March 23

Now is the Accepted Time

“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 liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” — Luke 4:18-19 BSB

The mention of an "acceptable year" implies that there must also be a time that is not acceptable. For the Jewish nation, their "acceptable year" ended when they nailed their Messiah to the cross. From that moment, they were doomed.

For a few years afterward, life seemed to go on as usual. The city still stood in its glory, and the people lived in relative peace. But the day of their merciful visitation had ended when they finally rejected Christ. When Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives, looking down at the city, He wept and said, “If only you had known, in this your day, what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.” When He spoke these words through tears, the "acceptable year" came to a close. Not long after, the judgment fell on the beautiful city in all its horror.

This is history, but it also applies to each individual soul. There is an "acceptable year" for every person. It begins when Christ first comes to us, offering salvation. It lasts as long as He stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. It ends when we drive Him away through final rejection or when death takes us away from the world of mercy.

For each of us, that "acceptable year" is now.

Has the reader of these words accepted Christ’s mercy and love? If so, they know the preciousness of the "acceptable year of the Lord." If not, they should remember that the "acceptable time" will soon end. In another passage, this time is called a "day of salvation." A day is short, and when it ends, no power can extend it. It would be a terrible thing if the "acceptable time" ended and we were left unsaved.