Chinese New Year 2008

2008 - The year of the Rat or the year of the LORD?

expanded from a sermon delivered by Pastor Antonio of Calvary Charismatic Church, Sandakan

Top (Emblem of rat, representing the Year of the Rat)
Bottom (Emblem of the Lion of Judah, representing the Year of the LORD)

According to Feng Shui predictions, it is a great year ahead, filled with prosperity, wealth, good health, etc. However, some of us also need to be cautious about certain aspects of our lives. In order to avoid "bad luck", we'll have to buy certain items, wear them or place them in our houses.

But for us Christians, is it just a Year of the Rat, or the Year of the LORD?

I believe that after the coming of Christ into our lives, every year is the year of the LORD. This year is no exception, it's not just the year of the rat, it's the year of the LORD!

Let's have a look at Luke 4:18-19.

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

This prophecy was once give by the LORD through the prophet Isaiah. The prophecy was fulfilled by the coming of Jesus. When the LORD spoke of these words, He was referring to the year of Jubilee or the year of the LORD. The Bible tells us that this year is the year of freedom, where everyone is set free from bondage. Every person returns to his or her ancestral land. Those who have sold themselves as servants to repay debts are released. This is declared by the LORD in Leviticus 25.

Refer to the passage of Luke above. If you read on further to verse 20, Jesus proclaims that "Today the scripture is fulfilled". Jesus declares that He has come to preach the Good News, set the captives free, heal the blind and, as verse 19 affirms, to proclaim the year of the LORD.

Now then, there are three reasons why every year is the year of the LORD.


1. Jesus was sent to preach the Good News - for the healing of the broken hearted

• Jesus was sent following the need of forgiveness and clear conscience before God. The greatest need of a person is to be reconciled with God, since each person has been tainted by sin.
  
• As a result of sin, we live in a fallen world, where people hurt us, suffering and death are rampant, injustice is all around us. Our inadequacies hinder us from ever reaching the perfect standard required by God. No matter how hard we try to find peace and joy on earth, it seems that, nothing can satisfy our inner spiritual needs. We hunger for a divine presence to just fill us.
• Only Jesus can do that. Jesus was sent to heal our wounded spirits and mend our broken hearts. Being God, Jesus is omnipresent. He is available everywhere, anytime. We just need to call on His name. He will give us comfort, He will draw us close to Himself and just let the peace flow from Him into our empty hearts. He fills us with unimaginable joy. How wonderful indeed that He is available all the time, not just in a particular year!

2. Jesus was sent to proclaim liberty to the captives

• Each one of us is held captive by sin. We dwell in our sins, bad habits that we are unable to shake off through our own effort. The result of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
• We need a saviour who is able to save us from our sins, something that we are unable to do on our own.
  
• This salvation is readily available through Jesus Christ who has been sent as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. This atonement is available anytime to those who are willing to humble themselves and accept the LORD as their saviour. It's not just limited to a particular year. It's available throughout all the years!
• By accepting Christ as our saviour, we are set free from whatever bondages of sin or bad habits that we cannot free ourselves from by our human strength. We are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:18)!
  
• This covenant of eternal life with God is sealed through the blood of Jesus and is everlasting. It does not merely last for a year, like the atonement through animal sacrifices offered by the Israelites yearly on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16). Therefore, we can be certain that every year is the year of the LORD. As long as we walk with Christ, we are set free for eternity!
• This can be compared to the Chinese Reunion dinner, when one time in a year, everyone can gather together for a meal and everything is forgiven.
  

3. Jesus came to give sight to the blind

• We are blinded by our own sin that we do not see the light from God. We do not see the path that God has prepared for us.
• But Jesus came to restore our sight, to make our vision clear, to lift the veil that has obscured our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:16).
• We can now walk confidently, fully assured of the prize that lays before us. We can face any sufferings or hardships, not with Feng Shui items, charms, talismans, astrology, etc., but through the guidance of our LORD Jesus Christ, who is available 24/7!
  

In conclusion, the year of the rat can be compared to a rat race. We strive and compete with one another for material wealth, prosperity, good health, etc. but the year of the LORD has come upon us. The LORD has come to set us free. We no longer have to worry about these things because as long as we seek first the kingdom of God, all these things shall be added unto us (Matthew 6:33). Jesus gives all these things freely to those who seek and ask of Him.

One more reason why the year of the LORD is supreme to the year of the rat is that the year of the LORD is also the year of the the Lion of Judah! How glorious is that!

Amen, LORD Jesus.

Blessings,

Brian Chee