Do you ever wonder what your purpose is? High school and college graduates, adults who feel stuck in dead-end jobs, even people who seem to have it all but still feel unfulfilled wonder what their purpose is. When we read the Gospels, we don’t need to wonder what Jesus’s purpose was. He shows from scripture what He was born to accomplish.
At the start of His ministry, Jesus taught in the synagogue.
And he 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 was 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.” – Luke 4:16–21
Jesus, reading from the scroll containing the book of Isaiah, read the first two verses of chapter 61. This prophecy was the words of the coming Messiah, describing what He would accomplish. Jesus, after reading the scroll, declares the prophecy fulfilled in Himself. So what was Jesus to accomplish?
Proclaim good news to the poor
Luke 6:20 says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Jesus came proclaiming the gospel to the poor, who would have been deemed unworthy by others. Jesus was proclaiming good news to those who were poor and placing their trust in God.
Proclaim liberty to the captives
When Isaiah was written, the Jews were in exile. They would have heard this as literal, physical freedom. Jesus expanded the meaning to include spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus came to proclaim forgiveness of sins.
Recovering sight to the blind
Jesus healed physical blindness as well as spiritual blindness.
Set at liberty those who are oppressed
Jesus freed the oppressed by healing the sick, casting out demons and forgiving sins. He also taught about loving others who were oppressed because of their race, class, or social status.
Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
The Year of Jubilee was a celebration where everyone who was bound in service to another was freed and allowed to go home. Jesus came as our Savior, freeing us from the bond of sin and delivering us home to His Kingdom.
This advent, as we celebrate the “what” of Christ’s birth, let’s also celebrate the “why.” Jesus was born to free us from our sin and bondage and deliver us to God. He heals us from our spiritual blindness and proclaims good news to us when we are dependent on Him. He loves us so much that He humbled himself, set aside His divine nature, and became a man so that He could fulfill the promises of God.
Family Discussion
Why is Christ’s birth important to you?
How can we show others the importance of Christ’s birth?
