The Year of our Lord's Favor
We are already six days into the new year, but since this is our first blog of 2017, Happy New Year! 2016 was not a happy year for many people in our church. In fact, it was quite difficult and painful for several. So when I say, “Happy New Year,” it’s not just a holiday greeting. I genuinely wish for all of us, that 2017 will be a year that is more favorable.
In one of Jesus’ first messages, He said the reason He came was to “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:19) He was quoting from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 61) but interestingly, Jesus didn’t quote the rest of the sentence: “and the day of vengeance of our God.” He knew that God’s vengeance was coming, but it would be a day of vengeance compared to a year of His favor. Of course, neither Jesus nor Isaiah were talking about a 24 hour day or a 12 month year. What they had in mind was the enormous magnitude of God’s favor compared to the brevity of his vengeance.
What Jesus was saying was that God is favorably disposed toward us and that He, Jesus, came to demonstrate that favor. If I may use science fiction terminology, planet Earth was invaded by an alien being who is superior in intellect, power, and in every other way to humans. His purpose was nothing less than to take over and rule the world. But it was not a hostile takeover. He did not come with an army of intergalactic warriors to destroy or enslave humanity. He snuck onto the planet as a human baby and then as an adult human, He set in motion “the year” of the Lord’s favor.
Jesus proclaimed the good news to the poor and liberty to the captives, He gave sight to the blind and set free the oppressed, all evidences of God’s favor toward us. But the greatest demonstration of God’s favor was when Jesus, in the space of one day, took on Himself the full weight and force of God’s vengeance against our self-willed disregard and resistance to Him. Because of that ‘day of vengeance,’ every human can personally experience the Lord’s favor in every year.
So when I say, “Happy New Year,” what I mean is my hope and prayer is that in 2017 you will learn more about, experience more, and appreciate more just how favorable our Lord Jesus is toward you.