1195 - Now is the Time of God's Favor#
1195 - Now is the Time of God's Favor
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
Luke 4:16-21
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for your grace. Here we listen to the words of Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit speak to each brother and sister through this time, so that everyone may receive something. Speak to us through your words and provide what we need. I believe you are the God who provides in due time. Bless the following time, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Nazareth is the place where Jesus grew up, His hometown. On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue as was his custom. This means that Jesus did not attend a gathering occasionally; he went to the synagogue every Sabbath. We need to understand the purpose of our gatherings; it is not just because it is Sunday that we gather. If you come to learn the Bible or to gain knowledge, that is also not right. Jesus knew the Scriptures and understood various gifts, so why did He still go to the synagogue? Because there He worshiped the Father.
We are not here to say that we have heard this passage many times or that many people have preached on it. Nevertheless, you still need to come and listen to God's words. We are much more blessed than those in the past. In Jesus' generation, no one explained the Scriptures to them; they just read a scroll and that was it. At that time, not everyone had a Bible; there was just one scroll, which was long and needed two men to carry it. After reading, they had to roll it up and put it back in its place to keep it safe.
After Jesus read, the rabbi would explain the Scriptures. In most cases, reading a scroll was enough. Jesus followed this custom when He entered the synagogue, stood up to read the Scriptures. Verse 17 says someone handed Him the book of Isaiah, and He opened it and found the place where it was written. What passage did Jesus read?
Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.
This is what Jesus read at that time. Let's return to Luke 4:18-19. What is different from the above passage? Today, through this passage, I want to tell you why you are accepted by God.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me refers to the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is upon a person, it anoints them like oil. When the Holy Spirit is upon someone, that person has power. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not dwell permanently in people; it worked temporarily in individuals. The Old Testament often mentions that the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone, and that person gained power to work for God, sometimes prophesying or having healing abilities. In the past, whether prophets, priests, or kings, they needed to be anointed when they took office. The Bible says the oil flowed down from Aaron's head, onto his beard, and down to the hem of his garments.
Is such an anointing still needed in the New Testament? If you want to become a Christian, you do not need anointing oil anymore because you are anointed by the Holy Spirit. At that time, Jesus said, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me. The anointing of the Holy Spirit on Jesus manifested a different kind of power. What does the Holy Spirit lead people to do? It says here, He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. This mentions bringing good news to the humble. In the New Testament, this passage is Jesus quoting Isaiah 61. In the New Testament, Jesus mentions proclaiming the gospel to the poor, while in the Old Testament, it is bringing good news to the humble. The gospel is good news! It doesn't matter if you don't understand the original text; it has already told you that Jesus in the New Testament uses the term gospel, while Isaiah uses good news.
What kind of people are the poor? It does not refer to those without money or food, but rather to those who are humble in spirit. When people are in need, whether it is a need in their hearts or bodies, what they truly need is the gospel. Jesus is here to bring the gospel to the humble. The opposite of a humble person is a proud person. Why do proud people not need the gospel? Because they think they are good enough and do not need Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees thought they were good enough, so they could not receive what Jesus preached. Instead, those who sincerely sought Jesus received it!
He has sent me to proclaim... The meaning of proclaiming is to announce, to speak publicly! The Father sent Jesus into the world to declare the Father's will! Therefore, He proclaims: the captives will be released, the blind will see, and the oppressed will be set free. This is the content of the gospel.
What kind of people are the captives? They are people bound by certain things, such as alcohol, smoking, bad habits, or those who have many worries and cannot sleep at night due to anxiety. These are captives who need to come before Jesus, and He can set you free.
The blind will see does not necessarily refer to physical blindness but also to spiritual darkness. Life without direction, not knowing the meaning of life, etc.
Matthew 6:22-23 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Jesus brings good news to people, allowing their eyes to see God's grace. If the eyes can see the Son of God, they see hope and will no longer walk in darkness.
The oppressed will be set free. The oppressed can refer to the burdens of life or the burdens of the heart. As the pace of life becomes faster, many people feel overwhelmed. They have lost their rest. Such people can come before Jesus. He will give you rest. Another kind refers to those oppressed by the devil, that is, those possessed by demons.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. The year of favor refers to the year of exemption, the year of forgiveness, the year of grace. This is good news.
The original text also has a later sentence, proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God. Why did Jesus not read the second half?
Jesus read half of the verse and then rolled it up and stopped reading. The original biblical text does not have chapter divisions or punctuation and is written from right to left. From the sentence, we can see that proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God is a complete sentence, but Jesus only read the first half and did not read the second half because that event has not yet come. Jesus stopped at the year of the Lord's favor and then rolled up the scroll.
When Jesus first came to preach, He only brought the grace of the Lord; the day of vengeance has not yet come. The meaning of vengeance in the original text is: the day of retribution. God has a time of judgment and a time of retribution, which is what Jesus Christ will do when He comes again.
Jesus did not read the second half of the verse, which does not mean He lacks the ability to judge, but His primary purpose in coming the first time was to save humanity. Luke 9:56: For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them.
Earlier, we mentioned the matter of salvation, proclaiming the gospel to the poor, the captives being released, the blind seeing, and the oppressed being set free. Finally, it says to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
The matter of favor has been ongoing for two thousand years. Now is the time of God's favor; now is the year of the Lord.
The key point is favor. This word represents a blessed moment; at this moment, God's abundant grace is descending. If you are in weakness today, God wants to show His strength. If you are in sickness, God wants to show His healing. If you are in poverty, God wants to show His provision. If you are in anxiety, God wants to show His rest. He has always been doing this, which is to let the captives be released, the blind see, and the oppressed be set free. This is also what we have been doing; we want to do what Jesus Christ did.
2 Corinthians 5:20: Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Today, we want to urge the world to be reconciled with God, telling the world that now is the year of the Lord's favor. In Isaiah, it uses the term, the year of the Lord's favor, while when Jesus read it, he changed it to year of jubilee. What is the difference between the year of jubilee and the year of favor? The year of favor can be simply understood as the year of grace, the year of bestowing grace. So what does the year of jubilee refer to?
In Leviticus 25, it specifically mentions the year of jubilee. In Moses' law, it states that every fifty years is a year of jubilee.
Leviticus 25:10-13
And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you. In it you shall not sow or reap what grows of itself, or gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field.
Starting from the month when God saved them out of Egypt. After that, every fifty years is a year of jubilee. What is special about the year of jubilee? In the year of jubilee, the debts of the people are forgiven, and liberty is proclaimed to all the inhabitants of the land. If you had to sell yourself as a slave due to poverty, in the year of jubilee, your debts are cleared, and you are set free. The year of jubilee is a year of freedom, a year of redemption, a year of forgiveness, a year of grace.
In that year, God made all people receive exemption, and during the year of jubilee, God told the Israelites not to sow because in the year before the jubilee, God would give them a threefold blessing, and their food would last for three years. By the time of jubilee, the land would be allowed to grow freely. God cares not for the land but for His people. God allows His people to not work during that year but still have ample supply, enabling them to joyfully and worry-free celebrate the jubilee.
Jesus used the term jubilee to signify that He came to proclaim forgiveness and freedom to the whole earth, telling the world that God's jubilee has arrived. All your sins have been forgiven by God; what you owed God in the past is no longer remembered. Do not say you owe God anymore because the year of jubilee has come. This is absolutely good news for everyone.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2:
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, "In a favorable time, I listened to you, and in a day of salvation, I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
In a favorable time, I listened to you means if you have a need, pray to God, and He will listen to you. In a day of salvation, I have helped you means when you encounter trouble and need God's salvation, He will save you. When will that day come?
The original text of this passage is in Isaiah 49:8-10:
Thus says the Lord: "In a favorable time, I have answered you; in a day of salvation, I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them."
When Isaiah said this, it had not yet been fulfilled; he was prophesying. People have been waiting for that day to come. When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, everything was fulfilled, and God's words came to pass. You no longer need to wait; now is the day of salvation. Anytime, anywhere, as long as you are willing, you can receive God's help and provision.
Now is the day of acceptance. Brothers and sisters, remember, it is not the past, nor the future, but now. This is very important. Many people pray, saying, "Lord, I believe you will heal me!" They are praying in the future tense. Some pray, "Lord, I believe one day you will bless my business!" This is still in the future tense!
God is speaking very clearly now, now is the time of acceptance, now is the day of salvation. Do not say you need to believe for a year or two before God will hear your prayers. Do not say that when you behave better, God will love you more... No, now is the time to accept you. At this moment, if you have a sickness, say to yourself, "Lord, may your words be fulfilled in me, right now!"
Because now is the day of salvation, now is the time of acceptance, because the year of jubilee has come. According to the calculations of the Jewish people, the year Jesus was born was indeed a year of jubilee. God had already prepared all this. When His Son arose, God would declare forgiveness and announce His grace, not based on your good behavior or your efforts, but because you are in the year of the Lord's favor, in His jubilee.
We should, like Jesus, tell others the good news, proclaiming the captives will be released, the blind will see, and the oppressed will be set free. Tell others that now is the year of the Lord's favor, tell others that now is God's jubilee, meaning God no longer remembers your sins. Hurry and come to accept Him. What people need is the grace of Jesus Christ. What people want to hear is that God no longer remembers their sins. Come and receive the rest that comes from Christ!
We need to tell the world that if they are willing, they can come and accept God's gospel. When they have problems, we should bring them the words of the Lord's grace because we are in God's year of favor. In the year of favor, the Israelites were all harmonious. They were at rest, and all debts were cleared. They were free because everything was forgiven. Now is that day; you need to tell others that your past, present, and future sins have all been forgiven. Now is God's jubilee.
We just read the answer; now let's look at the reason. 2 Corinthians 6:1: Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
What does it mean not to receive God's grace in vain? Some say, don't always think about receiving God's grace; you should do something for God. If you don't do anything, you are receiving God's grace in vain... Some even say you can't always ask God for things; you must serve God... Is this receiving grace in vain? If you don't work, is it wasting God's grace?
Paul says not to receive His grace in vain, meaning you are clearly in grace, but you are living under the law. This is receiving God's grace in vain. You are clearly a prince but living like a beggar; this is receiving God's grace in vain. You can clearly receive God's blessings, yet you insist on living a hard life by yourself; this is receiving God's grace in vain. The Holy Spirit is clearly with you, yet you are fearful as if the Holy Spirit is not with you; this is receiving God's grace in vain.
Jesus has already told people that He has granted forgiveness and no longer remembers their sins and transgressions because that day has passed. He has already paid the full price for humanity's sins on the cross, but some tell others that if you do not do this, God will punish you. If you do not have good behavior, God will not hear your prayers. This is receiving God's grace in vain. God is not like that; He bestows abundant grace, yet we tell others condemnation, which is receiving God's grace in vain.
God clearly says that by His stripes, you have been healed, yet many people, when receiving healing, say, "Lord, have you healed me? Have you heard my prayer? Are you pleased with me? What must I do for you to heal me?" This is receiving God's grace in vain!
Many people say today is the age of grace but still preach messages of condemnation, preaching the law of Moses. They make people live under the law, live in condemnation, and live in guilt. This is receiving God's grace in vain! How many people still pray like this, "Lord, please hear my prayer..." Do not pray like this anymore; God has always been listening to your prayers because now is the time of acceptance; now is the day of salvation.
Why use declarative prayers? Because it says here: Proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. You command sickness to leave you in the name of Jesus Christ. You believe that Jesus has already accomplished healing for you. You believe that now is the time of acceptance; now is the day of salvation. You will surely see beautiful testimonies.
This morning, a sister gave a testimony. She used to have allergic asthma, and every winter, her asthma would easily flare up, and breathing in cold air would be severe. Later, after listening to my sermon recordings, she began to declare, "Today I am a child of God. Two thousand years ago, Jesus was on the cross, and by His stripes, I have been healed. I am healthy." Up to today, her asthma has not flared up. Why does this declaration work? Because she believes that now is the day God accepts her, now is the time God heals her. There is no need to wait, no need to offer sacrifices; just believe and you will receive.
You do not need to wait any longer; now is the time of acceptance. You do not need to wait for God to bless you or heal you in the future; now is the time! Generations of Jews have longed for this day to come, and today we are enjoying God's provision. I urge you not to receive His grace in vain. This passage speaks of God's grace; grace is in the present tense.
When you are worried, when you are anxious, it is precisely when God wants to answer you. When you live in regret and guilt, it shows you are still living in the past. Believe that God has the power to change you and do not receive His grace in vain. This is an explanation of the previous words; do not randomly interpret the Bible; look at how it is explained later.
Paul immediately says, For he says, "In a favorable time, I listened to you." This can be applied in prayer. Do not say, "Lord, when will your grace come upon me?" Paul says, because in a favorable time, I listened to you. Now is the time of acceptance; do not live as if there is no grace from God. Do not live as if your sins have not been forgiven. In the year of jubilee, your debts to the master have been cleared. Do not live as if you are still in debt. You have freedom in the Lord; live joyfully every day in His rest, with faith. We are currently in God's year of favor, in the year of jubilee.
Luke 9:52-53:
And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
When Jesus and His disciples preached the gospel to the Samaritans, they did not accept Him. What could Jesus do? Although Jesus brought good news, not everyone was willing to accept it, just like today when we talk about grace. Although it aligns with the Bible, not everyone is willing to accept it.
We tell people to freely receive God's grace, and some say it is impossible. Do I not need to work hard for God to give me freely? But the Bible indeed says so. When Jesus went there with His disciples, the Samaritans did not accept Him. At that time, His disciples James and John said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them, as Elijah did?"
Many people, although walking with grace, do not necessarily live a life of grace. Jesus was right beside them; Jesus is grace, yet the disciples, although walking with grace, still had a mindset of the law and a mentality of condemnation. We are co-workers with God and must have a mindset of grace.
Today, although we are under grace, many still live in bitterness, guilt, and condemnation, complaining about social injustice, complaining that others treat them poorly, complaining about various things. In reality, they are living in self-condemnation. Jesus said: The Son of Man came not to destroy men's lives but to save them. And they went on to another village.
This is also our method of evangelism. If you preach the gospel to someone and they do not accept it, just move on. If this neighborhood does not accept it, move to another neighborhood. This is what Jesus did at that time. Not accepting now does not mean they will never accept it. After Jesus Christ died and rose again, Philip preached the gospel to the Samaritans again, and the whole Samaritan population accepted the gospel. God's grace has always been in supply.
Wherever Jesus went, He always brought release and healing. The blind see, the lame walk, and lepers are healed. When the Samaritans did not accept Jesus, there was no healing there because God did not enter. Wherever Jesus went, there were miracles. So wherever the gospel goes, that place is blessed, that place is free.
This is our God because sin cannot outdo God's grace. The scribes and Pharisees rejected Jesus and crucified Him, but the gospel began in Jerusalem, throughout all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. For thousands of years, it has been filled with God's testimony. This is why we repeatedly emphasize that when you believe correctly, your behavior will naturally change.
Many people say, since I have been constantly listening to the word, I have noticed that the people around me have changed and are better than before. Dear family, this is not your effort; it is the Holy Spirit renewing you as you continuously listen to God's words.
God is a covenant-keeping God. When God implements forgiveness in the year of jubilee, it is by His power and grace. We are all in the year of jubilee. While Jesus Christ has not yet returned, we must preach the gospel and tell the world that now is the time of God's favor for them, now is the time when the door of grace is wide open. Many people are saying that now is the time when the door of grace is wide open; you must believe the gospel. This is correct; tell them correctly because now is the year of the Lord's favor.
John 9:1-2:
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Jesus and His disciples saw a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples began to discuss and asked Jesus, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
When problems arise, the disciples' response still belongs to a mindset of law and condemnation. They thought that a person's illness was caused by sin. If it was not the person's sin, then it might be the sin of their family.
A few days ago, a sister said she was confused about a problem. Recently, she changed jobs several times, but every time she went to a store, there was no business. She worked at one store for half a year, and not a single sale was made. The staff began to speculate that because she came, there was no business.
She changed to another store, but her relationships with others were also not good, and there was no business. Is it because of me? Did I offend God, and is He punishing me? Unknowingly, this sister accepted others' condemnation, feeling that her faith was not good, and that she brought bad luck wherever she went... What does this have to do with her?
I told her that the poor business has nothing to do with you. You are a Christian; you can bless that place, but it is absolutely not because you came that there is no business.
Verse 3: Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."
Jesus was not saying that this man had no sin or that his parents had no sin; rather, his blindness had nothing to do with their sins. The focus is not on who sinned to cause his blindness, but rather that through this situation, God can display His works.
When you see someone in difficulty or illness, do not ask them what sin they committed that caused this illness. Do not ask them if they have distanced themselves from God during this time, if they have not listened to God's words, or if they have not persisted in tithing, which led to this problem. Do not ask these questions because God wants to display His glory through us in their lives. Jesus healed that man, and his eyes were opened.
Believe that sickness does not come from God. Because God has accepted you, now is the time of acceptance. Our Lord is willing to heal you and bless you.
Jeremiah 31:29-32
In those days they shall no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' But each one shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
In those days, what days are they? When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again, the new covenant began. People will no longer say that the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge. This is the curse under the law. If someone hates God, God will visit their iniquity upon the children to the third and fourth generation.
But after that day, people will no longer say this. Each one will die for their own iniquity. This means if you do not accept Jesus, you will bear your own sins, but your children do not need to bear your sins, and you cannot bear your father's sins; you can only bear your own sins. When you accept Jesus, all your sins are borne by Jesus.
People will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' In the Old Testament, Proverbs mentions that if the fathers eat sour grapes, the children's teeth will be set on edge. If someone sins, God will visit their sins upon them to the third and fourth generation. When Jesus came in the New Testament, He shouted on the cross: "I thirst." The soldiers took a sponge filled with vinegar and put it to Jesus' mouth. After Jesus tasted the vinegar, He said, "It is finished!"
This means if there is a generational curse or hereditary disease in your family, when you accept Jesus, all family curses are broken. Jesus has borne your curse; you have been freed from such curses.
Do not let anyone bring you under the law. Do not let anyone tell you that it is because of your sin that something bad has happened. In fact, it may not necessarily be because of sin; sometimes it may be because a person has fallen into the devil's temptation, which can also cause problems. It may also be due to ignorance, such as going out in very cold weather wearing only a tank top and shorts. Can you not catch a cold? You cannot say it is because you sinned that you caught a cold; this has nothing to do with sin.
However, if you catch a cold, declare the Lord's healing. God will still heal you. He knows your behavior is not good, and even if you brought trouble upon yourself, God still wants to help you. This is the year of the Lord's favor. This is what Jesus meant by the year of jubilee. All your sins have been borne by Jesus. On the cross, He paid the price for all your sins. He desires for you to dwell in His grace for a long time. Let you realize that every day is a day of God's acceptance, every day is a blessed day.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for your grace. We return to the Bible again, knowing that now is the time of God's acceptance for us, now is the time, now is the year of the Lord's favor, the year of jubilee, the year of forgiveness. No matter what problems we encounter, we can come before you, seek you, and look to you. You will surely answer our prayers, help us, and provide for us.
Heavenly Father, we thank you. We are in grace, and I believe you have accepted me. You will bless everything I do this week, allowing me to experience your mighty power in my life. All glory be to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.