There’s 2 questions that have been on my mind that I can’t shake that I want to bring to the table to start our time together. John 18:37 reads,
”Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. FOR THIS CAUSE I WAS BORN, and FOR THIS CAUSEI HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”“
John 18:37 NKJV
Twice, Jesus said, "For this cause. For this cause…” I can’t help but to think…
WHAT WAS THE CAUSE?
The second question was sparked by Luke 15:1-2 where it reads,
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.“
Luke 15:1 NIV
”But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”“
Luke 15:2 NIV
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were upset because THEIR LINES WERE EMPTY. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were upset because no one was gathering around them. This makes me think…
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT HIM?
What was it about Him, that made the tax collectors and the sinners gather in droves saying, "Give me Jesus!”
What was it about Him, that made Mark 2:1-2 record,
”A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that THERE WAS NO ROOM LEFT, not even outside the door, AND HE PREACHED THE WORD TO THEM.“
Mark 2:1-2 NIV
What was it that made the crowds gather in such large numbers that there was no room left. No light show, no microphone, no screens, no fog machines, JUST THE WORD OF GOD, and a hungry crowd living out, "Give me Jesus!”
What was it about Him that made the leper who usually went into hiding, and who usually stayed far, far away from people, what was it about Him that made Luke 5:12 record,
”While Jesus was in one of the towns, A MAN CAME ALONG who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”“
Luke 5:12 NIV
What made this leper risk it all, and break through the crowds, break protocol, and fall to His face essentially saying, Give Me Jesus!!!
I could go on and on, but I believe Luke 4:18 points us to today’s answer. It reads,
”“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to THE POOR; He has sent Me to heal THE BROKENHEARTED, To proclaim liberty to THE CAPTIVES And recovery of sight to THE BLIND, To set at liberty those who are OPPRESSED;“
Luke 4:18 NKJV
Jesus declares in Luke 4:18, "Here’s My List!”
THE POOR
THE BROKENHEARTED
THE CAPTIVE
THE BLIND
THE OPPRESSED
Jesus says everyone on this list, YOU’RE MY PEOPLE. YOU’RE MY TRIBE. Everyone on this list…YOU’RE MY PURPOSE!
For some people this list is " too much.” For some people this list is extra. For some people this list is too time consuming, too messy, out of my league, above my pay grade, BUT NOT JESUS! To Jesus, this list is just right.
I don’t know about you but…
I THANK GOD FOR HIS LIST!
I thank God for His list because I was on the list. I thank God His list, because at different times, at different seasons I STILL FIND MYSELF ON THE LIST.
And when I do, Jesus doesn’t tell me I’m too much for Him. When I do, Jesus doesn’t tell me or you, that you’re too extra, or out of His league. At times when I was EVERYTHING on His list, Jesus, sat with me and said,
I’M HERE FOR IT.
Every time I found myself poor in spirit, poor in faith, hope, and love. I also found Jesus saying It’s ok…I’m here for it. When I found myself brokenhearted by my own free will choices, or the choices of others. I found Jesus right there in the thick of it with me, telling me, "I’m here for it!” I too know what it’s like to be captive in your thoughts, captive in addiction, blind to see what’s next, blind to see who you really are, oppressed by the cares of this world. It was in those moments that I looked up and Jesus was right there saying…
I’m Here For It. This is why our sermon title for today is…
I’M HERE FOR IT
After hearing His list, how would the church respond? With shouts of praise? With shouts of joy? Nah. Luke 4:20-21 says,
”Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. AND THE EYES OF ALL who were in the synagogue WERE FIXED ON HIM.And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”“
Luke 4:20-21 NKJV
”So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “IS THIS NOT JOSEPH’S SON?”
Luke 4:22 NKJV
Jesus responds to them with two examples but He sums up His point in Luke 4:24 by saying…
”“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.“
Luke 4:24 NIV
Let’s just say his response didn’t sit well with the people. Luke 4:28 reads,
”All the people in the synagogue were FURIOUS when they heard this.“
Luke 4:28 NIV
”They got up, DROVE HIM OUT OF THE TOWN, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.“
Luke 4:29-30 NIV
WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY. What in the world was this all about??? Before Jesus gave us His list about the poor in spirit, and the brokenhearted, the verse before that reads in Luke 4:17,
”And He was handed THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:“
Luke 4:17 NKJV
The people in the synagogue were familiar with this verse. The people in the synagogue were familiar with this promise, this prophecy, that their redeemer, The Messiah would come. The problem was in their minds, JESUS DIDN’T MEET THEIR CRITERIA. There’s no way in the world that this is our redeemer, THAT’S JOSEPH’S BOY. That’s little J from Apape Nazareth Preschool who wouldn’t never nap! There’s no way he’s our warrior savior!
There’s no way after hearing God’s mighty war campaigns through Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Deborah, and Gideon just to name a few, that he’s our guy! They conquered land! They conquered territory’s. They won wars! They slew giants! Everyone saw it and is still talking about it to this day. Jesus says, to you today, "I know. I get it, but my mission is different.
📝 "They came to set NATIONS free, but I came to set your INSIDE free.” -Jesus
Moses was sent to tell Pharaoh, "Let my people go.” I was sent with the same message to sin, depression, fear, anguish, distress, "LET MY PEOPLE GO!”
📝 "I’m here to win the wars that NOBODY SEES.” -Jesus
But because you think you’re too much, and because of guilt and shame…
You’re pushing Jesus away, for the very reasons He came near.
”Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there IN THE SYNAGOGUE EVERY SABBATH DAY.“
Luke 4:31 NLT
”One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that THESE MEN SHOWED UP FROM EVERY VILLAGE in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.“
Luke 5:17 NLT
EVEN THOUGH THE PEOPLE WHO LITERALLY TRIED TO PUSH HIM AWAY KEPT SHOWING UP, SO DID JESUS. IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU TRY TO PUSH JESUS AWAY, HE’S GOING TO KEEP SHOWING UP.
WHY???
📝 YOU’RE HIS REASON.
Earlier we read where Jesus said, "For this cause I was born. For this cause I was born!” What was the cause He was talking about?
YOU WERE!
YOU WERE THE CAUSE OF HIS BIRTH!
Proverbs 17:17 says it best…
”A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES, and A BROTHER IS BORN FOR A TIME OF ADVERSITY.“
Proverbs 17:17 NIV
What was it about Him???
IT WAS LOVE. It was love that drew them. It was love that made them feel comfortable enough to sit with Him. He was born for our adversities. He was born for our broken moments.
I say to you today…
📝 • HE GETS YOU.
”My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. THERE WAS NOTHING BEAUTIFUL OR MAJESTIC ABOUT HIS APPEARANCE, NOTHING TO ATTRACT US TO HIM.“
Isaiah 53:2 NLT
THIS IS WHY THE RELGIOUS SECTOR MISSED IT, BUT THE BROKEN DIDN’T. HE DIDN’T LOOK HOW THEY WANTED HIM TO LOOK.
”He was despised and rejected— A MAN OF SORROWS, ACQUAINTED WITH DEEPEST GRIEF. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.“
Isaiah 53:3 NLT
A MAN OF SORROWS, ACQUAINTED WITH DEEPEST GRIEF. He. Gets. You.
”For we do not have a high priest WHO IS UNABLE TO EMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.“
Hebrews 4:15 NIV
📝 • HE KNOWS YOU.
”“I KNEW YOU BEFORE I FORMED YOU in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”“
Jeremiah 1:5 NLT
”You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.“
Psalms 139:15 NLT
”YOU SAW ME BEFORE I WAS BORN…”
Psalms 139:16 NLT
You can be honest, vulnerable, transparent, with Jesus and here’s why.
📝 He ALREADY KNOWS.
He already knows and still wants you to know Him. He already knows and still wants you to know His Love. He already knows and still wants you to know His forgiveness. He already knows and still wants you to know His acceptance.
📝 • HE BECAME YOU.
Jesus didn’t just identify with us, Jesus didn’t just empathize with us —HE BECAME US. He’s gets us, because He created us. He gets us, because HE BECAME ONE OF US.
”So THE WORD BECAME HUMAN and made his home among us. HE WAS FULL OF UNFAILING LOVE and FAITHFULNESS. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.“
John 1:14 NLT
📝 • HE CAME FOR YOU.
Sinners gathered around him by the droves. Prostitutes fell at His feet. Lepers, outcast was welcomed by His love.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD to save sinners, OF WHOM I AM CHIEF.
1 Timothy 1:15
”For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10) BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM WHAT I AM….
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NIV
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU’RE ANY DIFFERENT?
📝 •LET HIM Work.
He already knows. Let Him in. Let Him into that room that you won’t let no one else in. Let Him into that room that you keep avoiding. Let Him in, let Him work, BECAUSE HE’S HERE FOR IT!
I know you’re poor in spirit. I know you’re broken hearted. I know in many ways you feel captive, and you feel blind to who you really are, due to being oppressed. But through it all may we respond like The Greeks in John 12:20,
Now there were certain Greeks among those coming up that they might worship at the feast.
John 12:20 BLB
Therefore these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and they were asking him, saying, "SIR, WE DESIRE TO SEE JESUS."
John 12:21 BLB
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