When is the last time  you heard really good news?

For many of us, when we first heard a Christian tell us the "good news" about Jesus, it began with hearing about the "bad news" of our own lives.  It is true that we as human beings are flawed and fallen and need a Savior to lead us to abundant life.  But when Jesus told people good news, he did not start with "Hey friend, you're a sinner."  That unspoken reality was mutually understood.

The heart of Jesus' message was simple.  God is near!  God seeks to show us His favor!  Jesus even began his ministry of reconciliation with just such a proclamation: 

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.  He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.  He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. 

Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "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, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:14-21)

We don't need to hear bad news.  We live through it every day.  But we can all stand to hear some good news.  Whether we struggle with poverty, bondage, blindness, or oppression, the good news of Jesus is that God is near and wants to show us favor.

If you would like to learn more about God's nearness and his favor towards you, we encourage you to seek reconciliation with God and connect with a Circle of Friends who will share that pursuit with you.

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