The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance
of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isa 61:1-2
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And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day,
and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears.
Luk 4:16-21
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance
of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isa 61:1-2
+++++++
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day,
and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears.
Luk 4:16-21
"There can be no doubt that the passage in Isaiah had a principal reference to the Messiah. Our Savior directly applies it to himself, and it is not easily applicable to any other prophet. Its first application might have been to the restoration of the Jews from Babylon; but the language of prophecy is often applicable to two similar events, and the secondary event is often the most important. In this case the prophet uses most striking poetic images to depict the return from Babylon, but the same images also describe the appropriate work of the Son of God." (Albert Barnes)
This passage is found in Isa_61:1; but our Lord immediately adds to it Isa_42:7. The proclaiming of liberty to the captives, and the acceptable year (or year of acceptance) of the Lord, is a manifest allusion to the proclaiming of the year of jubilee by sound of trumpet: see Lev_25:8 (note), etc., and the notes there. This was a year of general release of debts and obligations; of bond-men and women; of lands and possessions, which had been sold from the families and tribes to which they belonged. Our Savior, by applying this text to himself, a text so manifestly relating to the institution above mentioned, plainly declares the typical design of that institution. - (Lowth).
He hath anointed me - I have been designed and set apart for this very purpose; my sole business among men is to proclaim glad tidings to the poor, etc. All the functions of this new prophet are exercised on the hearts of men; and the grace by which he works in the heart is a grace of healing, deliverance, and illumination; which, by an admirable virtue, causes them to pass from sickness to health, from slavery to liberty, from darkness to light, and from the lowest degrees of misery to supreme eternal happiness. See Quesnel. To those who feel their spiritual poverty, whose hearts are broken through a sense of their sins, who see themselves tied and bound with the chains of many evil habits, who sit in the darkness of guilt and misery, without a friendly hand to lead them in the way in which they should go - to these, the Gospel of the grace of Christ is a pleasing sound, because a present and full salvation is proclaimed by it; and the present is shown to be the acceptable year of the Lord; the year, the time, in which he saves to the uttermost all who come unto him in the name of his Son Jesus. Reader! what dost thou feel? Sin-wretchedness-misery of every description? Then come to Jesus - He will save Thee - he came into the world for this very purpose. Cast thy soul upon him, and thou shalt not perish, but have everlasting life. (Adam Clarke)
This passage is found in Isa_61:1; but our Lord immediately adds to it Isa_42:7. The proclaiming of liberty to the captives, and the acceptable year (or year of acceptance) of the Lord, is a manifest allusion to the proclaiming of the year of jubilee by sound of trumpet: see Lev_25:8 (note), etc., and the notes there. This was a year of general release of debts and obligations; of bond-men and women; of lands and possessions, which had been sold from the families and tribes to which they belonged. Our Savior, by applying this text to himself, a text so manifestly relating to the institution above mentioned, plainly declares the typical design of that institution. - (Lowth).
He hath anointed me - I have been designed and set apart for this very purpose; my sole business among men is to proclaim glad tidings to the poor, etc. All the functions of this new prophet are exercised on the hearts of men; and the grace by which he works in the heart is a grace of healing, deliverance, and illumination; which, by an admirable virtue, causes them to pass from sickness to health, from slavery to liberty, from darkness to light, and from the lowest degrees of misery to supreme eternal happiness. See Quesnel. To those who feel their spiritual poverty, whose hearts are broken through a sense of their sins, who see themselves tied and bound with the chains of many evil habits, who sit in the darkness of guilt and misery, without a friendly hand to lead them in the way in which they should go - to these, the Gospel of the grace of Christ is a pleasing sound, because a present and full salvation is proclaimed by it; and the present is shown to be the acceptable year of the Lord; the year, the time, in which he saves to the uttermost all who come unto him in the name of his Son Jesus. Reader! what dost thou feel? Sin-wretchedness-misery of every description? Then come to Jesus - He will save Thee - he came into the world for this very purpose. Cast thy soul upon him, and thou shalt not perish, but have everlasting life. (Adam Clarke)
Notable Quotes
The Text of His First Sermon.—There was nothing fortuitous in Christ’s choice of His first text in Nazareth. The occasion was a marked one. None could forget it. He turned in calm self-possession to the first three verses of Isaiah’s sixty-first chapter, describing what should be the work and office of the destined Redeemer and Savior of man. It scarcely needed that He should say what the application was. The audience felt, as He read, that the text said so.—Vaughan.
“Closed the book.”—When He had read the text from the Old Testament, He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant. As soon as the book had delivered its message, He presented Himself to the congregation as the fulfilment of the prophecy. His sermon consisted in permitting the prophet to pronounce the promise and then exhibiting Himself as its fulfilment. No other preacher, either false or true, ever acted thus.—(Arnot)
A prayer for God's people, and for Israel:
Lord, in this time of great conflict, and hatred, and Israel surrounded on every side by those who seek to destroy them, may Your power and truth come forth, and overtake the evil that's rising around Your land, and Your people in Israel. Shed light in the darkness, and may You be manifested even in this chaos and destruction. May all of your Word's come to pass, and be fulfilled-You've never failed to bring victory, and peace. You are faithful to hear and answer the prayers of your people. May the Holy Spirit bring a strong wave of Your conviction for the need of repentance, and turning from sin, and returning to Your commandments, and holiness.
I add my voice, and my prayers with those who are looking to You for the answers to these perilous times. You've told us Jesus that when we see the signs that we are facing now, found in your word in Matthew chapter 24, to look up, for our redemption draws nigh. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Isaiah 61 PRAYER SONG to Set the Captives Free
https://youtu.be/AJLoO3jzxBA?si=nMx4wXNYOc8W5jY8
“Closed the book.”—When He had read the text from the Old Testament, He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant. As soon as the book had delivered its message, He presented Himself to the congregation as the fulfilment of the prophecy. His sermon consisted in permitting the prophet to pronounce the promise and then exhibiting Himself as its fulfilment. No other preacher, either false or true, ever acted thus.—(Arnot)
A prayer for God's people, and for Israel:
Lord, in this time of great conflict, and hatred, and Israel surrounded on every side by those who seek to destroy them, may Your power and truth come forth, and overtake the evil that's rising around Your land, and Your people in Israel. Shed light in the darkness, and may You be manifested even in this chaos and destruction. May all of your Word's come to pass, and be fulfilled-You've never failed to bring victory, and peace. You are faithful to hear and answer the prayers of your people. May the Holy Spirit bring a strong wave of Your conviction for the need of repentance, and turning from sin, and returning to Your commandments, and holiness.
I add my voice, and my prayers with those who are looking to You for the answers to these perilous times. You've told us Jesus that when we see the signs that we are facing now, found in your word in Matthew chapter 24, to look up, for our redemption draws nigh. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Isaiah 61 PRAYER SONG to Set the Captives Free
https://youtu.be/AJLoO3jzxBA?si=nMx4wXNYOc8W5jY8
