Chapter 2 - The Year of Jubilee.
What is the Gospel? What Jesus preached is the same as what we are to preach. Understanding it is a basic key to unlocking the New Testament and how we are to witness. At his Baptism Jesus was anointed as a prophet and sent (authorized) to preach: 'Now ... Jesus being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, the 'HOLY SPIRIT' descended in a bodily shape like a dove UPON HIM (the Anointing)and a voice came from heaven: 'You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased." (His authorization)' (Luke 3:21,22).
'Jesus returned (from the 40 days in the wilderness) in the POWER of the SPIRIT into Galilee: andthere went out a fame of him through all the region round about' (Luke 4:14). This was because he went every place preaching the same gospel message and healing the sick. (Matt 9:55, Luke 4:15).
We know the message He preached.
Acts 10:38 summarizes it. Literally it reads:
(1) 'Jesus of Nazareth'-
(2) HOW God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and power'
(3) 'HOW he went about doing good (being a benefactor or distributor of the anointing) and healing all that were oppressed of the devil'
(4) 'for God was with him'.
Jesus would say:
(1) 'I am Jesus from Nazareth'.
(2) 'God has anointed me with his Spirit and sent me to you'.
-he would tell the history of how the Spirit came upon him at his baptism and how God spoke from heaven authorizing his ministry.
(3) 'I am anointed to preach good news to you, that healing power is available for all who are oppressed of the devil. If you believe you will receive it and it will set you free' - he would give testimonies of hearings in various places, showing how the anointing was communicated.
(4) 'God's anointing is with me and on me NOW to release you'.
-this is the climax of the gospel message.
Thus, he gave the HISTORY of the anointing to build faith that it's present now for them. He would TEACH how it worked, so they could yield to it. He would cause it to be present by talking about it and by proclaiming it was present. The Gospel brings God's power 'online' so that it can be 'downloaded' by faith.
What we learn from Acts 10 is confirmed in Luke 4:16-21. 'He began to say to them, 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears' - this is a summary of his message. That is, he was saying: 'God's anointing is on me NOW for you, power is present through the words in your ears'. His message would also have had to also show HOW the scripture was fulfilled now (the history of its fulfillment -in His Baptism and ministry).
To understand what Jesus preached we need to see that his message did not come from nowhere. It had to be based on something in the Old Testament. Everything in the New, including the Gospel was foreshadowed in the Old, so that the fulflfment would be recognised and understood from its 'photo.' The Jews knew what he meant by 'Good-News' (Gospel) from the Old Testament. Jesus tells us in his text fromIsaiah 61: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... to preach good news to the poor ... to preach the ACCEPTABLE YEAR of the Lord (the year of God's favour). All the statements in lsaiah 61 are but illustrations of this conclusion and summary. The gospel is nothing more or less than the proclamation of the Good-News that it was God's YEAR OF JUBILEE (one of the most important events on the Jewish Calendar). Jubilee was Good News to the poor.
Leviticus 25: Every 49 years (v8): 'you shall cause the trumpet of the JUBILEE (= 'trumpet blast') to sound on the ... on the Day of Atonement (Jubilee blessings are based on atoning sacrifice) Make the trumpet sound throughout ALL: your land ... and PROCLAIM LlBERTY throughout ALL - THE LAND to ALL the inhabitants' (v9,16a).
On Jubilee, freedom from all debts and slavery was proclaimed: "..you shall return every man unto his possession (his lost land, house and inheritance restored) and you shall return each man to his family(healing of the brokenhearted)" (vl0). It was a year of grace (v11,12).
One had to believe the Jubilee proclamation and walk out free (v13).
'..that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that bought it until ... in the Jubilee IT SHALL GO OUT, and he shall return to his possession' (v28).
'..HE SHALL GO OUT in the year of Jubilee, both he and his children with him' (v54).
The greatest picture of Jubilee was the EXODUS - Israel's lst National Jubilee (they had one every 490 years, as well as the personal Jubilees every 49 years). The Exodus (the release from Pharoh's oppression, to worship God) was the basis for the Jubilee law which was given to Israel in the same year (v38-42,55).
Jesus was anointed to proclaim the Jubilee of God throughout lsrael. (Luke 4:16-18). Then he appointed and anointed his disciples to preach the same Gospel (Matthew 10:1-8, Luke 10:1).
Acts 10:36-37 says they preached it all over Israel and Acts10:38 was the message. They told how God anointed Jesus to preach Jubilee and release all from sickness and oppression. Then they told how Jesus gave them the same anointing and how God used them and that God's power was present now to heal and save. The text for this message was Isaiah 61, which was a prophecy of the Messiah (CHRIST) fulfilling the Jubilee. We know this from Jesus's sermon at Nazareth.
Luke 4:16-19: 'He came to Nazareth ... and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath and stood up for to read (from) ..the book of the prophet Isaiah: "The SPIRIT of the Lord is UPON me, because He has ANOINTED me to PREACH the GOSPEL(Good-News) to the poor' (what was lost in Adam - joy, possessions, health, relationship with God, righteousness, freedom, dominion etc -is now restored. God's grace is available to forgive, heal, restore and rebuild. Lost possessions will 'GO OUT' of satan's hands)
'He has SENT me to HEAL the brokenhearted' (families were reunited in Jubilee)
'To PREACH DELIVERANCE to the captives' (those captive, in slavery to sin,sickness, fear and satan,in the clasp of death and hell shall 'GO OUT' in Jubilee)
'and (Preach) RECOVERY of sight to the blind' (those who have lost their way in the Kingdom of Darkness would see again. This refers to New-Birth as well as healing of eyes - Acts 26:18; Col 1:12-14- Jubilee represented a New-Bifth, a New-Start, with the past wiped away- 2Cor 5:17 -like Israel at the Exodus).
'To SET AT LIBERTY (discharge) them that are bruised (broken by life's calamities or oppressed by the devil)' We are released from our debt of sin and prison of guilt (forgiveness from sin and its cruel results, including sickness)
In conclusion: 'To PREACH the ACCEPTABLE YEAR of the Lord (IT'S JUBILEE!)',
As well as announcing a Jubilee for individuals - Jesus preached Jubilee to the nation of Israel (it was the time for a national Jubilee) He was 'the prophet like unto Moses' (Deuteronomy18:18,19) offering to lead her out of enemy oppression, into the New Covenant at Pentecost and to restore the Kingdom to Israel as forseen by the prophets. Had Israel's leaders accepted Jesus as King, all of Isaiah 61 would have been fulfilled for Israel, but they rejected Jesus, their Jubilee and so faced their 'day of vengeance' in AD 70 (v2b) Israel will enjoy their national Jubilee after the Day of the Lord' (v2b on). Meanwhile God was not taken by surprise - He now revealed His mystery-plan. which was to extend Jubilee to the whole earth, giving the Gentiles an equal place!
lsaiah 49:1-8 forsees this. God and his servant (Jesus) speak about Israel's rejection(v4,5) and salvation (Jubilee) going to the Gentiles (v6,7).
What God says to the Gentiles in v8a is quoted in 2 Corinthians 6:2:
'For He says - 'I have heard you in a time ACCEPTED and in the day of SALVATION have I helped you'- behold NOW is the ACCEPTED (Jubilee) time, behold NOW is the day of salvation (for the gentiles).'
lsaiah 49:8,.9 shows that this means Jubilee. So now Jesus sent his disciples to preach the gospel to every person (Mark 16:15on; Acts 1:6-8; Matthew 28:18-20. What gospel? They knew it was the same message they had preached to Israel for 3 years ('IT'S JUBILEE TIME!'), only now it is for ALL NATIONS.
Acts 10 tells when it was preached to the first Gentiles: "Then Peter opened his mouth,and said, 'Of a truth I perceive that God is NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS, but.. EVERY NATION...is ACCEPTED with Him" (v34,36) "The Word I'm commanded to tell you (v33) is: 'The WORD (of Jubilee) which God sent unto the children of lsrael, PREACHING peace by Jesus Christ. He is (now) Lord of ALL (Gentile and Jew)' (It's Jubilee Time for you too) 'That WORD, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea,and began from Galilee, after the baptism of John' (The WORD was:) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him."
The Jubilee was Good-News to the poor, needy and dispossessed. Spiritually that's all mankind. The Jubilee was for ALL - this proves salvation and healing is for ALL and must be preached to ALL. Acts 10:38 summarises the Jubilee, that's why it declares God's anointing on Jesus is for the healing of ALL who are oppressed.
Gospel-Preaching is the Trumpet announcing: 'The sacrifice is accepted, the atonement is made, the price is paid. Your sins (debts) are forgiven. You can walk out of darkness into the light as a free-man, with a new-start and reclaim your lost possessions. You can return to your inheritance of peace and blessing with God. Now is the acceptable time, today is the day to receive your salvation. God's power is here for your forgiveness and healing. All you have to do is call on the Name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Don't wait, for when the year of Jubilee ends, it will no longer be 'the acceptable time' but 'the Day of vengeance (judgement) of our God' when it will be too late. The doors of the Kingdom of God are open now but they will close forever.'
AS WE PREACH THE GOSPEL GOD'S POWER WILL GO FORTH TO SAVE, HEAL AND DELIVER. DECLARE THE FULL GOSPEL AND SEE GOD CONFIRM HIS WORD. PRAY FOR GOD'S ANOINTING TO BE RELEASED AS WE SPEAK. (James 5:16)