“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor: he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” – Luke 4: 18-19
Jesus spoke these words when He began His public ministry. The Father anointed His Son Jesus with His Spirit in order to accomplish the great work of delivering men, women and children from the sorrows of sin. Sin is no trivial matter – it took the all-powerful, triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to redeem us from its evil effects. This current age is the acceptable year of the Lord – a time when the free grace of God is available to all who wish to be saved from their sins.
“To those who feel their spiritual poverty, whose hearts are broken through a sense of their sins; who see themselves tied and bound with the chains of many evil habits; who sit in the darkness of guilt and misery without a friendly hand to lead them in the way in which they should go – to these, the Gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ is a pleasing sound, because a present and full salvation is proclaimed by it. Reader, what do you feel? Is it sin, wretchedness and misery of every description? Then come to Jesus – He will save you. He came into the world for this very purpose. Cast yourself upon Him and you shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” – Adam Clarke (revised)