Happy Endings (1)

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7 NIV)

When we tell stories to our children they usually have happy endings. The children want to hear them over and over again. They want to see the good guys win and the bad guys get their just deserves. Take the story of Cinderella for instance. She is kept in bondage in the home of her wicked Stepmother and her two ugly spirited sisters. She has no hope of her life ever changing. She has no joy. She hears that the Prince of her country has sent out invitations to all his subjects inviting them to a banquet at the palace. The only one not attending is Cinderella because she has nothing to wear. Then, along comes a fairy Godmother who waves her hand and the result is that Cinderella is beautifully dressed and ready to go to the banquet in a beautiful horse drawn coach. The only condition is that she must be home by midnight.

What has all this got to do with Jesus? Well here we are, if we are not following Jesus, we are trapped in a life that is not satisfying. We feel lonely and abandoned. We do not have much joy. We have given up hope of a better way of life. Then someone comes along and tells us that, Jesus, the Prince of Peace has invited us to live life with Him. He has gone ahead and prepared a banquet to which we have been invited. The invitation is to all the subjects of this world. We have been provided clothes to wear. A way has been prepared for us to get there. The Prince of Peace tells us that He is the way, the truth and the life. He tells us that no person can come to the banquet except through Him. The condition of each person who plans to attend the banquet is that they must be without sin.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 NIV)

This is really good news for those who are feeling oppressed and without hope. The Lord’s favour has
come upon us who believe in Jesus. He came to set us free from the power of sin in this life and we are
guaranteed a place at the banquet with Him in the next.



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