What is the Good News?
A Sermon on Luke 4:18-19
Originally preached Jan. 15, 1956
Scripture
18The 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, …
Sermon Description
What is Christianity all about? There is no one better to get an answer to this question than Jesus Himself. In this sermon on Luke 4:18–19 titled “What is the Good News?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks at Jesus’s statement concerning Himself. Jesus tells that He has come to bring good news to the poor and to give sight to the blind. What does this mean? First, Jesus brings healing not to the self-righteous, but to those that know they are weak and poor in spirit. Only those who know they are poor seek the riches that Christ brings. Secondly, Jesus is the source of blessing and wisdom. From an early age, Jesus confounded the teachers of the law with His wisdom and knowledge of the things of God. What then is Christianity about? According to Jesus Himself, it is about Him and His gospel message of salvation for sinners. All Christians must look to Jesus Himself for an understanding of what Christianity truly is, not tradition and culture, but the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus reads from Isaiah 61, proclaiming that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him.
- Jesus claims that this prophecy is fulfilled in him, indicating he is the Messiah.
- The message of Jesus comes as a surprise, contrary to expectations. His message is “good news” for the poor.
- The “poor” refers not just to economic poverty but spiritual poverty, recognizing one’s need for God.
- Sin makes us all spiritually poor, robbing us of character, power over sin, ability to enjoy life, and life itself.
- The “poor in spirit” recognize their spiritual poverty and need for God. The gospel is good news for them.
- The good news is that though Jesus was rich, he became poor so we could become rich. He took our sin and gives us pardon, life, and power.
- Jesus offers abundant pardon, life, and power for those who recognize their poverty and come to him.
- This message is for those aware of their failure and need, not the self-righteous. We must recognize our poverty to receive the good news.
- The message is to come out of a life apart from God, receive pardon in Christ, and follow him.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Jesus Mean by "The Poor" in Luke 4:18-19? Analysis by Dr. Lloyd-Jones
What does Jesus mean when he says he came to preach the gospel to the poor?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when Jesus says he came to preach the gospel to the poor, he isn't referring merely to economic poverty. The word used carries "the element of cringing" or "the picture of a man who's crouching as a beggar in his poverty." It refers to those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before God - people who realize they are utterly destitute spiritually and have nothing to offer God. As Lloyd-Jones explains: "It's the people who have realized their spiritual poverty. They are the people who realize that they are paupers in the sight of God."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define spiritual poverty?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines spiritual poverty as recognizing our true condition before God. He says, "Sin makes paupers of us all." Spiritual poverty includes: - Being robbed of our character (our righteousness, holiness, purity) - Being robbed of our power to resist temptation - Being robbed of the ability to truly enjoy life as God intended - Being robbed of hope
As Lloyd-Jones states: "The poorer are those who realize that that is the simple truth concerning them. The people who really have faced themselves and have come to discover the utter emptiness of their lives."
Why does Jesus' message come as a surprise to people?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Jesus' message comes as a surprise because people have preconceived ideas about religion and Christianity. Many expect religion to be: - A great philosophy - An ethical or moral program - An exhortation to live in a certain way to save ourselves
But Jesus offers something entirely different. Lloyd-Jones says: "Christianity always seems surprising at first, doesn't it? We've all got our ideas about it." Even John the Baptist was confused when Jesus didn't behave as expected, asking, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" People expect Christianity to be about what we must do, not about what Christ has done for us.
What makes Christ's message "good news" according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus specifically calls his message "gospel" meaning "good news." This good news includes:
- An abundant pardon for sin: "The first thing I need is pardon, and I get in him an abundant pardon."
- New life: "It's a message of new life, a new birth, a new beginning."
- Power to overcome sin: "He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no mighty increaseth strength."
- Reconciliation with God: "To be rich, I must be right with God. Christ has come down from heaven in order to link me to God, and thereby he makes me rich."
As Lloyd-Jones puts it: "This is good news, you see, for weaklings, for those who have no strength, for failures, for men who've been defeated by the world and the flesh and the devil."
Who was Paul before and after encountering Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses Paul as a perfect example of someone who recognized his spiritual poverty:
Before encountering Christ: - "As a pharisee before he met the Lord Jesus Christ, he thought that he was a very wealthy man in a spiritual sense" - "Pharisee of the Pharisees. Wonderful in his knowledge" - "Living a godly and a religious life and an expert in the law" - "He boasted of his righteousness"
After encountering Christ: - "He saw that all that wealth which he thought he had was nothing but what he calls dung and refuse" - His perceived spiritual wealth was "utterly valueless" - "The men who thought that he was so wealthy found his great wealth with one stroke of the pen written right off" - He became "a complete pauper" who fell helplessly on the road asking, "What wilt thou have me to do, Lord?"
How does Christ make the spiritually poor rich?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ makes the spiritually poor rich through his own poverty: "Who, though he was rich for our sakes, became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich." He elaborates:
- Christ, who was eternally rich as God's Son, became poor by taking human nature
- Though he owed God nothing, Christ took our debts upon himself
- He bore the penalty of our sin on the cross
- Through this, Christ brings us to God, who is "the source of all riches"
The riches we receive include abundant pardon, new life, power to overcome sin, and a relationship with God. Lloyd-Jones puts it beautifully: "To be rich, I must be right with God. Christ has come down from heaven in order to link me to God, and thereby he makes me rich."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.