The Winslow mail., 1924-09-12

4C-JeSuS Explains his Message.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Mission of Christianity
|. Jesus in the Synagogue ". 16).
On the Sabbath day He went into
the synagogue according to His Gus
tom. He no doubt went that day with
new and definite purpose, but it is
refreshing to know that it was accord
ing to His habit
II. Jesus Reading the Scriptures
wv. 17-19).
1. The Book Handed to Him w. 17).
It was not only His custom to attend
the place of worship but to take part
in it. This privilege was not confined
to the rabbis (Acts 1919.
2. The Passage Read Qsaiah 81 L,
p. Most likely this passage was chos-
en- by Him with specific purpose.
3. The Content of the Passage (vv.
1S, 19).
(1) The mission of the Messiah ".
18). 1t was:
(a) To preach the gospel to the
poor. The good tidings which Jesus
proclaimed are peculiarly welcome to
the common people
(b) To heal the broken hearted.
The gospel of Christ peculiarly meets
the needs Of those whose hearts are
crushed by the weight Of their own
sins or by the burden of sorrow and
disappointment.
(c) To preach deliverance to the
captives. The gospel of Christ does
actually set man free from the slav-
cry of sin John $500.
(d) Recovering of sight to the
blind. Christ did actually make those
who were physically blind to see (John
9:6, y and also opened the eyes of
those who were spiritually blind Il
John 5 :2O).
(e) To set at liberty them that are
bruised. The power of Christ can free
the most utterly hopeless ones.
(f) To preach the acceptable year
of the Lord. The primary allusion is
the year of Jubilee Oev. 25 800 in
which all those in bondage were re-
leased.
(2) The special endowment of the
Messiah (v. 18). The reason why II e
Spirit was upon Him was that He
might fulfill specifically His Messianic
work. 1t was not for the display OF
power The enduement of the Holy
Spirit is not for mere powers sake.
III. Jesus Expounding the Scriptures
(vv.. 20, 2D.
1. He Closed the Book and Sat
Down. 1t seems to have been the GUS
tom of the Jewish teachers to sit while
teaching.
2. "This Day Is This Scripture Full
filed" This statement is no doubt but
a gist of what He said.
~. Jesus Reception by the People
wv. 22-30).
Their reception was characterized
by
/. Ignorant Prejudice ". 22). "Is
not this Joseph's SOM" AS if to say,
"This is our fellow townsman with
whom we have been acquainted for
years Surely, therefore, He cannot be
the Messiah"
2. Unbelief as to His Supernatural
Character ". 23). They challenged
Him to exhibit examples of divine
power as He had done in other places.
3. Personal Jealousy ". 24). Jeal-
ousy prevents us from seeing the es-
sential worth of the men in our midst.
Foreigners are more appreciative. A
prophet is not accepted at home, pri-
marily because he is prophet.
Prophets were sent in times of moral
and spiritual declination and their mes
sages were stern rebukes of sin. He
adduces two outstanding examples of
the willingness of foreigners to believe
God
G) Elijah was sent to a widow at
| Sarepta wv. %, 26). Many widows of
Israel were passed by due, doubtless, to
the fact that they would not have re-
ceived the prophet.
(2) Naaman, the foreigner, of many
lepers was the only one cleansed.
4. NlOlent 1dlTeu wv Zo-oo)' 1HlS
| comparison of the Jews to foreigners
so stunned their pride that they madly
drove Him out of their city, even tried
! to kill Him. He showed them that
Just as Elijah had brought blessing tC
one who lived in Sidon and Elisha tc
one in Syria, while the people OF
Israel went on suffering, even so the
GentiIes would receive the blessings OF
His saving power while they, the
chosen nation, would suffer in uIbe
! lief.