Isaiah 61:1-3 – Living to reflect God’s glory

Undoubtedly, Isaiah 61:1-3 are the words of the Servant and Redeemer. These were confirmed by Jesus in Luke 4:16-19. We are told that Jesus was in the synagogue in Nazareth on a Sabbath day as was His usual routine. There He stood up to read. And the book of Isaiah was handed to Him. When He turned to this portion of the book He read, saying:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

When Jesus had finished reading. He closed the book and said these words were speaking about His ministry. Although Luke stopped at the first line of Isaiah 61:2, we know that Jesus in His ministry fulfilled everything Isaiah 61:1-3 has said. Essentially, seven aspects of Jesus’ ministry are highlighted here.  

Firstly that He would be anointed of the Spirit. Jesus' great accomplishment in His earthly ministry was empowered by the Spirit. He knew His role as He divested of His own inherent power and relied on the power of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, He came to bring the good news to the afflicted. In our fallen state, every one of us is afflicted by the consequence of sin and needs this good tiding. Thirdly, He came to bind up the brokenhearted. For those who are discouraged, He has a special word to bring them comfort. Fourthly, He came to proclaim freedom to the captives. Had it not been for Christ who came to set us free we would have been trapped in sin and continued to go on a downward spiral, heading for eternal condemnation. He came to free us from the bondage of sin. Fifthly, He came to usher in the period of grace, the favorable year of the Lord. Sixthly, He came to warn us of the impending judgment. And seventhly and finally, He came to comfort those who mourn the wretched condition.     

Now in place of defeat, we will be granted triumph. Instead of mourning, we can enjoy gladness. He came to put praises in our lips instead of the spirit of despair. Praise will always lift us up and help us look beyond our despairing circumstances. Christ Jesus has done everything to stabilize and establish us so that we can find our sure foundation in Him. We are guaranteed a life of triumph when we learn to walk with Him. Our righteousness will be as steady as an oak tree. The goal of all that He has done in our life is for us to reflect His glory.

Three short verses but full of lessons. We shall highlight two for our application. If Christ depended on the Holy Spirit in His earthly ministry, how much more do we need to depend on the third person of the Trinity. We need the guidance and direction of the Spirit of God in life and ministry. We must cultivate a sensitivity to the Spirit and rely on Him to assist us in our daily walk. Secondly, in our ministry let us proclaim the liberty that Christ has offered, which only He can give. We must become instruments to help set the captives free from the bondage and snare of sin. Reaching out to the lost must be a part of our routine in life. Let it all be done for the glory of God!