| | | | Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted - Luke 4:18-19 This week we're examining the statement Jesus made at the beginning of His ministry, listing four reasons why he came:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Isaiah 61:1–2 / Luke 4:18-19
In part 1 (CLICK HERE) Jesus declared that He came to preach the good news to the poor. Today we're going to look at the second reason: Jesus declared; "He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted."
There's nothing more difficult to endure in this life than a broken heart, and if you've ever experienced one then you know what I mean. It literally feels like your entire world is ending... people have even died as a result of a broken heart! And sadly, it happens all the time, as we live in a cold, cruel world, full of hurt, disappointment.
While there are many ways to experience a broken heart, no one seems to be able to mend one; psychologists can't talk us through it, surgeons can't repair it. But there is hope, as Jesus promised that He came to heal the brokenhearted. He is the Great Physician! How? Because of our new life in Christ, we are now the recipients His peace, joy, and comfort
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Ps 147:3
While it is comforting to know that Christ can heal our heart when it's broken as a result of something that happens to us, I believe there is also a very specific type of broken heart that Jesus came to heal. Jesus came to heal the heart that is broken as a result of our sin before God.
See, the first act of salvation is to repent of our sin before God, but the reality is, prior to that moment, our sin didn't bother us that much. So why did we repent? Because the Holy Spirit of God came alongside of us and revealed our sin...
"And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin" John 16:8
...and in that one heartbreaking moment we recognized how truly sinful we really were, and how much we needed the forgiveness of God. Yet in that moment of heartbreaking repentance, the love of God shone through, and we were cleansed of our sin...
"If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
That, my friend, is a heartbreak that we will never again experience.
(This Christmas season ask yourself, "Do I have a relationship with Christ?" If you'd like to know how, CLICK HERE.)
Pastor Clay
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