Jesus' Mission: Fulfillment of Prophecy

Luke 4:16-21 plays a significant role in setting out the path that Jesus would take in His ministry. The term mission refers to an important assignment that a person is called to achieve. In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus outlines his mission as it had been prophesied by Isaiah. In addition to marking the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy, the scripture gives a better understanding of the work that Jesus did in his ministry. Understanding the mission of Jesus offers perspective to his actions during his ministry and Luke 4:16-21 helps achieve this goal. In Luke 4:16-21, it is narrated that Jesus goes to the synagogue in Nazareth as he normally would and reads to the crowd from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. The part of the scripture that Jesus read listed the things that He had been anointed to do in His ministry. Specifically, the mission was to bring good news to the poor, proclaim the year of God’s favour, release to captives, free the oppressed, and recover the sight of the blind (Luke 4:18-21, New International Version). Jesus then assures the crowd that Isaiah's prophecy, is read in the scripture, had been fulfilled through their hearing. All the highlighted items describing what Jesus was called to do define his mission as caring for those who were poor in different ways, and helping people learn their responsibility in doing the same. A theme of saving what can be considered to be already lost is evident from the focus on the poor and oppressed (De Verόn, 2012). Rather than reward what was good, the scripture predicts that Jesus’ mission would be to fix what is wrong and set it on the right path. Since Luke 4:16-21 elaborates the theme of salvation, the people Jesus associated with and miracles He performed later on in the New Testament are given significance.

The reading given by Jesus marks the beginning of the sermons that Jesus gave in his ministry. Luke 4:16-21 marks the moment of inspiration where it was confirmed that Jesus would be the one to fulfil Isaiah’s prophecy. Several sermons would follow, where Jesus embodies the mission that was laid out in the prophecy. Just as the mission is described, the focus of Jesus’ work would be on helping the socially disadvantaged (Gang, 2012). As the first sermon by Jesus, its focus on the responsibility towards the vulnerable acted as an example of the responsible actions that people should gain from His mission.

Luke's scripture also defines the mission of Jesus based on what Christianity stands for rather than what it is prohibited. Such an approach was in contrast to what the church practised at that time. The church placed emphasis on calling out what was considered to be wrong and judgement played a significant role in the practice of Christianity. The judgment in the Old Testament is evident from the vengeance threatened in Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 61:1-2, New International Version). The reading from Luke defines a new era where people care for others without judgement. Under the mission of Jesus, showing love, especially to the disadvantaged, is prioritized over judgement. Luke 4:16-21, therefore, elaborates on how the mission and ministry of Jesus stood out from the existing ideologies.

The scripture by Luke aligns with the other readings in his gospel, where the mission of Jesus is portrayed as a model for social justice. A defining feature of Luke's work is that it focused on the compassion and humanity that Jesus showed as the mission for salvation was achieved (Gorman, 2018). The inclusion of the prophecy and how Jesus would fulfil it using Luke 4:16-21, therefore, help Luke elaborate the significance of Jesus' mission. The positioning of the scripture in the book of Luke as a part of the theme of a compassionate saviour is therefore also significant. Under this Gospel, a person can better understand the mission starting from its prophecy, its declaration in chapter 4, and its fulfilment in later works.

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How the speech was delivered by Jesus in Luke 4:16-21 is different from how Isaiah and the difference contribute to defining His mission. The reading by Jesus omits the mention of the day of vengeance that marked use of judgement as the motivation for good in Isaiah’s text (De Verόn, 2012). By omitting that part, Jesus’s mission is seen to be filled with compassion. Another difference exists with the addition of the blind recovering their sight as part of the mission. The addition can be interpreted both literally and figuratively. In his later work, Jesus performed miracles that include giving sight to the blind. Figuratively, the teachings of Jesus often criticize the religious leaders who were blind to the plights of the disadvantaged. Rather than act hypocritically, Jesus called the blind leaders to open their eyes to the poor and help them. Jesus also set the example to the recovery of their sight by interacting with tax collectors and prostitutes among other people that the religious would not interact with openly.

In verse 21, Jesus is described as the one who was anointed to carry out the mission. As the Messiah and the chosen one, the scripture insists on Jesus role as the awaited saviour (Gang 2012). Confirming that Jesus was the prophesied saviour, therefore, reaffirms Him as the person who could achieve the mission. Being anointed to save aligns with the activities that are associated with Jesus' mission. The oppressed, poor, blind, and imprisoned are all in situations that require them to be delivered to better situations. Having the verse describe Jesus as the anointed one, therefore, describes His capacity to fulfil the assigned mission to save what was lost.

Luke 4:16-21 also defines how the mission of Christ is interpreted in the modern world. The term mission is often used today to refer to when people make organized efforts to spread the good news. Majority of the missions involve activities helping those who are suffering both physically and spiritually (Kim, 2010). Such actions are in line with Jesus’ mission to proclaim good news and help the disadvantaged. The mission of the church has been structured using the actions that are listed in Luke 4:16-21 as what should rightfully be followed.

In marking the beginning of Jesus’ mission and defining it, Luke 4:16-21 also represent the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. After reading the prophecy Jesus says, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The prophecy entails finding a Messiah who will free the captives, the poor, the oppressed, and the blind. Jesus fits the role since His ministry is defined as the end of exile (De Verόn, 2012). The fulfilment of the scripture happens ironically because Jesus’ message is rejected in his hometown and He ends up dying to save the people according to his mission. Hearing the message, therefore, sets the path towards Jesus' mission to save those who were spiritually in bad shape. The text by Isaiah could initially be interpreted to mean the end of exile for the slave in Israel during that time. However, in the context of Luke 4:16-21, Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled by Jesus through a mission that would require him to save all nations.

Essentially, Luke 4:16-21 is critical to defining the mission of Jesus. First, the scripture confirms that Jesus is anointed to carry out the mission. Second, the focus of the Mission on the socially and spiritually disadvantaged is described through a list of the people that Jesus came to save. Finally, the fulfilment of the scripture as the crowd listens to Jesus’ first sermon is confirmed as he concludes the reading. In each of these aspects, it is clear that a theme of helping those in need defines the mission of Jesus.

Bibliography

De Verόn, E. J., 2012. The Mission of Jesus Christ According to Luke 4:18–19. Direction Journal, 41(2), pp. 293–299.

Gang, J., 2012. From Surprise to Shock: A Reflection on Luke 4: 16-30 and the Implications for Seventh-day Adventist Mission. Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, 8(1), pp.99-106.

Gorman, M.J., 2018. The Spirit, the Prophets, and the End of the “Johannine Jesus”. Journal of Theological Interpretation, 12(1), pp.3-23.

Kim, K., 2010. Mission theology of the church. International Review of Mission, 99(1), pp.39-55.

Rush, R.A. and Aboul-Enein, B.H., 2016. Health, Healing, and Weil-Being According to the New Testament. ABNF Journal, 27(2).