"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release the prisoners.” We are all familiar with the “I have good news and bad news jokes” that were popular many years ago. So, what is the good news that the Messiah brings. Simply this, God loves you. God wants you as His children. God forgives you and promises you eternal life. But if that is not enough the prophet says, he will heal the broken hearted. Illness, death, separation which have crushed us will be ended and we will be made whole once again. The dead will rise, illness will no longer exist and those separated from us by death will be reunited with us. We will be freed from our bondage to sin and death. We will no longer be slaves to sin and death because by Christ’s death and resurrection we are free from the oppression of sin and death. The promise of the old spiritual will come to pass, “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last.” Amen