Subject : The Anointed Servant
Text : Isaiah 61:1-7
Theme : The Purpose of the Anointed Servant
Introduction :
There are many things that have a purpose in life. Take newspapers for example; their main purpose is to keep us informed about what’s happening around us. However for my dog the newspaper has a very different purpose. Let me explain! My four aunties live together and each has their own special chair. We know who sits on which chair. My dog knows that too. In fact she drew special joy from irritating one particular aunty of mine. Whenever she saw my aunt head for her chair, this dog would run really fast and jump onto the chair and bark at her while wagging her tail all the time. Coaxing her out didn’t work, trying to bribe her with things didn’t work – until we found that newspapers worked very well. My dog had a fear of hearing the rustling sound of the newspaper. Soon for her – the newspaper had just one purpose – not reading news! But ‘RUN’ for newspapers were for discipline and nothing else!
Well we as Christians can also be mistaken about the purpose for which Jesus came into our lives. He is sure of the purpose but we aren’t. We may be ignorant or we may have misunderstood His purpose. Today …
Proposition :
I invite your attention to the fact that Jesus is anointed for the three-fold purpose of helping you.
Trans Sent. :
Isaiah 61:1-7 shows you what these three-fold purposes include.
Body :
I. The servant is anointed with the purpose of proclamation to the captives (vs.1-2b)
a. Proclamation of good tidings
b. Proclamation of healing
c. Proclamation of liberty
d. Proclamation of the year of the Lord’s favor
e. Proclamation of the day of His vengeance
1. Exposition of vs. 1-2b:
1.1. Understanding anointing – The words for anointing indicate the act of taking olive oil and smearing it on a person’s forehead or an object. The remaining oil would be poured over their head so that it ran to their feet showing total consecration or setting apart for God’s purposes. The purpose was two-fold - to set the anointed person/object apart as holy unto God and to commission them/it for service unto Him and His people. As you can see this is the nature of the anointing on Jesus. In the OT times, the prophet, priest, king or weapons of battle and items of use in the Temple were anointed.
1.2. When the people of Judah were taken captive by the Babylonians it was a very traumatic thing. They lost their homes, their loved ones, their beloved city and temple. They lost everything! There is no need to elaborate on the tortures that the prisoners of war would face. They would be taunted and humiliated. To be a prisoner is never a pleasant experience. Every prisoner longs to hear that the day of their freedom is at hand. How they long for the fresh air and liberty once again! But the picture that Isaiah paints here is of a King – God Himself coming to fight and take back His people from enemy territory. The King is victorious and He sends His messenger to tell His people that their freedom has been won. The enemy is utterly vanquished. It is a message to the people that the King loved them enough and valued them enough to fight for their freedom. This is good news that they are favored by God. He has avenged their tears and suffering and captivity. And the greatest thing is that this Messenger whom God uses as His Servant also happens to be the very One who won the freedom for you with His own blood.
1.3. The third thing I would like to highlight to you is the year of Jubilee. In this year, the slaves were released, all dues or things owed were forgiven. It is the year of freedom and celebration and joy.
2. Illustration: Hear this true story of a Red Indian Chief named Maskepetoon. He was a very violent young man who thought the purpose of life was to steal horses and scalp his enemies. Deep down in his heart was a hatred for his father’s murderer. However, Maskepetoon met Jesus and asked Him to be Lord over His life. With that came a change in the purpose of his life. After years he made peace with the enemy tribe of his father’s killer. At the time when he was sealing this peace, he saw this old warrior - his father’s killer, approach with the others. He ordered his best horse saddled and brought to the tent, then ordered the culprit to stand before him. The murderer expected to be killed. Instead he was asked to be seated. The Chief handed him his best, richly decorated suit. Then Maskepetoon spoke, "You killed my father. The time was when I would have gloried in drinking your blood, but that time is past. You need not fear. You must now become a father to me. Wear my clothes, ride my horse. Tell your people that this is the way Maskepetoon takes revenge." "You have killed me, my son!" cried the old murderer. "Never in the history of my people has such a thing as this been known. My people and all men will say, ‘The young Chief is brave and strong and good. He stands alone.’" What freed Maskepetoon of his hatred? Who gave Him new purpose in life? Jesus and Jesus alone!
3. Application of vs. 1-2b:
3.1. Here is good news! What are you in bondage to this day? Is it your habits? Is it your past? Ask yourself what’s holding you back from fulfilling the purposes of God in your life. Then understand the total victory that Jesus has brought for you. There is no pit so deep that His hand cannot reach into it and save. There is no chain so strong that He cannot break it. He is God’s anointed – it is His purpose to set you free. Many of us our captive to our anger and hatred and we try to seek our own revenge against those who hurt us. But understand that your true enemy is the devil himself and not the person who hurt you. It is time to be free. Why be like the foolish eagle that a man bought and set free? However it refused to fly out of the open door of its cage – it chose to stay in that limited space. Yes, it will survive there but it will never know the freedom of the open skies and the joy of being an eagle destined for the heights! This is the year of Jubilee – walk into your freedom today.
II. The servant is anointed with the purpose of consolation to the mourners (vs.2c-3b)
a. Consolation of beauty for ashes
b. Consolation of gladness for mourning
c. Consolation of praise for a faint spirit
1. Exposition of vs. 2c-3b:
1.1. To understand the meaning of the words you have to understand middle-eastern culture. When people were celebrating they would tie turbans around their heads or place little wreaths instead. Due to the heat and the dryness of the air they would also apply oil on their face and skin to make it fresh and smooth and shiny. In times of mourning the opposite was done. They would wear a sack-cloth and put ashes on their body and head. Mourners are also marked with sighing.
2. Illustration: Hear the words of Corrie Ten Boom while she was within a concentration camp north of Berlin, Germany. Here are her words. “Far away from my home in Holland, my sister Betsy and me; were now to be within the shadow of a crematory. Everyday about 600 bodies were burned there while they were yet alive. When I saw the smoke go up in the air I asked myself, “When will it be my time to die?” I did not know before hand that I should be set free by a miracle from God, a blunder of man one week before the Germans killed all the women of my age.” She says, “I have looked death in the eye not once, but several times. When you see death within people’s eyes, you wake up to the reality that the next one could be your own death. What a joy it was that Jesus was with me and that I knew that He had died on a cross for all the sins of the whole world and also for my sins as well.’ Now listen to these words! “I was not afraid! I knew that when they killed me I would go to the Father within heaven. How can we know how rich we are in Jesus and his abiding presence? By looking at the cross.’ Within her darkest moments she didn’t loose her note of joy....
3. Application of vs.2c-3b:
3.1 Who among you is weeping and broken-hearted today? Hear the good news – Jesus is here to comfort you. Never forget that you are held in the arms of the One who knew tears and suffering. He is not a distant God who doesn’t know His child’s needs and fears. He knows pain, he knows what loss means, he knows suffering and betrayal, hunger and thirst. Those who know pain first hand are also qualified to share the pain of others. This is the Jesus who is here to help you and turn your sorrow into joy – will you allow Him? Will you give Him all your broken hearts and wasted years?
3.2 If you are mourning over your past mistakes and sin – Jesus is here to forgive you. Though your sin be as scarlet – He makes you white as snow. Come to the Jesus and be forgiven. As far as the east is from the west so far He removes your sin from you. if you confess your sins to Him He is faithful and just to forgive you. so don’t hold to things that are not worth it – don’t hold onto the sorrows of yesterday. Let Him set you free to run unhindered.
3.3 The reason so many people are still in sorrow today is because they don’t follow the JOY principle. Do you know what that is? Jesus, Others and You. We mourn when we keep our eyes on ourselves and our situations. Ever heard about the man who wept that he had no shoes till he saw a man who had no feet? If you begin to look at Jesus first in your life rather than the hopelessness in your office or relationship – you will find reasons to hope because Jesus is our hope. If you look around you there are broken people – people whose situations are worse than yours. When you turn to them and help them, your own life will fall into proper perspective. So use the JOY principle the next time you are wallowing in self-pity or seem to be loosing hope.
III. The servant is anointed with the purpose of restoration to the broken (vs.3c-7)
a. Restoration to righteousness
b. Restoration to build-up
c. Restoration to a priestly ministry
d. Restoration to honor
1. Exposition of vs.3c-7:
1.1. God is now pictured like a Gardener. The idea being that what His hands plant will flourish and grow strong. What has He planted? He has planted you that your roots will go deep and you will grow strong in being righteous. This will be the mark of all those planted by the hands of God. But notice that the idea grows.
1.2. Not only is God at work in these people but He also has a purpose for doing this – that may glorify Him. How do they do that? By going out and building up the broken placed. By restoring the ruins to grand beauty. They will also be His priests and ministers – people called to serve God and others. These captives are now free to serve. They were condemned to misery but now they are called to responsibility. Their shame has been removed and honor has been restored to them. They used to sigh and mourn but now they will shout in victory and joy that cannot be removed forever! What a promise!
2. Illustration: Do you recognize the name Norma Jean Mortenson? Well, here’s her story – her mother Mrs. Gladys Baker tried to kill her over frustrations of a failed relationship. So after the mother was committed to a mental institution and Norma could never forget that her mother didn’t want her to live. She was put in various foster homes and in one such home she was raped at the tender age of eight. But no one cared. She grew into a beautiful young woman and men began to take notice of her. But no one really cared for who she really was. Then Norma Jean went to Hollywood and took a new name - "Marilyn Monroe". She was an overnight success and everyone knew her face but no one cared about the pain in her heart. Then she was cast in the dumb blonde roles and everyone hated her. She would keep her crews waiting two hours on the set. She was regarded as a selfish prima donna. What they didn’t know was that she was in her dressing room vomiting because she was so terrified of life. She went through three marriages and finally on a Saturday night, at the age of 35, Marilyn Monroe took her own life. When her maid found her body the next morning, she noticed the telephone was off the hook. It was dangling there beside her. Later investigation revealed that in the last moments of her life she had called a Hollywood actor and told him she had taken enough sleeping pills to kill herself. He answered with the famous line of Rhett Butler in the movie, Gone With The Wind, (I’ll paraphrase for you) - "’Frankly, my dear, I don’t care!" That was the last word she heard.
3. Application of vs. 3c-7:
3.1. You see many of us go through life sending out this message to others – ‘I don’t care!’ But throughout this message you have heard about God who cared enough to send His own Anointed Son to serve you. I tell you if Jesus your Master came to serve, you are not above Him! How much more should you serve as God seeks righteousness in those He plants? Some of you keep waiting for the right opportunity – I ask you to open your eyes and see all around you there are a thousand opportunities. There are so many broken lives all around you – serve them. You don’t have to be in full time ministry to serve God – serve Him where you are planted. In this way you will be His minister and priest. You are the salt and light of this world – if salt loses its power of influence what good is it?
3.2. For those of you who think that you have lost all honor and been shamed or you think your life is beyond repair – hear this! The Lord has restored you that you may go out and restore the broken places of your life. No matter how horrible the ruins of your life are, God will empower you to rebuild them. Its time to stop weeping and start building.
Conclusion :
In conclusion, you see in Luke 4:16-21 Jesus read this segment of Isaiah and concluded by saying – ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ The very word ‘Christ’ means anointed one. He came with the purpose of helping you. I would like to challenge three categories of people here:
1. I challenge those who know Christ but don’t know this abundant life. Present yourselves as a living sacrifice and consecrate yourselves to God according to Romans 12:1-3. It isn’t enough if you know Christ – get to know His work in your life as well. At the cross He gave new life to you but now you give your life back to Him. How can He help you if you hold onto your life and don’t allow Him to set you free and to comfort or restore you? I challenge you to consecrate yourselves.
2. I challenge those who don’t know Christ but you see you are in desperate need of this eternal and abundant life that God wants you to have. Ask Jesus to set you free and to be your Lord and Savior. He will come and live with you and bring purpose into your life. I challenge you to accept this free gift of salvation today.
3. I challenge those of you who already know Jesus and are leading the abundant life to some measure. Get out of your comfort zone. If Jesus – the Head is anointed, understand that all who are part of His body are anointed as well. You are called to serve as He does. Let Him be your example. He never complained about lack of time because He sought the things of God first. The time is short – redeem it! Come and serve His people. This is the purpose of the anointing. I challenge you to service.
This is the day! Don’t wait for another. Let us pray.
