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.
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth 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.
Isaiah 61 is a powerful prophecy, brimming with hope and restoration, centered on the coming Messiah and the transformative work He would accomplish. This chapter, famously quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:16-21, unveils God's plan to bring good news to the afflicted, heal the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to captives. Understanding this chapter offers profound insights into the mission of Christ, the future of Israel, and our own roles in God's redemptive story.
The Anointed One and His Mission (Isaiah 61:1-2)
The passage begins with the unmistakable voice of the Messiah: "The Spirit of the LORD GOD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me..." (Isaiah 61:1). The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" both signify "anointed one." This anointing signifies divine empowerment for a specific purpose. Jesus, as revealed in Luke 4, claimed this very passage as His own, declaring its fulfillment in His presence. He was anointed by God the Father to redeem the world and reign over His kingdom. The people of Israel yearned for this Messiah, expecting Him to be their savior and king.
When Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue at Nazareth and proclaimed, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21), He was explicitly declaring Himself as the Messiah. This declaration, however, was met with resistance. The people of Nazareth, familiar with Jesus as the carpenter's son (Luke 4:22), struggled to reconcile this humble background with their expectations of a powerful, majestic deliverer. They desired a Messiah with earthly might and power, someone who fit their preconceived notions of what a savior should be. Isaiah, however, had prophesied that the Servant-Messiah would have "no beauty that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). Their rejection was so intense that they attempted to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:28-30).
Despite their rejection, Jesus's claim was true. His earthly ministry embodied the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 61. He brought good news to the poor, healed the brokenhearted, and proclaimed freedom to those bound by spiritual darkness (Isaiah 61:1). He announced "the year of the LORD's favor" (Isaiah 61:2), a time of grace and acceptance. However, it's crucial to notice that Jesus stopped reading mid-verse in Luke 4:19. Why? Because the full scope of Isaiah 61:2 also includes "the day of vengeance of our God." At His first coming, Jesus inaugurated the era of salvation. But His second coming will usher in the time of God's judgment, when He will crush His enemies and fully restore Israel to its destined glory. This speaks to the dual nature of Christ's mission: a present offer of grace and a future reckoning of justice.
Restoration and Blessing for Israel (Isaiah 61:3-9)
The prophecy then shifts to the glorious future awaiting Israel. Isaiah 61:3-6 speaks of a transformation where Israel will rise from a state of being despised to becoming a prominent nation, a rebuilt and resplendent land, fit to be the place from which the Messiah will rule. They will be called "oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3). The Gentiles will enrich and serve Israel, and God's people will finally fulfill their intended purpose: a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6), ministering God's grace to the world. They will be known as "ministers of our God" (Isaiah 61:6).
Furthermore, Israel will receive a double portion of inheritance as the firstborn of the Lord (Isaiah 61:7; Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 21:17), a stark contrast to having received "double for all her sins" (Isaiah 40:2). God promises to make a permanent covenant with Israel (Isaiah 61:8), a reference to the "new covenant" (Jeremiah 31:31-34) established by Jesus through the shedding of His blood on the cross (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:7-13). While Christians currently live under this new covenant, Israel will fully embrace it when Jesus returns to reign on David's throne in His millennial kingdom and they accept Him as their Messiah. In that day, all nations will recognize Israel as "a people the LORD has blessed" (Isaiah 61:9).
Garments of Salvation and a Robe of Righteousness (Isaiah 61:10-11)
The chapter concludes with a declaration of praise from the Lord's Servant-Messiah, expressing gratitude for the "garments of salvation" and the "robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10) bestowed upon Him. Clothed in these divine provisions, He will accomplish God's purposes for both Israel and the entire world. As a result, God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all nations (Isaiah 61:11). This highlights the ultimate goal of God's redemptive plan: to establish righteousness and bring glory to Himself among all peoples.
Isaiah 61 offers a panoramic view of God's redemptive plan, centered on the Messiah, the restoration of Israel, and the ultimate triumph of righteousness. It calls us to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy, to embrace the year of the Lord's favor, and to anticipate the day when God's justice will prevail. It also reminds us that we, too, can be clothed in the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness, participating in God's mission to bring hope and healing to a broken world.
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.
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth 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.
Isaiah 61 is a powerful prophecy, brimming with hope and restoration, centered on the coming Messiah and the transformative work He would accomplish. This chapter, famously quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:16-21, unveils God's plan to bring good news to the afflicted, heal the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to captives. Understanding this chapter offers profound insights into the mission of Christ, the future of Israel, and our own roles in God's redemptive story.
The Anointed One and His Mission (Isaiah 61:1-2)
The passage begins with the unmistakable voice of the Messiah: "The Spirit of the LORD GOD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me..." (Isaiah 61:1). The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" both signify "anointed one." This anointing signifies divine empowerment for a specific purpose. Jesus, as revealed in Luke 4, claimed this very passage as His own, declaring its fulfillment in His presence. He was anointed by God the Father to redeem the world and reign over His kingdom. The people of Israel yearned for this Messiah, expecting Him to be their savior and king.
When Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue at Nazareth and proclaimed, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21), He was explicitly declaring Himself as the Messiah. This declaration, however, was met with resistance. The people of Nazareth, familiar with Jesus as the carpenter's son (Luke 4:22), struggled to reconcile this humble background with their expectations of a powerful, majestic deliverer. They desired a Messiah with earthly might and power, someone who fit their preconceived notions of what a savior should be. Isaiah, however, had prophesied that the Servant-Messiah would have "no beauty that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). Their rejection was so intense that they attempted to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:28-30).
Despite their rejection, Jesus's claim was true. His earthly ministry embodied the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 61. He brought good news to the poor, healed the brokenhearted, and proclaimed freedom to those bound by spiritual darkness (Isaiah 61:1). He announced "the year of the LORD's favor" (Isaiah 61:2), a time of grace and acceptance. However, it's crucial to notice that Jesus stopped reading mid-verse in Luke 4:19. Why? Because the full scope of Isaiah 61:2 also includes "the day of vengeance of our God." At His first coming, Jesus inaugurated the era of salvation. But His second coming will usher in the time of God's judgment, when He will crush His enemies and fully restore Israel to its destined glory. This speaks to the dual nature of Christ's mission: a present offer of grace and a future reckoning of justice.
Restoration and Blessing for Israel (Isaiah 61:3-9)
The prophecy then shifts to the glorious future awaiting Israel. Isaiah 61:3-6 speaks of a transformation where Israel will rise from a state of being despised to becoming a prominent nation, a rebuilt and resplendent land, fit to be the place from which the Messiah will rule. They will be called "oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3). The Gentiles will enrich and serve Israel, and God's people will finally fulfill their intended purpose: a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6), ministering God's grace to the world. They will be known as "ministers of our God" (Isaiah 61:6).
Furthermore, Israel will receive a double portion of inheritance as the firstborn of the Lord (Isaiah 61:7; Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 21:17), a stark contrast to having received "double for all her sins" (Isaiah 40:2). God promises to make a permanent covenant with Israel (Isaiah 61:8), a reference to the "new covenant" (Jeremiah 31:31-34) established by Jesus through the shedding of His blood on the cross (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:7-13). While Christians currently live under this new covenant, Israel will fully embrace it when Jesus returns to reign on David's throne in His millennial kingdom and they accept Him as their Messiah. In that day, all nations will recognize Israel as "a people the LORD has blessed" (Isaiah 61:9).
Garments of Salvation and a Robe of Righteousness (Isaiah 61:10-11)
The chapter concludes with a declaration of praise from the Lord's Servant-Messiah, expressing gratitude for the "garments of salvation" and the "robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10) bestowed upon Him. Clothed in these divine provisions, He will accomplish God's purposes for both Israel and the entire world. As a result, God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all nations (Isaiah 61:11). This highlights the ultimate goal of God's redemptive plan: to establish righteousness and bring glory to Himself among all peoples.
Isaiah 61 offers a panoramic view of God's redemptive plan, centered on the Messiah, the restoration of Israel, and the ultimate triumph of righteousness. It calls us to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy, to embrace the year of the Lord's favor, and to anticipate the day when God's justice will prevail. It also reminds us that we, too, can be clothed in the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness, participating in God's mission to bring hope and healing to a broken world.