Jesus: The Jubilee
/From Judgment to Jubilee
Read Luke 4:18–21
Isaiah 61: trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord to bring him glory
From the beginning God had a word of deliverance for his people Israel, a promise that the Passover would bring freedom from bondage and tyranny.
A beautiful plan to bring them into the promised land, which was a land of rest, a land of provision where the milk and honey flowed and the grape clusters were so large they had to be carried by two men hanging from a pole, but the report of the 10 was contrary, only two (Joshua and Caleb) believed that God was big enough to defeat the Giants in the land.
Hebrews 3:10 God was grieved with that generation and said they do always err in their hearts because they don't know my ways.
Hebrews 3:17 he was grieved with those who did not believe. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness because of unbelief.
God tested Israel in the wilderness for those 40 years. He says in Deuteronomy 8 that he tested them to prove to them what was in their heart, to prove them (put them to the test) and to humble them.
Now he's ready to bring them into the Canaan rest, which represents for us the place of victory over our enemy.
And he gives them promises in Deuteronomy 28. The promises are contingent upon their willingness to heed or hearken to his word to the statutes and judgments, the law which is synonymous to the word of God. However, if they refuse to hearken to the word of the living God instead of promises they will receive curses. And sadly they didn't listen and instead of the blessings, they received the curses of Deuteronomy 28.
Furthermore, as we discussed last week, they came under the bondage of various nations because they didn't listen to the word of the Lord. God repeatedly sent them prophets to warn them. Nevertheless, they stiffened their necks and refused to listen to the word that God had given them.
As they began to harden their hearts towards God's word, they were moved farther away. And God knew that they would need to be set free from their bondage, so he promises that Messiah would be anointed in Isaiah chapter 61. He promises that Messiah would be anointed by the Spirit of God to preach the good news of the gospel to those that are meek. In the New Testament, the book of Luke chapter four uses the word poor instead of meek, but they both have the same meaning and are speaking of those that are poor and humble. Israel at this time has become poor and humbled and in bondage because of their refusal to hear the word of God. Once again, God repeatedly told them in Deuteronomy 28 and in Deuteronomy 15, and Deuteronomy four, if you do not hearken to my my word you will find yourself in bondage in the land.
God's promise of the Messiah is that he would be anointed to set the captives free to bring healing to those that are bruised to open the doors of the prison to them which are bound and that ultimately they would be the planting of the Lord they would be trees of righteousness that would bring him glory in the land.
As we look at Luke chapter 4, we see Jesus full of the Holy Spirit led into the wilderness to be tempted.
It is true in Deuteronomy chapter 8 that God says he led Israel in the wilderness for the purpose of proving their hearts and tempting them to show them what was in their heart and to humble them. Nevertheless, Psalm 107:4 says that they wandered. Wandering there in the original language has the description of staggering or walking while in an intoxicated state, so the children of Israel, while they were led, because of their disobedience they could not see properly, they could not walk properly, they moved further and further away from the will of God.
Whereas Israel was tempted for 40 years in the wilderness for their proving, Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness for his proving. The word of God says that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Just as Israel's temptation, testing, or proving (the test's results either produce failure or an approvedness towards God) was to point out to them who their person was, remember their name was
Israel, one who would rule with God, one who would be the prince of God, or one who would declare the name of God to the heathen nations around them that was the testing of the person, but also they were tested according to their purpose because in Deuteronomy chapter 4 it said that when he the nations see the laws in the statutes and the judgments that God had given them that they would realize that there was no other nation upon the earth that was so close to the God of glory.
And Jesus in His wilderness experience; He is also being tempted according to his purpose and his person. You see the enemy is coming at him and calling him the son of God and wanting him to act that way wanting him to perform miracles that the Father didn't speak to Jesus to perform, Jesus said that He only says and does what He receives from the Father. But Satan wants him to go his own way just as he (Satan) caused Adam to go the way of the serpent in the garden, he now wants to take the only hope that humanity will ever have of regaining this World and giving it back to God, of exchanging this sinful condition of the human heart and giving it back to God, and he wants to make a mockery of God again by causing Jesus to fail also. Furthermore, each and every day, he prowls like a lion seeking to devour God's creation. Always attempting to get humanity to go opposite of God. In this trial, Satan quotes scripture, and he quotes things that are true, but when these passages are lain beside the context of what is occurring, they're contrary to the Father's will; therefore, disastrous and sinful if embraced.
There is a similar occurrence that takes place when the child if his perceives this testing the wrong way. For instance, on the surface, it's viewed simply as, when the devil comes, quote some scripture, and put him in his place. In reality, this maneuver could produce the very disobedience that Satan is longing for; if the object of one's faith is moved from Jesus and His finished work on Calvary for victory, which comes through the fact that our faith in His sacrifice clothes is with His righteousness, and now being clothed with Him, we have access into the presence of God through the veil, which is His flesh (Hebrews 10:19,20). The efficacy (effectiveness) of His sacrifice was shown to us in Matthew 27:51 when the veil in temple was ripped from the top to the bottom, because it was that very veil, which separated God's people Israel from His presence, the place where the mercy seat was located, where God promised to meet them between the cherubim (Exodus 30:6).
Back to Jesus' trial, Satan brings Jesus upon the high mountain and shows him the kingdoms of the earth. He already knows out of Psalms chapter 2 verse six that God's king would be set up on a mountain the mountain Zion and not only that, but the God- king would also be God- Son.
Satan knows who Jesus is he's trying to bring deception to Jesus he's trying to get Jesus to take upon himself the roll of the king now to take upon himself His deity now. But God's plan is that Jesus would operate as the Son of Man and to bring redemption to this fallen world.
In a similar fashion, we need to understand that the enemy of our soul also wants to tempt us this way. He will attempt to confuse us about our person. In other words, are you Christian or are you a "worldling?" There will also be a temptation to prove our purpose in this life. In other words, will you live for yourself or for the purposes of God to bring Him glory in the midst of these evil nations?
And just as Israel left the wilderness and entered into the Promised Land where they were supposed to find the victory of God in their lives, Jesus leaves the wilderness temptation full of the Holy Spirit and steps into the synagogue, proclaiming He is the fulfillment of rest, He is the fulfillment of Jubilee. He is the fulfillment of what the broken human heart has been waiting for as quotes Isaiah chapter 61-- this very day is being fulfilled before your very eyes.
The connection point to all this previous dialorights where Jesus sats that He's going to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, because that is a direct correlation to the date of Jubilee. JESUS IS YOUR JUBILEE!
It's for the next few minutes I want to preach a message to you about Jesus our Jubilee.
Judgment (the trial)
Judgment- the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the mind.
So I'm using the word judgment in a little different way than usual. The judgment I'm going to discuss has to do with Jesus' trial in the wilderness. You see Satan had formed his own opinions about God and God's plan. He formed an opinion about Adam that he would fall, and in this wilderness experience of Jesus, he plans to make his opinion about Jesus a reality also-- thank God he was wrong!
You and I must understand that he also has an opinion about us. His opinion is that we would rather go his way and what he offers instead of God's way. Not only will he form an opinion of you, he will use others in your life to put that opinion on you and judge you with condemnation. He wants to put you in prison under guilt. But God's plan allowed our sin to be judged on Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:22). Jesus was our sin offering, because of Him, and our faith in Him, we are judged as righteous in God's eyes, but Paul warns that as we navigate this journey called life, we better judge our walk, and the way we do that is by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts through the word of God. The word of God is a mirror through which we must judge our walk with God (James 1:22-24).
1 Corinthians 11:31-32
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
There is much to be said about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. The main point that has been preached for years surrounds Jesus' use of the word to combat Satan's ploys. I certainly wouldn't want to refute that concept because there is obviously a battle being engaged over the word of God in this trial.
But maybe a couple points should be noted just for clarification purposes: (1) more than just quoting scripture, Jesus is operating in a proper understanding of scripture. Satan is quoting scripture also; he's just twisting it to serve his own purposes. We won't detour here, but be reminded that he (Satan) has ministers that do what he does (2 Corinthians 11:14); (2) there is a deep spiritual truth that I won’t expound on this time, but I will mention it; in the essence of this temptation, Jesus is being asked to operate according to His own purpose and strength. In some fashion, this is very similar to Adam's test and ours.
In other words, Adam was tempted to go another way, and he did. Now, Jesus, the last Adam ( ) is being tempted to go His own way. He turned water into wine. Why not turn stones into bread? Jesus said, "I do what I see my Father do, and I say what I hear my Father say." Jesus is about the Father's will.
Regarding our temptations, we should understand that God has a plan for our victory. Jesus destroyed the power of evil on our behalf, so we could function as vessels for God's Spirit to operate through as He produces this eternal family over thousands of years and brings evil to an end; therefore, God expects that we will trust His plan for victory, which is continued faith in Jesus’ finished work at Calvary, providing access into the grace of God, empowering with the believer with the presence of the Holy Spirit in order to produce a soldier, a warrior for God.
When we attempt through other methodologies to gain victory over the devil, we chart a course of flesh rather than faith; we follow the path of Adam rather than Jesus. Give me some examples preacher: (1) understanding the word of God is essential to our victory, but when we begin to place faith in our constant quoting of scripture for victory over temptation, we are changing the object of our faith from Jesus and His finished work to what we do. I could add every other sort of spiritual discipline at this point. You need to do the math and come to your own conclusion, but as you work out the problem, keep this constant in the formula for your equation: Jesus' sacrifice is what resolved the problem of sin for the human race, and our continued faith in that alone is what gives us access into the presence of God where His grace abounds, and when I use the concept of grace, I'm talking about the supernatural power of God in a situation, a power that makes devils tremble in their leathery skin.
The previous was lagniappe. The point I want to make about this temptation now is that the enemy is calling into question Jesus' person and His purpose. Regarding person, Satan wants Jesus to operate as the Son of God and prove Himself this way. Satan wants to see signs and wonders, but Jesus' purpose on earth was to make right what the first Adam made wrong (Romans 5). We all know that Jesus was the Son of God; He was God, and as I will point out in a minute, Satan knew it also.
Luke 4:3-4
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Notice how he addresses Him as the Son of God, and then he entices Him to function on His own in that capacity, which is contrary to the Father’s will because the Father never told Him to do that. This is exactly what Satan did to Adam; he enticed them both to depart from God's way and to follow his choices.
Luke 4:5-8
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them:for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan:for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
We may have a hard time realizing what's going on here, but Satan is crafty, and sadly he knows God's word better than we can imagine. He's aware of this Psalm:
Psalms 2:6,7
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Through this Psalm, Satan knows that God's fulfillment of the king will also be His Son. Look how the Psalm states that the Son- King would be placed on the hill (mountain) of Zion, and Satan also brings Jesus up on a mountain, calls Him the Son of God, and entices Him to take a crown without a cross. How many people, even Christians are looking to get their blessing today instead of faithfully following God and looking for their reward in eternity?
And let there be no confusion God allows the trial to ensue for the purpose of proving our faith and showing us what's in us. Through the test, we were shown what was in Jesus, which was obedience and sacrifice. Faith in the Christian isn't faith without a test. Until it’s tested, faith is just a theory.
Jesus was tested in this passage we're studying.
Job was tested as a believer in God: Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Israel was tested Deuteronomy 8: Deuteronomy 8:1-7 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
***And I can assure you that every person who calls themselves a Christian will be tested to be proven according to their person and their purpose: are you a Christian or a “worldling?” Are you here to live for self or to serve God?
But hallelujah, Jesus came out of the wilderness and into the synagogue to accomplish His purpose in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's time for you and I to come out of the wilderness and enter the purpose God has for us in the power of the Holy Spirit. What I'm saying is that at this point it's been proven who Jesus is. He's come full of the Spirit of God. He's passed the test. Have you ever passed the test Christian? It's a wonderful day when you do.
The Jubilee
Luke 4:18-21
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.
The whole wording of this passage is pointing to the Old Testament year of Jubilee, specifically, the last phrase, "To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
Leviticus 25:8-14
And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof:it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you:ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you:ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession. And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:
God keeps placing the concept of the Sabbath in front of His people. We're told that when creation was finished, God rested. Certainly, we don't think that God needed rest; rather, God was setting a precedence to show His people that there was a need for rest, and a constant reminder that God does the work that results in rest.
There was a Sabbath for days, which was the seventh day of the week-- what we call Saturday; there was a Sabbath of years, every seventh year was a Sabbath, and there was a Sabbath of sabbath years. 7+7+7. The 49th year represented the conclusion of the seventh seven year cycle; therefore, throughout the 50th year was the year of jubilee.
The year of jubilee allowed the people of Israel who had become oppressed financially and sold themselves as indentured slaves, to be set free. They received their property back and their relatives back who had been sold into slavery because of financial woes, which typically was a result of their disobedience to God's word, (Deuteronomy 15:5), resulting in them having to sell themselves to a fellow brother in order to work off their debts, but there was a beautiful day to look forward to upon the horizon. On the day of Jubilee, they would be released, released from bondage and slavery, released from tyranny! Jesus is our Jubilee. His finished work on the cross has set us free. We are no longer under sin’s debt.
It should be understood that God kept the idea of Sabbath rest on the forefront of His people's minds because there was a future rest He was bringing, and this is the rest that Jesus is speaking of here on this day when He entered the synagogue.
In addition to the Sabbath's the Promised Land of Canaan was also considered a promised rest of God, but as the book of Hebrews tells us, Canaan wasn't the finality of rest either, because if (Jesus v 8) actually should have translated Joshua, had given them rest then God wouldn't have spoken of another rest to come, which is Jesus (Psalm 95:11; Hebrews 4:7-10). God ceased from His work because it was completed.
Many commentators believe that this day was the day of Jubilee for Israel as Jesus sat and taught in the synagogue.
It is quite the common occurrence within the church today that the people of God find themselves spiritually, physically, and even financially placed under the yoke of slavery, resulting from years of refusing to hearken to God's word, but good news! Jesus is our Jubilee!
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Luke 4:18-21
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.
The Lord's fulfillment of Jubilee addresses:
The poor
The broken hearted
The captive
The blind, and
The bruised
As I was studying this passage, and my eyes came across the adjectives: broken hearted and captive, the Lord spoke to my spirit saying, "People's hearts are broken by friends, relatives, church family, and the world. When their hearts are broken they build walls for protection.
The walls in ancient cities like Jericho or Jerusalem were used to keep marauders out. In a similar fashion, when we get hurt, we build walls to protect ourselves from an outward onslaught never realizing that we are constructing a prison and encapsulating ourselves within it, preventing God from being able to use us because we are so busy protecting ourselves.
The Lord's jubilee will set the captive free.
Isaiah 61:3
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified
When jubilee enters your heart, you become the planting of the Lord. When a tree is planted and develops a root system it's there to stay. There is a concept about the Jubilee that reminds me of this idea of the planting that Isaiah speaks of. This Isaiah passage is the end of what Jesus quoted in Luke; it wasn’t added to what He said, but it reminded me of a certain aspect that occurred at the end of the seven year Sabbath:
Deuteronomy 15:12-17
And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress:of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee:therefore I command thee this thing to day. And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.