Came with Power - Saturday 3 PM

Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ first sermon, he proclaims, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The initial response of those gathered is one of wonder and amazement, but we will discover next week that this response changes. Jesus can make this proclamation because he brings the power of the Holy Spirit to those who seem to have no power: the captive, the blind, and the oppressed. In the Gospel of Luke, this is Jesus’ mission statement – his purpose is to restore what was lost and to reconcile us and creation back to God. How might this vision of Jesus of a new reconciled world speak to our world, our lives? In Luke, encounters with Jesus never leave the person in the same place. This proclamation calls us to respond, to seek out our own need to be set free, to have our sight restored, and to experience the year of the Lord’s favor. Then to take this same proclamation of invitation to those in the world who continue to be held captive, blind, and oppressed by the powers of this world.

Dig Deeper:

How might the power of the Holy Spirit speak to your powerlessness and then call you to share with others who feel powerless?