Christian Living

Power in the Name of Jesus

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
12/27/21
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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)

Following Jesus’ baptism as a man, He left in the power of the Spirit to the wilderness. We know that He suffered temptations from Satan, as three are recorded in the scriptures. During the forty days of fasting, I also believe that He spoke with the Father in preparation for the ministry ahead of Him. To me, that is what fasting is, sacrificing physical wants and replacing them with communion with God. After His time in the wilderness, Jesus returned to Nazareth, and on the Sabbath, went to the Synagogue to worship. Jesus was given the scroll of Isaiah, and He read Isaiah’s prophecy from Isaiah 61:1-2, which is the text we are looking at today.

When Isaiah wrote these words, Israel was facing captivity by the Babylonians. Isaiah had prophesized for many years God’s people needed to repent and return to their Lord. The Israelite people did not listen, and Babylon carried them off for seventy years of captivity. These words of Isaiah were received as a promise of restoration and further encouraged a coming Messiah. This prophecy is the words Jesus read at the Synagogue and then returned to His seat. The people watched Him, amazed. He read the scriptures in a first-person way and then was enraged with the following words. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

The Hebrew people in the Synagogue knew the scriptures and their meaning. They also knew that Jesus was the son of Joseph, and now He was claiming to be the Messiah. They ran Him out of the Synagogue, and Jesus left to begin His three-year ministry of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. We know today that Jesus was the Messiah, we see the history of His time, and we know He made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. The people could not see that from the far side of the cross as we can. They could not have imagined the far-reaching and eternal effect of His words. Jesus’ words were true that day, and they are true this day, as His words are the words of life. “Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

The words of Isaiah and spoken by Jesus are a mission statement of the purpose of Jesus’ ministry here in the world. Jesus came in the likeness of man and was fully God incarnate. Jesus suffered the trials we have in the flesh and the troubles and temptation we have in the spirit. He put a body on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that men could see. Jesus suffered every trial humanity suffers and remained sinless. Jesus lived a perfectly righteous life showing there is a way, and He only spoke the truth as He is the Word of God.

Jesus came in the likeness of us to tell the good news of His home in the Kingdom of God. He told parables to give us a word picture of the beauty of the Kingdom. He has the power to speak to people in the physical things they could relate to and transcend them into the spiritual if they had ears to hear. Jesus was a Divine Spirit teaching the physical humanity to reach into the spiritual realm of His Kingdom. They had become poor in spirit, and if they listened and had faith, His Spirit could lift them out of their poverty.

 His promise to the poor in spirit is a greater reward in the Kingdom to come. “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.” (Luke 16:22) Jesus taught us all are to have a heart for charity towards our neighbors. “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.” (Luke 12:33)

Jesus came to release the ones who are held captive. All are held captive to physical death, and we also face the second death in the fiery pit. People are confined to what others do unless their faith is fixed upon Jesus. Physical affections can capture us if we do not have the hope of salvation through faith in Jesus. All of us make wrong choices and will suffer the consciences if He is not with us to make it work out for our good. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

Jesus gives sight to the blind. He healed many to see, and He is still opening the eyes of the blind even now. Jesus was approaching Jericho when a blind man called out to Him in faith to heal him, and because of His faith, the blind man was healed. (Luke 18:35-42) Paul was a persecutor of those of the way which followed Jesus. Jesus confronted Paul, and he saw the light and repented. Jesus commissioned Paul as an Apostle to the Gentiles and sent him “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18)

Jesus set those who were oppressed by Satan free. We’ve all been trapped in the oppression of sin, weighed down with guilt and not knowing how to be set free. Jesus came to seek and save the lost from the oppression of sin in their lives. The ultimate purpose of Jesus’ ministry was to live righteously as the Lamb of God. He was the only worthy sacrifice for the sins of humanity acceptable to God’s law. He was sacrificed on a cross, shed His holy blood, and died. Jesus was buried and rose on the third day. He walked among us for forty days and then ascended to the Kingdom where He reigns eternally. God offers a gift of salvation through faith in who Jesus is. Those who call upon His name and believe in faith He died for their sin will receive eternal life. Peter gave this message to Cornelius, and it is true for all. “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:42)

Jesus ushered in the acceptable year of the Lord when He came to live amongst humanity. He began the Church Age, a time of grace, redemption, and deliverance from the deceit of the god of this world. It is written, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) By the love He has for creation, Jesus came into the world to save humanity from their sins and disobedience. Because of the mercy and grace of a loving God, none need to suffer His wrath. “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” (1 Timothy 1:13)

As disciples of Jesus, we have the mission to carry on His mission. On the evening of His crucifixion, Jesus spoke these words to His disciples. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12) Our mission is to preach the gospel to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recover sight to the blind, and set free those who are oppressed. Jesus sent His disciples out with the same command. “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-8)

Jesus abides within us, as we have the Holy Spirit He promised us. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26) The Spirit is the power of the words that we speak from Him. God’s Word never returns to Him without accomplishing its purpose. We can speak His truth boldly. “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” (John 16:8-11)

We have His love within us to share with our family, friends, and neighbors. They, too, need to hear the freedom of His truth. We are to “go” as commanded by His Word. “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)

There is power in the name of Jesus. His name is the power of creation; it is the power of transformation, the power of redemption, and the power of salvation. When we act through the power of His Spirit in His name, we have the authority of God the Father, and nothing can stand against Him. We are the light of His truth in a sin-darkened world that souls are hoping for, “Go.” “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, March 4, 2021