By Tom Shanklin

The Good News is that Jesus came to help people with their distresses. The Gospel is for the benefit of mankind, in every area. Jesus didn’t come to start a new religion, he came “to preach the Gospel to the poor, 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)

The word “poor” in the above scripture figuratively means “distressed.” Jesus here was saying that he was anointed to proclaim the Gospel (Good News) to the distressed. Inner turmoil, sickness, relationship problems, emotional brokenness are all distressing situations.

He came to heal the brokenhearted. Many hearts have been broken through calamity, abuse, neglect. The scripture says, “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14, KJV).

There are many people with wounded spirits-wounded through broken relationships, wounded through sexual abuse, wounded through violence, wounded by words, wounded through their own separation from Father God. The Good News is that Jesus came to change things, to make a difference, to do a miracle in your life. That’s the real Jesus. He’s not a statue. He’s not even the founder of Great world religion, like Mohammed or Buddah, He’s Jesus, the Savior of the world. He came to save his people from their sins. He has the cure for sin and it’s awful results in the world.

There are victims and there are victimizers in the world. There are oppressors and there are the oppressed. In God’s mind and plan, there would be neither. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil-both in the oppressor and the oppressed. (1 John 3:8)

Jesus came to “set at liberty them that are bruised.” The word “bruised” here means shattered or broken by calamity. How many shattered, broken lives do you know? The Good News is Jesus came to set at liberty them that are shattered and broken-not leave them in their misery, not “bear their cross of misery”-but to set them free.

When you’re a victim of an accident or a beating you are physically bruised. After time, those bruises will normally heal. But many lives are broken and shattered by the calamities of life and it seems that there is no healing. But Jesus Christ can bring healing. He can restore your broken personality. He can once again give meaning to your life and bring you hope.

He came “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” This has reference to the time of God’s favor and mercy. The time of God’s favor ‘is now because Jesus Christ has died on the cross. Because of this, we can be forgiven because His life was given as a sacrifice for ours. Therefore, by receiving Jesus Christ, we are accepted by God.

Through this acceptance, we also find grace with God and have access to the blessings of God. The void in our life is filled, because we are brought into right relationship with our Maker, and we can begin to find healing and restoration through Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to preach Good News to the distressed. You don’t have to stay distressed. This is God’s time of favor. Be blessed, in Jesus name.

Pray this simple prayer:

Dear God, I’ve been distressed. I’ve been out of the way. Lead me in your path. I make Jesus Christ the Lord of my life TODAY! I believe in the risen Savior, who died for my sins. Thank you for saving me from destruction in Jesus name. Amen.