One of the prophecies of the Messiah was that He would be a prophet like Moses, but greater than Moses, because He would speak the very words of God as God1. Jesus is that Prophet that God promised to send; who as the Son of God, speaks the very words of God as God Himself!

When you think of Jesus as the Prophet who speaks the words of God, He is not only greater than Moses, He is greater than all of the Prophets.

The role of prophet in the Old Testament included three things: speaking for God, working miracles, and suffering rejection. Jesus will do all three of these things.

Today we have a significant sermon of Jesus. Its considered His inaugural sermon. Its early in His Ministry, He has been Baptized and then Tempted in the wilderness for 40 days by the devil; and now He is being led by the Holy Spirit to His hometown of Nazareth. Jesus is filled with power as He preaches this sermon.

And He will need that power! You know, this is going to be a tough sermon! Jesus is in Nazareth; His own hometown. Everybody knows Him . . . but they know Him as a little boy who grew up in their village; they know him as a teenager and young adult; they know Him as the son of Mary and Joseph. They do not know Him as the Messiah . . . that is, until He preaches in their synagogue…the same synagogue that He grew up in and has worshipped in all of his life!

The Gospel of Luke records the sermon for us.

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 Lordʼs 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 4:16-20

The Spirit of the Lord was on Jesus; not just that day, but everyday! He has done the work of salvation for the entire world: He has set you free from your sins! The prisoners are free! The blind can see! And the oppressed are released!

In Christ, you are truly set free; and you live in the “Lord’s favor” every day of your life! Amen!