“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)
This past Wednesday, we did something we’ve never done before here at St. Paul. We recorded our children’s Christmas service. It sure was different. No packed church. It was empty! The kids weren’t all together. Just one class at a time. Who ever thought of such a thing? Unfortunately, we’re getting used to that, right? No Christmas for Kids. Still no fans at Packers games. Social distancing on Christmas Eve. Second thoughts about family gatherings. What’s left? It’s like all we’re going to have at Christmas is just Jesus! Are we supposed to be satisfied with just Jesus?
When I say it like that, it sounds bad, doesn’t it? You probably wouldn’t say that out-loud—“just Jesus.” You know you’re supposed to be happy as long as you have Jesus. So are you? I wrote a devotion recently about having a simple Christmas—just Jesus. Some of the responses I got were very honest: “That’s great pastor, but I really need family at Christmas.” Or, “I’m content as long as I have Jesus and the church is full.” Those responses have something in common. An “and…” Jesus and… Just Jesus? That’s not what we want. We want Jesus and… Jesus and family. Jesus and a full church. Jesus and good health. Jesus is great, but we don’t want just Jesus! Agree?
Have you ever given someone a gift they haven’t liked? You eagerly watch their face as they open it, hoping it’s just what they wanted. There’s anticipation. They rip open the paper. And then their face falls. “Oh.” They can’t hide the disappointment. So they mumble, “Thanks,” and set it on the side and look for something else. Has that happened to you? Doesn’t that make you feel awful? So why do we do that with God? How do you think God feels to have given us his only Son, wrapped in a manger and complete with a cross, and have the world say, “Oh. Just Jesus?” And set Jesus aside. And look for other things. How often isn’t that what we do?
So how’s it working? How’s the “putting Jesus on one side and looking for lots of other things” working? The Jesus and your way and family and success at work and new house and free time and new stuff and good health and… How’s it working? Have you found the hope and joy you’re looking for? I’m going to guess the answer is no. You can see it on people’s faces, can’t you? Brokenhearted. Sad. When you look for other things, you don’t get more. You end up with less. I’m a poor, brokenhearted sinner, and yet I foolishly refuse to be satisfied with Jesus.
Maybe it’s worth taking another look at God’s gift. Today we hear the words of an ancient prophecy from Isaiah. This prophecy has a special place in God’s Word. When Jesus stood up to preach his first sermon in a Jewish synagogue, do you know what text from the Old Testament he used? This one! “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). This was Jesus’ first sermon text! Then Jesus said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). If we’re stuck with just Jesus this Christmas, here’s what we’ve got!
It starts with this: “The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” That sounds good, doesn’t it? We need good news! But this isn’t just any good news. There’s a special word for the “good news” of the Bible. Know what it is? The Gospel. Jesus proclaimed this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This is the Gospel. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). If you’re poor. If you’re sinful. Jesus came to live and die and rise to save you. There are no “ands” in the gospel. Just Jesus. There are no conditions. No, “you do this…!” Just Jesus. Jesus did it all. Whoever believes in Jesus is saved. That’s the Gospel!
When you hear the gospel, something happens inside of you. “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…” The good news about Jesus is what heals your heart. Sin breaks your heart. Sin makes you feel like there’s a piece of your heart over there and a piece over there and a piece in the grave and you don’t feel like you can ever put it back together again. But Jesus can. Jesus came “to bind up the brokenhearted.” He takes that piece and washes the sin away. He takes that piece and heals the hurt. He takes that piece and rubs away the despair. Are you brokenhearted? You’re in the right place! Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted and you whole again.
Because he proclaims “freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” How often do you feel like a prisoner? Like you can’t get away. You can’t stop sinning, no matter how hard you try. You can’t get away from that guilt, no matter how far you run. You can’t get out of that situation. Until Jesus proclaims freedom. That sin from so long ago that stills weighs you down? It’s forgiven. That regret that clouds your mind? It’s forgiven. That fear of the future? It’s in Jesus’ hands. Knowing the gospel of Jesus is like taking off your mask. Ahhh! Freedom! Freedom from sin. Freedom from hell. Freedom from worry. Jesus has set us free!
In fact, God sent Jesus “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God.” In the Old Testament, every 50th year was to be a special year called the Year of Jubilee. People sounded the trumpets. Debts were cancelled. Slaves were set free. When is that year? Now! Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord’s favor. It might seem like this year has been a disaster. That’s not true. With Jesus, every year is a year of God’s favor. You don’t have to wait and hope that someday God will love you. He does right now! This might not be the year you get rich. This might not be the year you get better. But this is the year the Lord loves and saves you.
And that’s what dries your tears. Can you see this progression? Jesus proclaims the good news, binds up the brokenhearted, proclaims freedom and the year of the Lord’s favor, “to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion.” On the news this week, there was a story about an 11-year old girl who wrote a letter to Santa. It was heartbreaking. Her grandparents died in a fire, so she wrote: “I shouldn’t get presents. Can you please stop my sadness?” Wouldn’t it be the best Christmas present if someone could take away sadness? There is! It’s not Santa. It’s Jesus! Remember his promise? “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Please tell that girl about Jesus!
Because Jesus turns our sadness upside-down. He “bestows on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” The way God describes Jesus’ work, it’s like you start the day dressed for a funeral and Jesus gives you clothes for a wedding party. We come to God with ashes and mourning and despair, and Jesus takes those ashes and them into a crown of beauty by his grace. He takes your mourning and turns it into the joy of eternal life. He takes your despair and turns it into praise. He promised his disciples, “You will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy” (John 16:20).
Everything Jesus does leads to a big climax. Ready? “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Huh? “Jesus is so good, he’s going to make you into a big tree.” “Yes! A tree, that’s what I’ve always wanted to be!” What? Well, imagine a big oak tree. How many storms that tree has weathered? How many changing seasons has that tree seen? Yet, it’s still standing. How? What did that tree do to get so strong? Nothing. God put it there. God planted it. God made it grow. It’s 100% God. Just like you and me. A big tree. That’s you. Isn’t that a cool picture? This is what the gospel does. Jesus makes you strong.
That’s it. That’s all that Jesus does. “Come on, wouldn’t it be nice if Jesus did more?” Who are we kidding? This is amazing! Are you poor? Brokenhearted? Captive? A prisoner? Mourning? Grieving? Ashes? Despair? Then here is what Jesus has done for you: He proclaims good news. He binds up the brokenhearted. He proclaims freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. He comforts all who mourn and provides for those who grieve. He gives you a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Who does all that? Just Jesus. No one else. Nothing else. Just Jesus!
So what’s the catch? What do you have to do? Scan these verses again. Do you see conditions? “He’ll bind up your broken heart, if you promise not to mess up again…” No! Know what these verses tell you to do? Nothing. Jesus did it all! It reminds me of a story in a children’s Bible we have at home. Naaman was a very important army commander from a very important place, but none of his importance helped him when he got leprosy. Naaman couldn’t do anything at all. So God saved him. The children’s Bible puts it like this: “All he needed was nothing.” Isn’t that a great phrase? All you need is nothing. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). All you need is nothing. Just Jesus!
I was jealous of a church in the town where we used to live. Actually, I was jealous of their name. Their church name was “Jesus.” Isn’t that a great name? People called it the “Jesus” church. We were “St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church and School.” As beautiful and moving as that name was, it was nothing like the “Jesus” church. That’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it? But after a few years, that church with the great name changed its name. “Jesus.” was too controversial. So they went back to something else. That’s a constant temptation for us, isn’t it?
Maybe that’s why God sends pandemics or financial difficulties or deaths in the family so close to Christmas. To focus us on what we really have. Just Jesus! Tough times helped a man named Asaph in the Bible realize that. He wrote, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26). God wants you to see how great his gift of Jesus is.
You can be all alone in your apartment with a candle on Christmas Eve singing Silent Night to yourself, and still have tears of joy stream down your face. Because it’s true. It’s really true. Jesus really came. He really saved you. That’s all you need. Just Jesus! You can sit at home with your spouse, just the two of you, and say, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). You don’t need kids to say it. The angels did already. And they jumped for joy. Because of Jesus. If all you have this Christmas is Jesus, you are the most blessed person on the face of the earth. Because he’s all you need. Just Jesus!
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