"Fulfilled This Very Day!"

Scripture Passage

Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 3:23; John 4:46-54; Luke 4:16-30; Mark 1:16-20; Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37; Mark 1:29-34; Matthew 8:14-17; Luke 4:38-41; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-44; Matthew 4:23-25

Scripture Focus

“The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” (Luke 4:21 NLT)

Observation

Settling on a “scripture focus” was a slam dunk for me today—I love the moment recorded for us in Luke 4. Very early in His ministry, Jesus visits the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, and is given the opportunity to read the Scripture for the day. Instead of reading the prescribed Scripture, however…

He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me,
     for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
     that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
     and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.
                                            (Luke 4:17-19 NLT)

The quote is from Isaiah 61:1-2—a section of Scripture full of the promises of God regarding the future of His people. Even today, Isaiah 61 is generally understood to refer to an age yet to come—that was certainly the common understanding in Jesus’ day. And yet, after reading the Scripture from Isaiah, Jesus makes this remarkable statement:

“The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” (Luke 4:21 NLT)

"This very day!" There’s no way there’s enough space here to detail all the implications that stir in my heart when I read this passage, but the bottom line is, Jesus declares that everything God has promised about His future eternal reign has been initiated through Jesus’ presence on earth—that our promised future has already begun to invade the here-and-now in the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth!  This invasion is evidenced when the the captive are released, the blind see, the oppressed are set free and the poor celebrate "good news!"  Jesus' ministry testifies that Heaven has invaded Earth!

I’d further argue that the invasion of eternity into this present age continues today through the church, filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit (who is Himself eternal)—that through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us today, the church can live a present expression of our promised future in Christ.

I dare you to ponder that a bit today, as I will do. I’m not suggesting the Kingdom of Heaven is by any means present already “in full measure”—but Jesus’ announcement is quite clear: The Kingdom is most definitely already present. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” (Luke 4:21 NLT)  How will the presence of the Kingdom be evidenced through you today?

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