What is Jesus' mission statement? He said you can find it in Isaiah 61
Our new pastor also told us that he has only one sermon: "Jesus is enough."
This sermon was given by the Rev. David Libbon at Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Cornelius, North Carolina, on Jan. 26, 2025.
You can view the sermon here, starting 22 minutes into the service.
The text for today was Luke 4:14-21, the Visit of the Wise Men.
We marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter at Good Shepherd Anglican Church on Sunday as David Libbon officially stepped into his role as our rector — the Anglican term for lead pastor.
Pastor David told us at one point that we’ll learn that he has only one sermon — and that he’ll preach it over and over: “Jesus is enough. Christ is sufficient.”
It’s not more rules. It’s not more laws. It’s freedom. Freedom in Christ. Freedom only Jesus can provide.
David preached on Luke 4:14-21, where Jesus stands in his hometown synagogue, preaching from Isaiah, and proclaiming himself as the fulfillment of the prophecy about bringing good news, freedom and healing.
David said:
“What would be the mission statement of Jesus Christ? To crush sin? To destroy Satan? To bring the world into the kingdom age?
“We get it from the prophet Isaiah. We get it from Isaiah 61. It’s what Jesus would quote in the synagogue.
“To proclaim good news to the poor, freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, liberty to the oppressed, and to announce the favor of the Lord.”
Jesus had just spent 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and resisting the temptations of the devil.
He steps into the synagogue in Nazareth, the very town where He was raised, and reads from Isaiah 61, proclaiming a message that would change everything.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
After Jesus sat down, with everyone in his hometown watching him, Jesus gave what Pastor David said was a nine-word sermon: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
“Jesus is saying, ‘700 years since its original writing, this scripture — Isaiah’s desire — is fulfilled in your hearing. The law that Ezra read over the people in Nehemiah is fulfilled. The Christ has come.’
“Jesus says to those gathered, this scripture is about me. I am the anointed one. I am the Christ. I am the Messiah to come. He gives them the lens in which to view the entirety of the Old Testament — that Jesus is sufficient for all things and in all places.
“Christ allows us to see that these scriptures are about him.”