Parents work to make their children happy”¦sometimes it works”¦and sometimes not.

God the Father desires to bless His children with good things also. But what God wants to give His children is far different from what we might suppose. Being healthy and happy is good, but it is not a prerequisite with God. Having material things is nice, but again, not a prerequisite to being truly happy.

What Jesus came to do was to free people from the power of sin, the power of Satan and the fear of death. Jesus proclaimed the age of the Lord”™s favor. How can we know this? From Scripture that reveals what Jesus said and the prophecies He fulfilled.

Jesus went to Nazareth, His hometown. One Sabbath (Saturday) He went to the synagogue, as it was His custom to worship on the Sabbath.

He stood to read Scriptures from the scroll of Isaiah which was handed to Him.

Jesus chose to proclaim Himself and His ministry in this way.

(NIV) Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord”™s favor.”

Jesus proclaimed that He was the Anointed One of God; He was preaching good news, He was proclaiming freedom, He was promising that the blind would see and those oppressed would be released. He said that on that day, this Scripture was fulfilled in the hearing of those present in that synagogue. (See Luke 4:21)

Indeed, this was the year the Lord”™s favor was given out. Some commentators believe that this “˜year”™ is actually “˜age”™. We are now living in the “˜year of the Lord”™s favor”™ ourselves. What Good News!!

God”™s word continues to proclaim the good news of freedom, the ability to see, and to be released from oppression. Spiritually, Christ does all this for those who follow Him by faith in what He has done on the cross.

You and I can know this good news for ourselves”¦not just read about it”¦but to actually experience it today. Even in this time of unrest economically, even in this time of unrest with the international community wanting to become the ruling regime over all nations, followers of Christ have good news!

Do you know Jesus? He has come to give you life. Only through Christ can you have abundant life. Do you know Him? Have you experienced the Lord”™s favor?