The Good News: A Bible Study

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the POOR.
He has sent me to proclaim that CAPTIVES will be RELEASED,
that the BLIND will SEE,
that the OPPRESSED will be set free,
¹⁹     and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” – Luke 4:18-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

POOR – Worse than is usual, expected, or desirable; of a low or inferior standard or quality. Google

• – Jesus uses the word PTOCHO which means – you’re so poor you are a beggar, therefore people who inherit God’s Kingdom are spiritual beggars. We come to God for help, for his crumbs, for his forgiveness. –Neverthirsty.org

⁵ Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?  –James 2:5 New Living Translation (NLT)

³ “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
               for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. – Matthew 5:3 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

CAPTIVES – A person who has been taken prisoner that has been confined. – Google

³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. – John 8:34 New Living Translation (NLT)

²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. – Romans 3:23  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

RELEASED – Allow or enable to escape from confinement, set free. – Google

⁶ But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. – Romans 7:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

BLIND – Unable to see, lacking perception, awareness, or discernment. – Google

8 As it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” – Romans 11:8 English Standard Version (ESV)

³ If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. ⁴ Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

SEE – Perceive with the eyes; discern visually. Discern or deduce mentally after reflection or from information; understand. – Google

²⁵ “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” – John 9:25 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. – Matthew 13:16 English Standard Version (ESV)

³⁹ Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” – John 9:39 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

OPPRESSED – Subject to harsh and authoritarian treatment. – Google

• – Someone or a people that is being oppressed is typically under someone else’s control or rule and they are taken advantage of and treated in a harsh or cruel way and so it is seen as the exercise of authority or power over another person or a people and using them for their own purposes in a burdensome, cruel, and unjust manner. It is usually where the people have no control of their own lives and have no freedoms and they are living in a state of bondage. – patheos.com

FREE – not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes. – Google

² For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
               On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. – 2 Corinthians 6:2 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

I’m a little afraid to write this post today. I’m afraid I’ll come off as preachy, and I know many do not want to be preached to.

But I’m also afraid of sounding like an expert, which I so am not.

This being said, I do what I can to not allow my fear to control me. I believe fear is the biggest threat to Faith and one of satan’s tools.

That being said, I wanted to share with you one of my Bible studies, and how I did it.

So, I’m reading my Bible today and I came across the wildest thing! It’s crazy because it’s something I set out to find, and there it was!

Right there! Imagine that.

Now, don’t laugh. What I’m about to share may surprise you. I feel stupid even mentioning it, but I’m trusting I’m not alone in this, so I’m just going to say it.

I went looking in my Bible to learn what is…THE GOOD NEWS.

I know, shocking, right?

I’ve been a Christian for how long? This is something I should know. I know, you’re right.

Oh, I can tell you a lot of good things about Jesus Christ.

I can tell you why I became a Believer. I can tell you all sort of things he has done for me personally.

But when it comes down to it…when I’m called to go out (which we all are) and make disciples and share THE GOOD NEWS, I really don’t know what I’m suppose to say.

Everything comes out all weird. I sound like a crazy person. I’m all over the place.

Now maybe that works for some people. But it doesn’t work for me. I wanted to find a place in the Bible that says, “This, THIS, is THE GOOD NEWS.”

I have to be honest. In the beginning, I was scared. Now I’m reading from the New Living Translation, and I don’t even see the words GOOD NEWS until Matthew 4:23, which I guess isn’t too bad, except wait.

 Crowds Follow Jesus

²³ Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. – Matthew 4:23 New Living Translation (NLT)

Ooo Eee! I’m about to get the memo. I’m about ready to hear what THE GOOD NEWS is. I’m ready. Next verse.

²⁴ News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. – Matthew 4:24 New Living Translation (NLT)

Wait…what? But what IS THE GOOD NEWS?

Matthew goes on to narrate Jesus and what God blesses. So is that THE GOOD NEWS?

I can already hear your frustration in you voice. I’ve heard it before.

“Kim, it’s apart of it. You’re taking this GOOD NEWS THING TOO FAR. Stop being so structured. It’s a lot of things. It’s all of it.”

Oh yes, I know. But the more I have to explain to someone about what THE GOOD NEWS is, the more muttled I am. The more open for debate I feel I become.

Moving on.

Lots of teaching. Lots of good stuff. Salt and Light, the Law, Anger, Adultery, Divorce. All good stuff. But what’s THE GOOD NEWS?

I read all of Matthew.

I read that Jesus announces THE GOOD NEWS about the Kingdom (Matthew 9:35).

He talks about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 10:7), wha??? One thing at a time, Kim. Keep moving.

I read,

⁴ Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—⁵ 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.” – Matthew 11:4-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

Still, I don’t know what THE GOOD NEWS is, but he’s doing a lot of stuff. Good stuff. Amazing stuff! But what’s he saying about THE GOOD NEWS?

Still reading.

³⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. – Mark 8:35 New Living Translation (NLT)

YES! PLEASE! TELL ME!

It explains, the Kingdom of Heaven is like,

            A farmer – Matthew 13:24

            A mustard seed – Matthew 13:31

            The yeast – Matthew 13:33

            A treasure – Matthew 13:44

            A merchant – Matthew 13:45

            A fishing net – Matthew 13:37

            A king – Matthew 18:22, 23

            A landowner – Matthew 20:1

But nothing specifically about THE GOOD NEWS.

Jesus has returned to Galilee. In a synagogue in the village of Nazareth, he stands up and reads from the scroll of Isaiah. (All of Matthew. All of Mark. Nothing. Now I’m in Luke.)

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
    that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
¹⁹     and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. – Luke 4:18-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

And there it is! Did you see it?

THE GOOD NEWS is he has come to proclaim that the captives will be released, the blind will see and the oppressed will be set free

How do I know?

Doesn’t it sound familiar? Back in Matthew, Jesus told John’s disciples to go and tell him what they have seen (Matthew 11:4). But also we see it again in Luke.

²¹ At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind.²² 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.” – Luke 7:21-22

The time of the Lord’s favor has come!

THE GOOD NEWS!