Good News Of The Kingdom: We Are In The Era Of God’s Favour

Rev. G. K. Nwatu

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."  Luke 4:18-19; 18 (NIV)

The Era of God’s Favour as seen in our text has its root in two important events in the lives of the Israelites, which are: the Sabbatical year and the year of Jubilee. The Sabbatical year is the period where momentary rest and favour is achieved, after which men returned to their former states of slavery; while the Year of Jubilee is the period where permanent freedom is achieved, debts were cancelled, property that was sold reverted to the original owners, slaves set free and returned to their families, etc.

Jesus came to proclaim “the Year of God’s favour”. Unlike the traditional “Sabbatical and Jubilee years” observed by the Israelites, Jesus’ proclaimed year of God’s favor rather shows a commencement of an “Era”; not just for ‘a people and for a while’ but for all people of all times. Sold out pieces of property are restored in their year of Jubilee; in the era of God’s favour proclaimed by Jesus, losses of any kinds: relationship with God, health, marriages, financial status, positions, can also be regained!

We must therefore take advantage of this Era of God’s favour by seeking God for ourselves, serving Him the best way we can, appropriating for ourselves the full benefits of this era and submitting ourselves to Him in order to be extensions of His anointed to preach the year of God’s favour to our world.