Gospel of Luke 4:18
“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,”
Freedom Has a Cost
Freedom is never free.
There is always a cost that must be paid for someone to live in freedom.
In this country, we enjoy freedoms because of lives that were sacrificed over generations.
This nation is not perfect, but I am thankful to live here.
I am thankful for the freedom to gather.
I am thankful for the freedom to worship.
And I recognize that those freedoms came at a cost.
Someone gave their life.
Someone lost a loved one.
Someone sacrificed so we could live free.
For that, we are grateful.
The Greater Cost
Spiritually, it is no different.
The freedom we have in Christ was not free.
It cost something.
It cost Jesus Christ on the cross.
In the Old Testament, sacrifices were made again and again, but they only provided a temporary covering.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews we read:
Hebrews 9:22
“Without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Then the writer points us to Christ.
Hebrews 9:28
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.”
Why We Are Free
In the Epistle to the Romans:
Romans 5:8
“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
We are not free because we earned it.
We are free because He loved us.
The Mission of Freedom
At the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus made His mission clear.
He had just come out of forty days of prayer and fasting.
He had been tempted by the enemy, yet He overcame by standing on the Word of God.
Every time the enemy spoke, Jesus responded with truth.
It is written.
This shows us something powerful.
You can overcome temptation when you know His Word.
The Declaration
Then Jesus stepped into the synagogue and read from the prophet Isaiah.
In the Gospel of Luke 4:18, He declared His mission.
This one verse reveals everything He came to do.
First, The Spirit of the Lord
Jesus acknowledged that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him.
He wanted everyone to understand who He was.
He was not just a teacher.
He was not just a prophet.
He was the Savior.
Second, The Gospel to the Poor
He came to preach the gospel to the poor.
Once you recognize who He is, your first response should be to experience the Gospel.
The death.
The burial.
The resurrection.
His mission has always been to seek and to save.
Third, Healing the Brokenhearted
Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted.
This is inner healing.
This speaks to grief, rejection, shame, and pain.
Before God changes anything on the outside, He works on the inside.
We often want outward change first.
We want to look better before we are made whole.
But if you only fix the outside, the cycle will continue.
Jesus starts at the heart.
Fourth, Deliverance to the Captives
He came to bring deliverance to the captives.
Bondage in Scripture often represents sin.
Just like Israel was in bondage in Egypt, sin keeps people trapped.
If you are bound by sin or addiction, Jesus came to set you free.
You may have tried everything else.
But today, you can experience real freedom.
Fifth, Sight to the Blind
Jesus came to give sight to the blind.
This includes physical healing and spiritual understanding.
When you are free, you begin to see clearly.
You see God differently.
You see yourself differently.
You see your purpose differently.
Freedom brings clarity.
Lastly, Freedom for the Bruised
He came to set at liberty those who are bruised.
This speaks to those who are hurting, anxious, overwhelmed, or forgotten.
Jesus does not overlook the broken.
He restores dignity.
He restores identity.
He restores freedom in every area of life.
Closing Call
This is why He came.
To set you free.
Not partially free.
Not temporarily free.
Completely free.
The Gospel is still the answer.
The death.
The burial.
The resurrection.
And today, that same mission is still active.
Freedom is available.
Freedom is here.
And freedom is found in Jesus.
