The Person Prophesied

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed. Isaiah 61:1 NLT

The Good News Prophesied

In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book,
and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness.
The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord.
The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:18-19 NLT

The lame will leap and dance,
and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Isaiah 35:6a NLT

The scoffer will be gone,
the arrogant will disappear,
and those who plot evil will be killed.
Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear.
A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice
and who tell lies to destroy the innocent. Isaiah 29:20-21 NLT

Jesus Preaches the Good News of the Kingdom

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.
“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” Mark 1:14-15 NLT

John the Baptist has a Question

John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,
or should we keep looking for someone else?’” Luke 7:20 NLT

Jesus in Action

At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind.
Luke 7:21 NLT

Jesus’ Message to John

Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”
And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” Luke 7:22-23 NLT

Fifteen years ago this month I had the privilege of being on a team of writers who wrote the daily devotionals for Lent. They were printed in a book entitled, “Faces on the Way to the Cross”. One of the devotionals I wrote was on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I wrote it as if each event was a headline in a local or national newspaper.

Example: “NEWS FLASH!! MAN DEAD IN BETHANY LIVES!!!!”

I have to ask myself as I study if I have grown “blind” to what God would have me see in each scripture? Have I gotten “deaf” to His voice reminding me to be patient when things don’t happen the way I want or as quickly as I think they should? As you read the devotionals this week, ponder the different ways God would have you come alive in seeing and hearing God through the good news of God’s Kingdom.