Isaiah 61
When people are mourning a deep loss, when their spirits are faint, it may seem difficult to even imagine a better day. Memory of an earlier life that was more carefree begins to fade, and hope for something different can seem too dangerous, lest we face even worse disappointment. It is especially then that we need to hear the biggest promises of God, and to believe what He has spoken.
To have a firm belief in the message of the Lord, we need one who is a true messenger to come to us. In former days, God spoke through anointed prophets like Isaiah, men who were covered not with oil as were the kings and priests, but with the Spirit of God Himself. It is such a one who speaks these words that begin Isaiah 61. Jesus quoted this passage many years later, claiming to be this anointed spokesman of God. With the fullest endowment of God’s Spirit, He addressed the poor, the brokenhearted, and the captives, and announced to them blessed news. The news was a word of the best liberty, like the Old Testament Year of Jubilee. What great news to proclaim as the anointed of the Lord!
Now the garments of mourning and the ashes of humbling can be exchanged for the beautiful headdress of celebration to the praise of our great God. Something solid has been announced, something strong like a mighty oak of righteousness. Ancient ruins will have a new life. Strangers and foreigners will have their part to play in the drama of bountiful blessing. The people of God will somehow be priests and servants of the true and living God, and the wealth of nations will come to the church. Shame and dishonor will have to give way to the sounds of everlasting joy that cannot be contained. How would you feel if just beyond the hills we saw the coming of angels right now for the gathering of the elect? For the Christian mourner this is the fulfillment of our greatest hope, despite the fact that we might exhibit some measure of fear because of the shock of such good news. We should greet the news of the return of Jesus Christ with great shouts of joy.
This day of rejoicing will not come by some mere excusing of wrong-doing. God will do it all through justice. What He does, He always does in the right way. What this means is that the demands of God’s law must be satisfied – to do less than this would be unjust. The penalty for our disobedience required a just and holy atoning sacrifice. The offences were those of men, the death of a man was required. Christ, the God/man came and died for our sins. He was not only the prophet that announced the coming good news, He was also the sacrifice that satisfied divine justice and reconciled us to God. All that is wrong and needs overturning will be overturned, and all that is right will be brought to the most glorious fulfillment.
What will we receive on that great day? With all of the wonder of resurrection life we will be clothed with the righteousness that Christ has won for us. We will have eternal salvation as a garment. A bridegroom looks handsome on His great day, and His bride causes all to rise when she enters the sanctuary, but the church as the bride of Christ, will be dazzlingly beautiful in holiness on that great day. She will be fruitful beyond her wildest dreams for eternity to come. Only God Almighty can do such things, and generally speaking, the assemblies of God’s covenant people are not ready to hear news that wonderful.
That was certainly the case when Jesus spoke in the synagogue in
Perhaps they just mistook Him for someone else. Perhaps that could not believe that anyone this good could come from
posted by Pastor Magee @ 7:00 AM
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