Election Manifesto

It’s election time here in England!

Well, Jesus started his ministry by reading out his election manifesto, which Isaiah had previously drafted for him (see Isaiah 61: 1,2).

He read, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because ...”

Then he outlined his policies for:

It was an election manifesto with several differences.

  1. He’d already been elected, by the Father and actually from before the foundation of the earth, but the result had only recently been publicly announced. The official text was: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” He had just been tempted and tested in the desert for 40 days and shown himself totally fit and ready for government. Under very extreme conditions he had shown total self-control and the willingness to put his duty - his Father’s will - before his own advancement or even his life.

  2. He kept all his promises. He really did bring good news to the poor, and set prisoners free and open the eyes of the blind, and many similar things. There were certainly opposition parties trying to find fault with everything he did. But in his case there was not a single fault for them to find. Unbiased observers agreed that he did everything right.

  3. He went far beyond what the words of his manifesto appeared to mean because he tackled the underlying spiritual poverty and bondage and blindness and oppression that were the real roots of the problems. He temporarily alleviated physical poverty when he fed the multitudes; but his words of love and wisdom and power brought relief to the deep spiritual poverty that lay at its roots. Blind men rejoiced to receive their sight, but the healing of spiritual blindness brought yet greater and more permanent benefits. We don’t read that he got anyone out of a physical prison, but he certainly got people out of worse prisons than those made of stone. In fact to paraphrase Paul, Jesus did “immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine, according to his power that was at work within him.” Unlike this world’s politicians, he did far more than he had promised.

That in a sense is now all history. Jesus did all those things and much more. But it’s also prophecy. God has elected more sons (and daughters!), and his plan is that they should be just like the firstborn. (You can read about them in Romans chapter 8.) They will have the same party manifesto as their elder brother, “to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind and to release the oppressed.” Like him and unlike normal politicians, they will keep their promises - or to be exact their Father’s promises.

Not just England, but the whole creation is waiting for their manifestation, so that it may be delivered into their glorious liberty.

So forget about voting for Donald Trump or Joe Biden, Boris or Keir Starmer. Put your vote where it really counts and vote with all your heart and soul for Jesus as your president / prime minister; and for your MPs, the multitude of his brothers and sisters that are destined to share his throne and reign with him.