The fourth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel tells the story of how the Lord Jesus went into the synagogue on a certain Sabbath day, and read from their book of Isaiah. He read the portion where it is written: "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).

 

I'll like you, however, to notice in particular, the nineteenth verse. Originally, Prophet Isaiah wrote, "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn" (Isaiah 61:2). But the Master, in His reading, got to the part that says "the acceptable year of the Lord..." and closed the book. He deliberately left out the portion that says, "...and the day of vengeance of our God". Why? He did that because He didn't come for judgment and vengeance; He came to save all men.

 

Our opening verse underscores this reality; it says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave...." Notice it doesn't say, "For God so loved the world of the Christians, or the world of the Jews"; no; He so loved the world (of sinners) that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus came so that all men may be saved, and have everlasting life. He affirmed this much when He said, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).

 

No wonder, the Apostle Paul, addressing the Church elders in Ephesus said, "...I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace..." (Acts 20:32). The Lord Jesus came to reveal the grace of God. He came to let men know that what they didn't qualify for has been made available through the Gospel. This is the message that He's entrusted to us to take to the world.