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Christ, The Servant of The Father

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Christ, The Servant of The Father

7 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” — Luke 4:18,19

The small town of Nazareth was situated in the northern part of Galilee. It was despised by men, but not by the Lord. “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” was once the question of Nathanael unto Philip. This shows us how the Jews thought and spoke of Nazareth. When Joseph and Mary, with the Savior, returned from Egypt, it was in this small and despised village that they made their home. In this place Jesus grew up as the carpenter’s son.

Here He also revealed Himself as Jesus the Son of God, the promised Messiah. It was from this place that He went forth to be baptized by John in the Jordan River. And it was after this that the Spirit of the Lord led Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Following a short stay in Jerusalem, He returned to his home town.

“And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” And what a wonderful testimony we may hear when He opens God’s Word, words written by Isaiah speaking of the Savior sent by God, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me. He hath sent Me.” Who can say that but God’s Son?

Here is declared the seeking love of the Father, the eternal thoughts of God for those people chosen by God’s electing love. Christ wanted to be for them what they could never be for themselves. He says, I am the anointed of the Father, sent to open the grace and mercy of My Father to a guilty, lost people.

So He came to Nazareth to make known His Word. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.” I have been anointed to proclaim unto you that I am the way, the truth, and the light. There is only one way for a lost sinner and that is by Me. How many have chosen other ways by which they seek to obtain what is lost! One has his works, another his confession and baptism, a third builds on his zeal for the service of the Lord. And so we could go on and on.

But Jesus said, “I am sent.” But unto whom was he sent? Unto a people who have left God, who have become enemies of the Lord, a people who deserve eternal death, people who have no need to be delivered from the perdition in which they live. They deserve the righteous justice of God. Eternal death is their just reward. And yet unto such the Father sends His Son as His anointed servant to satisfy the justice of His Father. For this Jesus was willing to give all — His life and His blood.

There He stands as He opens God’s Word to reveal this secret to the people of Nazareth. What a message here is spoken of the way for the guilty, the lost! Here is revealed how an eternal God was moved from within Himself. How did they receive this message? Did they fall upon their knees crying, “May it also be my way?” You know the answer — they had no need for this way, but do not despise them. We are no different. He still proclaims, “He has sent Me.” Have you learned to bow in the dust before Him? Or are you like the people of Nazareth?

Nevertheless, there is a people and always will be who, by the grace of God, may come to know themselves and Him who is the way and who has descended from on high. For them He is the only door of hope. They are addressed in the words of our text as poor, wounded, broken-hearted, captives, blind. What is the reason for this misery?

Sin is the origin of all this — disobedience to God and His holy law. They are poor because sin made a separation between God and their souls. Poor, because they have no God for their souls, and that all because of their guilt. Poor, because of that mountain of sin for which they cannot give satisfaction, but continue to make it higher day by day.

The poor in spirit cannot help themselves. They try to, but the Lord teaches them that with all their efforts they sink deeper and deeper. What does their poverty consist of? They are poor in strength to fight against sin and self, poor in the means to defend themselves: they have no weapons in this warfare, are poor in righteousness to stand before God, and poor in sanctification to meet God. How can such a holy God have anything to do with sin? There they stand guilty, lost, having nothing with which to clothe their poverty.

How do they come to the knowledge of their poverty? They look in the mirror of God’s holy law, and by the discovering light of the Spirit see what they are. True, they see only the top of the mountain, but it is here that God breaks their hearts.

By nature our heart is hard and cold. There is no knowledge and no bowing, but because of the love of God which is shed forth in the moment of regeneration, such a heart is crushed. Their eyes are opened and for the first time in their life, they feel unconverted. They are so poor in spirit that they cannot make themselves rich. They are blind and think they will never see. They are broken and wounded and have no balm for their suffering. They are captives and have no hope of ever being delivered — and that all because of their sin.

Then comes a crying, “Oh, Lord that I may be converted, that my sins may be forgiven.” No, those people cannot be satisfied with only the experience of their misery; that which the Lord has worked in their hearts will drive them out to Him. They have no way in themselves. From their side all is closed. But for such there is a way in themselves. From their side all is closed. But for such there is a way. In our text Jesus says, I have come to preach the gospel to the poor. For the poor that is a joyful message. For those who have no right, not a penny to pay, the Lord has a message that He has found a ransom. Justice is satisfied and now mercy can be extended.

How poor was He willing to become? So poor, that for Him there was no place upon this earth; so poor that those who have no place by God, a place may be made; so poor, that for those who have no balm for their wounds, He may become their balm; so poor, that for those who cannot open the prison doors, He may be their deliverer; so poor, that for His people who have no hope and no expectation, it may become the acceptable year of the Lord.

Where do you stand? On the side of the people of Nazareth who were amazed at His words, but who arose and thrust Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill that they might cast Him down headlong? Are you blinded because of enmity against such a way? Pray for the discovering work of the Holy Spirit so that you may come to know the depth of your misery. May it lead you, as a lost sinner, to the footstool of God. There the message remains the same: “He has annointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” He says, I am sent to seek and to save that which is lost. If the poor were indeed poorer, they would live more richly.

Rev. J. Den Hoed is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Rock Valley, Iowa.

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 september 1987

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's

Christ, The Servant of The Father

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 september 1987

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's