““The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound”
Isaiah prophesied of a coming servant that would restore God’s people and bring healing to the nations. Jesus claimed that identity when He stepped into His public ministry when He said in Luke 4:17-19, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”
Jesus was reading from Isaiah chapter 61 when He made this announcement about Himself. Those familiar with the scroll of Isaiah would have been quite confused when Jesus claimed this passage was talking about him. This is what Israel had been waiting for, the anointed one of God to deliver Israel from the oppression of wicked nations and establish them as kings and priests over all the nations of the earth.
While Israel expected a conquering king who would overthrow the world's nations through military power, God had other plans. Instead, he planned to cause all the nations of the world to bow to his servant by sending the messiah in the form of a humble servant who would deliver the world through suffering for the world rather than through power and might.
In this sermon, I wanted to expand our thinking about what Jesus began and is still increasing today. I want to encourage you to read through the rest of the prophet Jesus claimed was about him. As you read through the rest of Isaiah 61, allow God to increase your expectations. This is a prophecy that echoes what God said to Abraham all those years ago, that God would establish his people as a nation or priests who God would so bless that they would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.
We now know that God expanded his vision to include all who would believe in his Messiah, Jesus the Christ. God’s people, the church, the body of Christ IS the nation of priests that God is working through to bless the nations.
Keep in mind that Isaish can be tricky to read. He jumps back and forth between talking about God’s servant and the nation of Isreal, as if the nation of Israel is a person rather than a group of people. But if we understand this prophecy in light of our New Covenant understanding of the body of Christ, we see that they are indeed the same. The servant is his body, and his collective body is the servant. The body of Christ is the servant of God that will see these prophecies in the earth.
I pray you will listen to the full sermon, and read through the rest of this prophecy, and allow God to increase your expectations of being used by him. He is seeking to bless you so he can use you to bless others.
Isaiah 61 NKJV
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. 7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.” 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
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