THE GOSPELS: The Ministry of Yeshua the Messiah begins – Luke 4:18 the GOOD NEWS according to the New Testament: SALVATION/ FREEDOM from SIN and DEATH

29 August 2025

We are studying Luke 4:14-32, Mathew 4:12 and Mark 1:14-15 about the beginning of the MINISTRY of YESHUA THE MESSIAH.

We are mainly reading from the Complete Jewish Study Bible – insight for Jews and Christians. And use the Hebrew name of God, YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) where the word LORD in English is indicated in capital letters in the Scriptures, also referring to Him as Abba Father and using the Hebrew Name Yeshua the Messiah instead of the English Name Jesus Christ translated from the Greek.

We are still focusing on Luke 4:18 about Yeshua who was ANNOINTED to announce GOOD NEWS to the POOR, and exploring what the Word tells us this GOOD NEWS is.

We are in process of exploring the GOOD NEWS according to the New Testament as written in the letters of the Apostles, with references to the Scriptures in the Old Testament, and we are looking at it in specific themes. Last week we spoke about the GOOD NEWS of God’s ETERNAL LOVE for MANKIND and today we are focusing on: the GOOD NEWS of:

SALVATION/ FREEDOM FROM SIN AND DEATH THROUGH THE DEATH AND RESURECION OF YESHUA THE DELIVERER

YHVH is a DELIVERER as we read throughout the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy) as well as the Prophets and the Psalms as we read in Psalm 116:1-19 “I love that YHVH heard my voice when I prayed; because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. The cords of DEATH were all around me, Sheol’s (the place of the dead) constrictions held me fast; I was finding only distress and anguish. But I called on the NAME of YHVH: ‘Please YHVH! Save me!’ YHVH is MERICFUL and RIGHTEOUS; yes, our God is COMPASSIONATE. YHVH preserves the thoughtless (the NIV says: “YHVH protects the unwary”); when I was BROUGHT LOW, HE SAVED me. My SOUL return to your REST! For YHVH has been generous toward you. Yes, You have RESCUED me from DEATH, my eyes from tears and my feet from falling. I will go on walking in the PRESCENCE of YHVH in the LANDS of the LIVING. I will keep on trusting (believing, having faith) even when I say, ‘I am utterly miserable (unhappy, sad, depressed), even when, in my panic (fear, dread, anxiety) I declare, ‘Everything human is deceptive (misleading, deceiving, dishonest).’How can I repay YHVH for all His generous dealings with me?’ I will raise the CUP of SALVATION (redemption, deliverance – this refers to PASSOVER) and call on the NAME of YHVH. I will pay my vows (promises, pledges) to YHVH in the presence of all His people. From YHVH’s point of view, the DEATH of those faithful to Him is costly (the NIV says:” Precious in the sight of YHVH is the death of His faithful servants”). Oh, YHVH! I am Your slave; I am Your slave, the son of Your slave-girl (the NIV says: “I serve You just as my mother did”); You have removed my fetters (shackles, chains, yokes/ burdens/ bondages). I will offer a sacrifice of THANKS to You and will call on the NAME of YHVH. I will pay my vows to YHVH in the presence of all His people, in the courtyards of YHVH’s house (the temple), there in Your very HEART, JERUSALEM. Halleluyah!

Psalm 116 was one of the Psalms sang during Passover. And during the LAST PASSOVER meal of Yeshua the Messiah before His crucifixion, He declared the GOOD NEWS in Luke 22:19-20 “…taking a piece of matzah (that is unleavened bread), He made the barakah (said a blessing, He gave thanks), broke it, gave it to them (His disciples) and said: , “This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of Me” He did the same with the CUP after the meal, saying, “This CUP is the NEW COVENANT, ratified (sanctioned, authorized, confirmed, endorsed) by MY BLOOD, which is being poured out for you.”  

In John 8:31-36 Yeshua said to the JUDEANS (people from the Southern Kingdom of Juda and Benjamin, today known as the Jews) who had trusted Him: “ ‘If you OBEY WHAT I SAY, then you are really My disciples, you will KNOW the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will SET you FREE’. They answered, ‘We are the seed of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone; so what do you mean by saying, ‘You will be SET FREE?’ Yeshua answered them, ‘Yes, indeed! I tell you that everyone who practices sin is a SLAVE of sin. Now a salve does not remain with a family forever, but a son does remain with it (a family) forever. So if the SON FREES you, you will really BE FREE!…’”

In Acts chapter 13 Paul goes on his first missionary trip with Barnabas and they began proclaiming the Word of God in the Synagogues and then we read in verses 16-41 Paul says: “Men of ISRAEL and God-fearers (those devoted to God), listen! The God of this people ISRAEL chose our fathers. He made the people great during the time when they were living as aliens in Egypt and with a stretched-out arm He led them out of the land (here Paul is referring to Exodus 6:6 and 12:51). For some forty years (according to Exodus 16:35 and Numbers 14:34). He took care of them in the desert, and after He destroyed seven nations (referring to Deuteronomy 7:1) in the land of Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. After that He gave them judges (referring to Judges 2:16) down to the prophet Samuel. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish (Acts 13:21), a man from the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years, God removed him and raised up David as king for them, making His approval known with these words, I found David, the son of Jesse (verse 22) to be a man after My own heart; he WILL DO EVERYTHING I WANT.’ (referring to Psalm 89:21 and 1 Samuel 13:14, so here we clearly see what makes a man a man after God’s own heart: full OBEDIENCE to God!)

In keeping with HIS PROMISE, God brought to ISRAEL from this man’s descendants a DELIVERER, YESHUA. Now, before the coming of Yeshua, John proclaimed to ALL THE PEOPLE of ISRAEL an immersion (baptism) in connection with TURNING TO GOD FROM SIN. But as John was ending his work, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? Well – I’m not! But after me is coming someone, the sandals of whose feet I am unworthy to untie.’ (referring to Matthew 3:11). Brothers! – sons of Abraham and those among you who are ‘God-fearers! (those devoted to God)’ It is to us that the message of this DELIVERANCE (freedom) has been sent! For the people living in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize who YESHUA was or understand the MESSAGE of the PROPHETS read EVERY SHABBAT (the Seventh Day rest), so they fulfilled that message by condemning Him. They could not find any legitimate ground for a DEATH SENTENCE; nevertheless they asked Pilate to have Him executed; and when they had carried out ALL THE THINGS WRITTEN ABOUT HIM, He was taken down from the stake (the cross) (read Deuteronomy 21:23) and placed in a tomb. But GOD (the Father) RAISED HIM from the DEAD! He appeared for many days to those who had come up with Him from Galilee (Acts 13:31 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-11) to Jerusalem; and they are now HIS WITNESSESS to the people.

‘As for us we are bringing you THE GOOD NEWS that what God PROMISED to the fathers, He has FULFILLED for us the children in RAISING UP YESHUA, as indeed it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father’ (referring to Psalm 2:7). And as for His raising up from the dead, to return to decay no more, he said, ‘I will give the holy and trustworthy things of David to you.’ (referring to Isaiah 55:3). This is explained elsewhere: ‘You will not let your HOLY ONE (referring to Yeshua the Messiah) see decay (Psalm 16:10). For David did indeed serve God’s purposes in his own generation; but after that, he died, was buried with his fathers and did see decay. However, the ONE God raised up (Yeshua the Messiah) did not see decay. Therefore, brothers, let it be known to you that through this Man is proclaimed FORGIVENESS of sins! That is, God (the Father) clears (frees, justifies/ vindicates) everyone who puts his TRUST in this MAN, even in regard to ALL the THINGS concerning which you could not be cleared (justified/ vindicated/ made blameless) by the TORAH of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy written down by Moses as instructed by YHVH). Watch out, then, so that this WORD found in the PROPHETS may not happen to you: ‘You mockers! Look, and marvel, and die! For in your own time, I am doing a work that you simply will not believe, even if someone explains it to you! (Paul is here quoting Habakkuk 1:5).

The Afrikaans Bible in Practice says that Paul emphasized God’s COVENANT with ISRAEL and he explained that the GOOD NEWS is the fulfillment of that COVENANT. And it entails that ALL PEOPLE can RECEIVE FORGIVENESS of SINS through FAITH in Yeshua the Messiah.

In Romans 6:1-13 Paul explains: “So then, are we to say, ‘Let’s keep on sinning, so that there can be more grace? Heaven forbid! How can we, who have died to sin, still lie in it? Don’t you know that those of us who have been immersed (baptized) into Messiah Yeshua have been immersed (baptized) into His death? Through immersion (baptism) into His death we were buried with Him; so that just as, through the glory of the Father, the Messiah was raised from the dead, likewise we too might live a NEW LIFE. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our OLD SELF was PUT TO DEATH on the execution stake (the cross) with Him, so that the entire body of our sinful propensities (tendencies, inclinations, preferences) might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For someone who has died has been cleared from sin. Now since we died with the Messiah, we trust (believe, have faith) that we will also LIVE with Him. We know that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, never to die again; DEATH has NO AUTHORITY over HIM. For His death was a unique event that need not be repeated; but His LIFE, He keeps on living for God (the Father). In the same way, consider yourselves to be DEAD to SIN but ALIVE for GOD, by your union with the Messiah Yeshua. Therefore, do not let sin rule in your mortal bodies, so that it makes you OBEY its desires; and do not offer any part of yourselves to sin as an instrument for wickedness (evil). On the contrary, OFFER YOURSELVES TO GOD as people ALIVE FROM the DEAD, and your various parts to God as instruments of righteousness (doing what is right in accordance to God’s Word).“

The Afrikaans Bible in Practice explains Paul indicates in Romans 6 that believers should not make the mistake of thinking that due to being saved by the grace of God that they can keep on living in sin. He explains that a believer is DEAD to sin due to being baptized into the DEATH of Yeshua the Messiah, meaning that just as Yeshua the Messiah DIED, we DIED to SIN with Him (this is the message of the FIRST FEAST SEASON of YHVH consisting of PASSOVER fulfilled in the crucifixion of Yeshua the Messiah, UNLEAVENED BREAD, fulfilled in His death and burial and FIRST FRUITS, fulfilled in His resurrection from the dead). And therefore the BELIEVER now LIVES for GOD the FATHER. Believers must therefore be on guard against being carefree about their sins. We must realize that it is against our NEW NATURE in Yeshua the Messiah. Every time we are enticed to sin we must REMEMBER that we are DEAD to sin and the way we live has to proof we BELONG to the MESSIAH (read Galatians 3:27 and Colossians 3:1-4).

Paul again reiterates it in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 “…if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a NEW CREATION – the old has passed; look what has come is FRESH and NEW! And it is ALL FROM GOD (the Father) who through the MESSIAH has RECONCILED (reunited) us to Himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, which is that GOD (the Father) in the MESSIAH was reconciling mankind to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting (delegating) to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors (representatives) of the Messiah; in effect, God (the Father) is making His appeal (petition, call) through us. What we do is appeal (plea, petition) on behalf of the Messiah, ‘Be reconciled to God!’ God made this sinless Man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with Him we might fully share in God’s righteousness (uprightness, virtue, morality, blamelessness).

The Afrikaans Bible in Practice explains God reconciles us with Him by forgiving all our sins. If we believe in Yeshua the Messiah, we are no longer enemies of God or strangers. There is peace between us and God the Father. We then become the witnesses of God’s reconciliation and can also encourage and motivate other people to reconcile with Him and thus experience His peace and love.

Paul then proceed saying in Galatians 5:1: “What the Messiah has freed us for is FREEDOM!” And we further read in verses 13-14 “For, brothers, you were called to be FREE. Only do not let that FREEDOM become an excuse for allowing your OLD NATURE to have its way. Instead serve one another in LOVE. For the whole of the TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy) is summed up in this one sentence: ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF’…And he further says in verses 16-25 “What I am saying is this: run your lives by the (Holy) Spirit. Then you will not DO what your OLD NATURE wants. For the OLD NATURE wants what is contrary to the (Holy) SPIRIT. These oppose each other, so that you find yourselves unable to carry out your good intentions. But if you are LED by the (Holy) SPIRIT, then you are not subject to the system that results from perverting (distorting) the TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy summed up in the Ten Commandments) into legalism. And it is perfectly evident what the OLD NATURE does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding (arguing, disputing, quarreling), fighting (aggressive, rebellious), becoming jealous (covetous) and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism (groups forming into larger groups), intrigue (plotting, conspiracy, trickery) and envy (resentment, desire); in drunkenness, orgies (wild parties) and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God! But the FRUIT of the (HOLY) SPIRIT is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, HUMILITY (and) SELF CONTROL. Nothing in the TORAH stands against such things. Moreover, those who BELONG to the Messiah Yeshua have put their OLD NATURE to DEATH on the stake (cross), along with its passions and desires. Since it is through the (HOLY) SPIRIT that we have LIFE, let it also be through the (HOLY) SPIRIT that we order our lives day by day.

The Jewish Study Bible explains the FREEDOM we have in Yeshua the Messiah consists of a life of TRUST, FAITHFULNESS and LOVE and it produces GOOD FRUIT because it is EMPOWERED by the INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT of God. And they further explains the ESSENCE of God’s TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy summed up in the Ten Commandments) is to LOVE other people as we LOVE ourselves. The FRUIT of the SPIRIT does not come from efforts (of legalistic observance) but GROWS naturally (out of TRUST). Yeshua said in Matthew 12:33-37: ‘A tree is JUDGED by its FRUIT.” Arguments for the objective TRUTH of the GOOD NEWS are necessary, but what is required is the FRUIT of the HOLY SPIRIT in the life of a believer.

The Afrikaans Bible in Practice explains that Paul is saying here to believers not to abuse their FREEDOM for then we will become slaves to our own sinful nature again. The TEST of TRUE FREEDOM in our relationships with other people is to regularly ask ourselves, “How can I show God’s LOVE experienced by myself to other people.”

In his 2^nd letter to Timothy Paul says: “…since He (Yeshua the Messiah) DELIVERED us and called us to a LIFE of HOLINESS as His people. It was not because of our deeds, but because of His own purpose and the grace which he gave to us who are UNITED with the Messiah Yeshua. He did this before the beginning of time, but made it public only now through the appearing of our DELIVERER, the Messiah Yeshua, who ABOLISHE DEATH and, through the GOOD NEWS, revealed LIFE and IMMORTALITY (read 2 Timothy 1:9-10).

Peter says in 1st Peter 2:1-2 “Therefore, rid yourselves of ALL malice (hatred, spite, meanness, wickedness), of all deceit (dishonesty, trickery, deception, cheating), hypocrisy (insincerity, pretense, falseness, two-facedness)  and envy (jealousy, greed, bitterness, resentment, desire), and of all the ways there are of speaking against people; and be like NEWBORN BABIES, thirsty for the pure milk of the WORD; so that by it, you may GROW UP INTO DELIVRANCE. For you have tasted that YHVH is GOOD. (Also read Psalm 34:9). And then Peter proceeds in verse 16 “Submit as people who are FREE but not letting your FREEDOM serve as an excuse for evil; rather submit as God’s slaves. “

The Afrikaans Bible in Practice explains the Peter gives a call to born again believers to GROW SPIRITUALLY. We start off as NEWBORN BABIES in need of the spiritual food of the WORD of GOD to grow to SPIRITUAL MATURITY. If we have not yet succeeded in stopping doing evil with things like deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy and gossip we realize the necessity of taking in more pure spiritual milk (the Word of God). And therefore, we must ensure we read the Word of God every day and implement it in our lives with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit and in so doing we will grow to SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

The Book of Revelation tells us explicitly that those who are SAVED through accepting Yeshua the Messiah as their Savior, will form part of the FIRST RESURECTION and will not be part of the SECOND DEATH in the lake of fire. We read about this GOOD NEWS in Revelation 20 that takes place shortly after Armageddon, the war between Yeshua the Messiah and His armies and YHVH’s earthly enemies rising up against Him which we read about in Revelation chapters 16 and 19. And then we read in Revelation 20:1-15 “Next I saw an angel coming down from heaven, who had the key of the Abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent (we first see this serpent at the beginning of the Word in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden, deceiving Adam and Eve and taking their authority God gave them to rule on the earth, and now we see the same ancient serpent at the end of the written Word), who is the Devil and Satan (the Adversary), and chained him up for a THOUSAND YEARS. He threw him into the Abyss, locked it and sealed it over him; so that he could not deceive the nations any more until the THOUSAND YEARS were over. After that, he has to be set free for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them received authority to judge and I saw the SOULS of those who had been beheaded for TESTIFYING (bearing witness) ABOUT YESHUA and PROCLAIMING (announcing, declaring) THE WORD OF GOD, also those who had NOT WORSHIPPED the beast or its image and HAD NOT RECEIVED the MARK on their foreheads and on their hands. THEY CAME TO LIFE and RULED with the Messiah for a THOUSAND YEARS. (The rest of the DEAD did not come to life until the THOUSAND YEARS were over.) THIS IS THE FIRST RESURECTION. Blessed and holy are ANYONE who has part in the FIRST RESURECTION; over him the SECOND DEATH has no power. On the contrary, they will be priests of God (the Father) and of the Messiah, and they will RULE with Him for the THOUSAND YEARS.

When the THOUSAND YEARS are over, the Adversary (Satan) will be SET FREE from his prison and will go out to deceive (betray, mislead) the nations in the FOUR QUARTERS of the EARTH, GOG and MAGOG, to gather them for the battle (this is the FINAL TESTING of the nations before the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT). The number is countless as the sand on the seashore; and they came up over the breath of the Land and surrounded the CAMP of GOD’s PEOPLE and the CITY HE LOVES. But FIRE came down from heaven and consumed them. The Adversary who had deceived them was hurled into the LAKE of FIRE and SULPHUR, where the beast and the false prophet were (they have been casted into the lake of fire after Armageddon and prior to the THOUSANDE YEARS REIGN of PEACE – read Revelation 19:20); and they will be tormented day and night FOREVER and EVER.

Next, I (John) saw a GREAT WHITE THRONE and the (capital letter) ONE sitting on it. EARTH and HEAVEN FLED from HIS PRESENCE, and no place was found for them. And I saw the DEAD, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. BOOKS WERE OPENED; and another BOOK WAS OPENED, the BOOK OF LIFE; and THE DEAD were judged from what was written in the BOOKS, ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAD DONE. The SEA gave up the DEAD in it; and DEATH and SHEOL (the place of the dead) gave up THE DEAD in them; and they were JUDGED, each according to WHAT he HAD DONE. Then DEATH and SHEOL were hurled into the LAKE of FIRE. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH – THE LAKE OF FIRE. Anyone whose name was not found written in the BOOK of LIFE was hurled into the lake of fire. The GOOD NEWS therefore is, THOSE who accept YESHUA the MESSIAH as their SAVIOR, and follow Him in OBEDIENCE to the FATHER with the guidance of HIS HOLY SPIRIT will only DIE THE FIRST DEATH and FORM PART of the FIRST RESURECTION during the THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF PEACE. And they will NOT die the SEOND DEATH because their NAMES are WRITTEN in the LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE. And the GOOD NEWS is, this is a CHOICE available to ALL PEOPLE!