The Jubilee Gospel
Posted in Everyday living, Faith, Salvation on Aug 01, 2018
THE JUBILEE MESSAGE
One Message
The message we preach is one and it is simple: “God created this world beautiful to fellowship with man in it; man lost it in the fall through sin, God sent Jesus to come and pay the price for sin so we can enjoy life like He originally planned it and whoever hears and believes it enjoys salvation!”
This message of God’s plan to restore all things to man is the same message that Peter preached in the house of Cornelius as recorded in Acts 10..
Act 10:36 (MSG) (36) THE MESSAGE he sent to the children of Israel--that THROUGH JESUS CHRIST EVERYTHING IS BEING PUT TOGETHER AGAIN--WELL, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone.
Peter said that God sent Jesus with a particular message to the house of Israel: “… through Jesus Christ everything is BEING PUT TOGETHER AGAIN--well!” This is what real peace is. It means nothing missing and nothing broken!
Peace means that the dividing wall of sin between God and man has been removed; God is no longer angry with man. It means that the effect of being reconciled back to God is that every area of our lives is being put back together again. As believers we can boldly say, “Things are working again!”
Paul puts it this way in Colossians 1:20-22 in the Message translation: “… all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe--people and things, animals and atoms--get PROPERLY FIXED and FIT TOGETHER in vibrant harmonies, ALL BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH, HIS BLOOD THAT POURED DOWN FROM THE CROSS. You yourselves are a case study of what he does... by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, CHRIST BROUGHT YOU OVER TO GOD'S SIDE AND PUT YOUR LIVES TOGETHER, whole and holy in his presence." (Colossians 1:20-22)
Peace means that all your sins are forgiven and as a result every sickness is healed, every bill is paid, your business is doing well, you have a great marriage, a lovely home, wonderful friends e.t.c....! It is only in Christ that you can have this ‘perfect’ life! In the world they say you can’t have it all but in Christ you have it all!
This is the message that Jesus preached everywhere He went to. This is the same message that He commanded His disciples to preach.
Act 10:42-43 (42) And HE COMMANDED us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. (43) To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS.
The message of peace, restoration to favour and the forgiveness of sins through the name of Jesus - is the same message that Jesus commanded the disciples to preach. Peace means the remission of sin. The word ‘remission’ also means ‘pardon.’ If sin isn’t fully pardoned then it cannot be peace. It is peace only because sin is fully paid for!
The Announcement of God’s Favour not Vengeance
Act 10:37 AMP (37) THE [SAME] MESSAGE which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, STARTING FROM GALILEE after the baptism preached by John--
Peter said in his message at the house of Cornelius that Jesus started preaching this same message of peace from Galilee after John’s baptism. So we go back to the gospels to find this message because this is the message that Jesus charged His disciples to preach in the early days of the church and it is the same gospel that He is giving humanity today through the church.
Luke 4:14-21 (14) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit INTO GALILEE: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. (15) And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. (16) And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (17) And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when HE HAD OPENED THE BOOK, HE FOUND THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS WRITTEN, (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, (19) To PREACH THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD. (20) And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. (21) And he began to say unto them, THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS.
Vs. 19 says, “To PREACH THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD!” This is the message! The message of God accepting us!
When Jesus said in vs. 21, “…this day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears,” Do you know what He was literally saying?
He was boldly declaring that the anointing that to prosper, heal and restore was upon Him. He was declaring that He was anointed to preach the acceptable year of the Lord! To preach is to announce! Jesus was saying, “I’m anointed to make announcements!
With all boldness He announced He is the carrier of the anointing – God’s burden removing, yoke destroying power! The purpose of this anointing is for doing good to men. To the poor this anointing destroyed poverty and made them rich. The anointing on this message heals broken hearted people and brings deliverance to whatever has held any man captive.
Jesus came to announce and unveil the goodness of God to humanity! He came to show to man God’s heart of love!
He came to announce to the people that God is not looking for ways to punish them but to favour them. We know this because He omitted a portion of Isaiah’s prophecy from where He read. The portion of scripture that Jesus read from in Luke 4 is found in Isaiah 61. Let us see what He omitted.
Isaiah 61:2 (AMP) (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD, to comfort all who mourn,
Notice that the original prophecy includes the phrase “The Day of Vengeance,” but when Jesus read this scripture, Luke’s account says in the amplified translation,
Luke 4:19 (AMP) (19) To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound].
Notice Jesus deliberately omitted “The Day of Vengeance!” as found in Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 61:2 Glory to God!
Different scholars have different interpretations of what “The Day of Vengeance” means but regardless of what that day meant or means, Jesus didn’t announce it! He wasn’t anointed to declare vengeance, He was anointed to announce the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord; the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound!
“Who Sinned?” Doesn’t Matter
In Jesus’ earthly ministry He never went in search of people’s sin rather He came to deliver people from the effect of their sin. This is why He is our saviour! He is our redeemer! He is our comforter! He is our deliverer! He came to favour people not to punish them!
Once His disciples saw a man born blind in John chapter 9 and asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” The disciples asked because all their lives they were taught to troubleshoot for sin. This is what religion does today. It can trace sin, analyze sin and tell of the effects of sin but it can do nothing about it because only the love and grace of God can remove sin and cure its effects.
Jesus however had an answer, “You’re asking the wrong question. YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BLAME. There is NO SUCH CAUSE-EFFECT HERE. LOOK instead FOR WHAT GOD CAN DO.” (John 9:2-3 Message Translation).
Glory to God! Look for what God can do!!! Our messages should be focused on what God can do rather than finding the reason for people’s situation because God is out to favour people!
The Year of Jubilee!
That day in the synagogue when Jesus said He was anointed to proclaim the ‘Acceptable Year of the Lord,” the Jews in that synagogue knew what the ‘Acceptable Year of the Lord’ was! The ‘Acceptable Year of The Lord’ is also known as ‘The Year of Jubilee!’ It is that glorious year that they experienced only once in 50 years.
Luke 4:20 says their eyes were fixed on Him! Every single person in that synagogue turned and started looking at Him. Young, old, poor, rich, destitute, sick ... etc. everyone gazed attentively at Him. They gazed because they all knew it wasn’t The Year of Jubilee yet Jesus made bold to say, “THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS!” They thought to themselves, “This guy must be joking!”
Let’s look at what the jubilee was like under the Law!
Leviticus 25:9-10 AMP (9) Then you shall sound abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month [almost October]; on the Day of Atonement blow the trumpet in all your land. (10) AND YOU SHALL HALLOW THE FIFTIETH YEAR AND PROCLAIM LIBERTY throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. IT SHALL BE A JUBILEE FOR YOU; and each of you shall return to his ancestral possession [which through poverty he was compelled to sell], and each of you shall return to his family [from whom he was separated in bond service].
The Law operates via a system of obedience – reward!” Men and women enjoyed the blessings of God only after they had obeyed the Law! The problem with the Law was that no man could fully obey it without faltering (Acts 15:10). God in His infinite mercy still made provisions to reach out to them with His blessings outside their ability to keep the Law. By God’s design; out of every six days of the week, the 7th was a day of Sabbath! Sabbath simply means to cease from your effort and rest!
Out of every six weeks, the 7th week was a week of rest! Out of every 6 months, the 7th month was a sabbatical month and after every 6 years was a sabbatical year on the 7th year. The 50th year after 7 sabbatical years was the year of Jubilee. Even under the Law, the people enjoyed grace.
Read Leviticus 25:9-55 and you will discover that Jubilee was a year of restoration! A year of rest! A year of new beginnings! A year of triple harvest! A year of release from any form of bondage and oppression! The people were not allowed to do anything! God literally worked for them. The Message translation of Luke 4:19 says, “To announce, “THIS IS GOD’S YEAR TO ACT” Glory to God!!! Jubilee is the year for God to act!
It was a beautiful year that every Israelite looked forward to. The sad thing was that it was just once in 50 years. It was a ‘once in a lifetime’ year! It was a year they talked about, dreamt of and all looked forward to. When Jesus read that scripture, it caught their attention!
They must have thought, “What is He going to tell us from that scripture because the acceptable year of the Lord is still a number of years away?”
The Sacrifice!
Leviticus 25:9 MSG (9) Then SOUND LOUD BLASTS ON THE RAM’S HORN on the tenth day of the seventh month, THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. Sound the ram's horn all over the land
The year of Jubilee (the year of God’s favour) was right after the “Day of Atonement.” It was the day of offering the blood sacrifice of the ram for the sins of the people.
Till this day the Jews still mark the Day of Atonement with fasting and prayer in their synagogues. It is known as Yom Kippur. In 2016 it will begin on the evening of Tuesday October 11 and end in the evening of Wednesday October 12.
Every year on The Day of Atonement the high priest would sacrifice the animals and perform various rituals for his sins and for the sins of the people by going into the Holiest of all once (Exodus 30:1-10; Leviticus 16:1-34; 23:27-28). The proof that the sacrifice had been accepted is that the high priest comes out alive! The accepted sacrifice is the key to the people enjoying the favour of God because as the people’s sins are atoned for, it releases the favour of God.
The high priest performs this ritual every year but in the 50th year as the high priest comes out alive from the Holiest of All, the horn of the ram that is sacrificed (i.e. shofar) is blasted throughout the whole land as a mark of God’s acceptance and release of His blessings and favour. This is significant because it is this sound that triggers the Jubilee.
The Sound
Psalm 89:15-17 AMP (15) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people who KNOW the JOYFUL SOUND [who UNDERSTAND and APPRECIATE the SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS SYMBOLIZED by the feasts]; they WALK, O Lord, IN THE LIGHT AND FAVOR OF YOUR COUNTENANCE!
The joyful sound spoken of by the Psalmist is the sound of the ram’s horn that triggers jubilee. Those who know this sound walk in the light and favour of God’s countenance! The word know actually means seeing. It literally means, “Blessed are people who SEE the joyful sound…”
During my National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), the soldiers in camp would blow the trumpet at different times of the day with different notes and we were trained to know what the different sound notes meant. While one note meant to get up and get ready for parade; another meant it’s time to eat. When we heard that sound based on the note that was blown, we SAW something! We either ‘saw’ the parade ground or we saw the food. The bible says those who recognize this sound actually see themselves in the favour of God. In God’s righteousness - not their own righteousness - they are exalted. God is the glory of their strength and by God’s favour they are lifted (Psalm 89:16, 17). I see God’s favour lifting you into positions, places, great wealth and influence
Hebrews 10:11-14 MSG (12) As a priest, Christ made A SINGLE SACRIFICE FOR SINS, AND THAT WAS IT! Then he sat down right beside God (14) It was A PERFECT SACRIFICE BY A PERFECT PERSON TO PERFECT SOME VERY IMPERFECT PEOPLE. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.
Today our High Priest is Christ Jesus. On the cross He said, “It is finished...” (John 19:30). His sacrifice was a perfect one that marked the end of those yearly sacrifices. He is the perfect high Priest that offered the perfect sacrifice that has perfected some very imperfect people before a perfect God. Today your imperfections do not stop you from receiving from God because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This is why it is called favour! This is the Jubilee message that I have been anointed to proclaim!
The year of jubilee under the Law is the picture of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Today we take the horn of our ‘ram’ – who is Jesus, and we begin to blast the sound of what He has done for us which is the gospel. As people believe it and SEE what He has done for them, they begin to experience the favour of God! The knowledge of what God has done for you in Christ Jesus and how it applies to you is the key to enjoying the favour of God. We are simply favored because of Jesus and nothing that we have done.
It Is In the Hearing
Luke 4:21-22 AMP (21) And He began to speak to them: Today this Scripture HAS BEEN FULFILLED while you are PRESENT AND HEARING. (22) And all spoke well of Him and MARVELED AT THE WORDS OF GRACE that came forth from His mouth; and they said, Is not this Joseph's Son?
When Jesus said to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing,” He was also telling them they could receive whatever it was they were expecting in 50 years in the NOW. Jesus was telling them that the same anointing that brought Jubilee to them once in 50 years was right there upon Him to make the same things happen as they were present hearing Him.
The bible says they, “... MARVELED at the words of grace that came forth from His mouth...” but refused to believe. They MARVELED at the joyful sound but did not KNOW it. The message was too simple. The man that preached it was despised!
If only the people in that synagogue believed like they would have believe that physical sound of the ram’s horn, every one of them would have left there with their needs met but unbelief and offence robbed them. They planned to kill Him. Jesus said, “…BLESSED IS HE, WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT BE OFFENDED IN ME” (Matthew 11:6). The reason people fail to receive from God is not because their sin is hindering them, it is because they are offended at the simplicity of this gospel preached! This year I implore you to give attention to God's Word and refuse to be offended! The experience is in the hearing!
Luke 4:21 BBE (21) Then he said to them, TODAY THIS WORD HAS COME TRUE IN YOUR HEARING.
Your duty is to hear! In the hearing is the fulfillment. The same way they heard the sound of the trumpet and experienced jubilee is the same way we hear the goodnews of the gospel and we enjoy the favour and blessings of God. It is so sad that all that many believers know is that this sacrifice has delivered them from only their sins and all they are doing is waiting to go to heaven to enjoy God’s favour but He wants to favour, bless, prosper and increase you here on earth!
God favours you! He wants you well, healed, prosperous, delivered and rich. When you become a believer, you need to hear more of the gospel preached! Paul says, “He (God) allowed me to explain THE WAY THIS MYSTERY WORKS. God, who created all things, kept it hidden in the past” (Ephesians 3:9 GW). Paul’s ministry was to demystify the way God works. Some preachers today are trying to mystify it! It works by constantly hearing what He has done for you!
Go ahead and enjoy the blessings of God this year! It is your jubilee season. As you read this article today, believe it and begin to see yourself favoured and start enjoying favour!