A very unusual natural phenomenon occurs in Mobile Bay in south Alabama. From time to time, and only just before daylight on warm summer nights, sea creatures will swarm the shores of the Bay. Blue crabs, shrimp, flounder, stingrays, eels – so many of them swarm the shallows that the water seems to be boiling. People living near the shore ring bells and knock on doors and call out to alert their neighbors so that everybody can rush down to the water with washtubs, gigs and nets, and gather a huge and easy to gather harvest of seafood. The atmosphere becomes a celebration, a community beach party, and folks start fires and cook right there on the beach and share food and fellowship with their neighbors. It’s known as a “Jubilee…”
When Jesus said in Luke chapter 4 that He’d been sent to "proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" – everyone who heard that knew He was talking about the Year of Jubilee.
Jubilee was established in the Law in Leviticus 25 – it said that every 50th year from the time of the release of Israel from slavery in Egypt: Any property that had been sold reverted to the original owners or their heirs; Slaves were released from captivity; All debts and obligations to another were cancelled.
And the process through which all this took place was called “redemption”.
What Jesus was really saying was, “I am Jubilee! Through Me, your debt of sin is forgiven, you are set free from bondage and captivity, and the enemy has to return all your stuff!”
Everything in the Old Testament points to and foreshadows the coming of Jesus. Jubilee was a "type," a physical symbol of the spiritual reality of the grace, mercy, forgiveness, and goodness of God made available to us through Christ. Jubilee foreshadowed the day when Jesus would provide for our redemption!
Jesus calls us to share that outrageous message with others! It’s the good news that in Christ there is hope, and not despair… forgiveness, and not condemnation… life, and not death! No matter the amount of the debt or obligation, no matter how deep in a hole we find ourselves in, redemption is ALWAYS available!
On Mobile Bay, failing to share the news about the seafood Jubilee is considered very bad form, a severe breach of etiquette! It’s bad manners and means you’re a bad neighbor if you don’t let everybody know that Jubilee has come!
Being like Jesus, doing what He did, means we share the message of Jubilee with everyone we know…
When Jesus said in Luke chapter 4 that He’d been sent to "proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" – everyone who heard that knew He was talking about the Year of Jubilee.
Jubilee was established in the Law in Leviticus 25 – it said that every 50th year from the time of the release of Israel from slavery in Egypt: Any property that had been sold reverted to the original owners or their heirs; Slaves were released from captivity; All debts and obligations to another were cancelled.
And the process through which all this took place was called “redemption”.
What Jesus was really saying was, “I am Jubilee! Through Me, your debt of sin is forgiven, you are set free from bondage and captivity, and the enemy has to return all your stuff!”
Everything in the Old Testament points to and foreshadows the coming of Jesus. Jubilee was a "type," a physical symbol of the spiritual reality of the grace, mercy, forgiveness, and goodness of God made available to us through Christ. Jubilee foreshadowed the day when Jesus would provide for our redemption!
Jesus calls us to share that outrageous message with others! It’s the good news that in Christ there is hope, and not despair… forgiveness, and not condemnation… life, and not death! No matter the amount of the debt or obligation, no matter how deep in a hole we find ourselves in, redemption is ALWAYS available!
On Mobile Bay, failing to share the news about the seafood Jubilee is considered very bad form, a severe breach of etiquette! It’s bad manners and means you’re a bad neighbor if you don’t let everybody know that Jubilee has come!
Being like Jesus, doing what He did, means we share the message of Jubilee with everyone we know…
