthew 4:12-17

Luke 3:23a


John 4:46-54

Luke 4:16-30

Mark 1:16-20

Matthew 4:18-22

Mark 1:21-28

Luke 4:31-37

Mark 1:29-34

Matthew 8:14-17

Luke 4:38-41

Mark 1:35-39

Luke 4:42-44

Matthew 4:23-25

Jesus began His ministry in earnest. “At last the time has come! The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!” (Mark 1:15). The word for “good news” here is “gospel.” Since the beginning, when sin ruined everything, bad news has been the predominant story of men. Jesus came to reverse the effects of sin, which is good news!

Luke recorded for us a signal event, in which Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,” He read, “for He has appointed Me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1, 2; 42:6, 7; 53:8). After Jesus finished reading, He said, “This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!” In other words, He was saying to them, “This passage is about the promised Messiah, and I am He!”

Notice here that Jesus covered the multiple facets of life — physical (the blind will see), emotional and social (the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors), and spiritual (captives will be released). Human beings are more than just a body; we have an immaterial side to us as well. Unfortunately, sin has infiltrated and corrupted every part of man, marring our reflection of God’s image; that is the bad news. However, Jesus is the solution to all of our suffering; He is the answer to our sin problem. That is the good news!

Making such a bold statement triggered anger from the crowds. Claiming to be the Son of God made Him a target for destruction. We get a glimpse of His future suffering when the people of Nazareth tried to kill Him (Luke 4:28-30).

However, we also get a glimpse of His escape from death, when Jesus “slipped away through the crowd and left them.”

These were not just empty words. Jesus’ claims were not a publicity stunt. He proved them over and over by His authoritative teaching, by His various miracles, by healing the sick, and by casting out demons. The world would be different from now on because of the Good News!

Daily Reflection

What physical, emotional, social, or spiritual issues are you facing right now?

No matter what you are facing, Christ is the answer. He is the solution to the effects of sin in your life. Are you turning to Him for help or are you relying on other sources for resolution?

The Good News involves more than just saving you from your past and securing your future. Christ wants to impact your present. The Gospel is not a one-time event but rather it is an ongoing relationship. Are you allowing the Good News of Jesus Christ to impact and shape your every day life? How so?

BiAY.org | Day 272 — 93 Days to Go