This past weekend at Eastbrook, our preaching series entitled “Holy God, Wholly Given: Lent in Leviticus,” concluded as I preached a message on the jubilee year from Leviticus 25. I connected that text with Isaiah 61:1-3 and then Luke 4:14-21 to describe Jesus as the fulfillment of Leviticus 25 as the Jubilee Messiah.
I have to say that I found my preparation for this message so enriching. I started taking notes from different sources on the jubilee and it ended up being a very long single-spaced document. Friends, not all of that could make it into the sermon, which is normal, but was also a bit disappointing for me. Perhaps I will need to return to some work on the jubilee in the future. We’ll see.
You can find the message outline and video below. You can access the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.
“Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you.” (Leviticus 25:10)
“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)
What is the Jubilee year?
The sabbath day: a 7th day of rest after 6 days of work
The sabbath year: a 7th year of rest for the land after 6 years of cultivation
The jubilee year: after 49 years, a 50th year of even greater rest, renewal, and return:
- All land returns to original family of ownership
- The land lies fallow (unplanted)
- Release of all Israelite slaves
- Cancellation of debts
The Apparent Impracticality of the Jubilee year
The loftiness of the year of jubilee may make it seem impractical
We have no clear indication in Scripture of whether the year of jubilee was ever put into practice or not
It became a symbol of hope, even messianic hope, for God’s people
Jesus and the Jubilee year
God’s kingdom agenda in Jesus (Isaiah 61/Luke 4)
God’s jubilee arriving Jesus
Living as God’s Jubilee People with Jesus
God’s jubilee people (Acts 17:6)
Living free in Jesus as God’s jubilee people
Dig Deeper
This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:
- Consider memorizing Luke 4:18-19.
- Read through Leviticus 25 slowly. Think about what it may have meant to implement such a sweeping move toward freedom as the jubilee year. Next read Jesus’ words at the beginning of His public ministry from Luke 4:14-21. How do these words speak to you about true freedom found in Christ?
- Explore some or all of these resources:
- The Bible Project podcast episode, “Jubilee: The Radical Year of Release”: https://bibleproject.com/podcast/jubilee-radical-year-release/
- Timothy Keller, Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just
- Michael Rhodes and Robby Holt, Practicing the King’s Economy
Discover more from Matthew Erickson
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Matthew Erickson 