Isaiah wrote: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, (Isaiah 61:1, 2). Jesus quoted this passage as evidence that He was the Messiah (Luke 4:18-21). Actually, when He read from that passage in Isaiah, He told His audience, gathered in the synagogue in Nazareth that Isaiah’s prophecy had just been fulfilled, meaning He was the One of Whom Isaiah spoke.
I would like you to consider just what it was that Isaiah said and that Jesus said was happening in His ministry. The afflicted would have good news brought to them. The brokenhearted would be bound (or supported and built back up). Captives and prisoners would have liberty proclaimed to them; they would be freed. Verse two seems to give us a grand overview of God’s relationship with mankind. The “favorable year” may have reference to the year of Jubilee (every fiftieth year) that Jews were given under the Law of Moses that allowed Jewish slaves to be free. So, God holds out freedom and vengeance to mankind and the rest of Scripture gives us the conditions by which those are meted out. And do not forget the comfort. Comfort is a major part of God’s relationship with man.
Jesus invited all who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Today, friend Barnabas would like to offer this bit of comfort. Trust Jesus and come to Him. Of course, it is necessary that we come to Him in the way He prescribes, but come to Him we may. And how comforting is it to realize that there, in Him, we may find comfort. Do not try to take on this world by yourself! Learn to rely on Jehovah God. He loves you, and so do I.
Donnie Bates
A peaceful spring on the Macedonian side of Lake Ochrid in the Balkan Mountains
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