ISAIAH 61: 1-3
THE MESSIAH’S MISSION
[Luke 4: 18-19]
The Messianic Servant was appointed to bring the good news of God’s salvation to mankind. He would be empowered by the Spirit of YAHWEH to minister the accompanying blessings of salvation also. The Messiah’s most potent instrument for ministry would be the proclaimed Word. His work or ministry will establish righteousness and result in the exaltation of God.
Not only does the passage state the mission of Christ, it also relays the mission of the Church. What God did when He became flesh in Jesus Christ was to identified with man. Believers are to identify with Christ also. [We are to die to self, Satan, and the world by identifying with His death and we are to live life by identifying with the power of His resurrection.] The church and the believers who form it are to identify with Christ’s redemptive ministry, His redemptive purpose in the world today. These verses not only reveal the determined ministry of Jesus, they reveal the mission that church is to strive to follow and fulfill.
I. THE MINISTRY OF GROWTH, 1. [ BEING & BECOMING]
II. THE MINISTRY OF GRACE, 2. [& OPPORTUNITY]
III. THE MINISTRY OF GRANTING, 3. [& EXCHANGING]
When Jesus was thirty years old, He walked into a small synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He was invited to read from the scrolls. He found this passage before us and proclaimed His first message from it.
In verse 1 all three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned: the Spirit . . . the Sovereign Lord, and the Messiah. 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;
Having predicted in the preceding chapter the blessing that Zion will enjoy, Isaiah now prophecies of the One who will bring those blessings, the Messiah or Isaiah’s Suffering Servant.
These words that the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me can not be disassociate from that memorable scene at the Jordan, when, after the Lord’s baptism, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, rested Upon Him. After Jesus’ anointing He went into the wilderness. There He was tried and tempted such as no man had been before or since and had come forth triumphant because He followed the will of the Lord as revealed in the Word of the Lord. Surrendering completely to God’s will for your life and standing faithfully in temptation’s battles, is the necessary preparation for effective ministry. It is victory in these battles that causes us to walk in the power of the Spirit of God (Luke 4:14).
Even forty days of the fiercest temptation imaginable could not deprive Him of God’s holy anointing. He was really for spiritual ministry, to be on mission with God. Then He went to Galilee, stood up in the synagogue of Nazareth, and announced the anointing He had received & what His ministry would be because of the anointing of the Spirit of God.
If the Master needed it, how much more do we! If He did not attempt to bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, or the opening of the prison to the bound; if He would not preach, or comfort, or communicate joy, until that memorable unction had been imparted-how absurd it is for us to attempt similar works without this anointing of the Spirit of the Lord!
What a marvelous forecast we find here of the mission of Christ through His Church to the world during the present age. She is sent to take up and pass on this blessed ministry. It also reveals the true needs of mankind. The Word reveals the salient characteristics of a world full of the broken-hearted, of captives, prisoners, and mourners, needing divine assistance and deliverance. Man is so fallen and helpless that he needs the entire Trinity: The Lord God, the Father; Me, the Son; and The Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
Although the heavens did not open and speak, each of us recalls that time when Jesus came into our life by the Holy Spirit. We are gifted and empowered for life and for ministry by the same Spirit, if we have come underneath the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Why has God so anointed us? So that we might bring good news to the afflicted. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.
II. THE MINISTRY OF GRACE, 2.
Verse 2 the reason and the season of our proclamation of such great news. To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
The reason the Lord Jesus might proclaim such liberty is the same reason we also may. It is the time of grace, the favorable year of the Lord. How can a holy God grant such grace? The answer is in the work of the Servant (52:13-53:12). By Jesus’ dying for us on the Cross and making payment for our sin and then rising in power from the grave we can receive the grace of God. Our sins can be forgiven and our way of living can be transformed by the grace of God.
In the middle of verse 2, Jesus stopped reading after the word "favor" or grace (Luke 4:18, 19). Why did He stop there? Because the day of vengeance of our God doesn’t take place until His Second Coming. Jesus knew even as He began His ministry that He was involved in a two-phase mission -- coming first as the suffering Savior before He would return as the conquering King.
At least two thousand years stand between the year or season of mercy and of the day of vengeance. This time for repentance has been lengthen, since God desires not the sinner’s death, but that he should turn and live.
In Jesus’ First Advent He did the things mentioned in Isaiah 61:1-2a; in His Second Advent He will do the things in verses 2b-3. When He returns He will bring judgment on unbelievers (Micah 5:15; Rev. 19:15-20); this will be the day of God’s "vengeance" (Isa. 34:8; 35:4; 63:4).
But the Messiah will also "comfort" Israel, for she will have undergone great persecution, the Great Tribulation, in the preceding years (Dan. 7:21, 24-25; Rev. 12:13-17). It is a great source of comfort to anyone who is oppressed to know that the source of the oppression power will be broken and one day get exactly what it deserves.
Those who mourn for their own sin and for the ruined state of Zion will hear comforting words from the Messiah. Even more, they will be comforted by Him.
III. THE MINISTRY OF GRANTING, 3.
Verse 3 is an illustration and expansion of what has just been said, namely what form will God’s comfort take. To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
When the Messiah returns great changes will take place for believers. God’s word specifically states those in Zion or those in God’s house are going to get God’s special and specific attention. God will console those who mourn in Zion by changing believing Israel’s sadness to joy, a truth Isaiah mentioned frequently. In place of ashes, put on one’s head as a sign of mourning (2 Sam. 13:19; Es. 4:1; Dan. 9:3), they will wear a crown, a head piece of dignity, as He replaces mourning with joy.
God’s people who are in calamity, desolation, crisis situations, mourning, trouble hard times, or difficult circumstances will have His attention. And if there is anybody whose attention I want – it’s God. I want His eyes upon me. I want His ear tuned in to my cry. I want to be underneath the umbrella of His protection. I want to live in the secret place of the most high and abide under His wings.
The Bible says that Jesus will give us beauty for ashes. In Bible times it was the custom for the people of that day to in great times of mourning and difficulty lay in ashes. Just think about that. You’ve got a problem in your life and you just sit down in a pile of ashes. There is nothing beautiful about ashes.
But the scripture says God can take your difficult, disgusting, depressing and horrible situations and give you beauty for them. He is going to pick you up out of the ash pile of life and make something beautiful out of you.
The Hebrew word for ashes is epher and the Hebrew word for beauty is pheer. Just move the e and you have a new word. And just as quickly as it takes for you to move one letter God is going to turn your sorrow into joy. He speaks and it is already done.
You may feel like your life is ugly and insignificant right now. But sometimes things that appear ugly just need the right climate to grow. There is a species of century plant called the "Maguey". It grows for years with great course leaves as thick as two hands put together. It’s three inches thick and very long. It puts out sharp thorns and it’s just as ugly as can be. The longer it’s alive and the more it grows, it just gets uglier all the time. But suddenly it shoots up in just a couple of days and a great shaft tall and thick begins to grow. It decks it’s spreading head with thousands of flowers and becomes a beautiful plant.
The possibility of all that fragrant beauty was always in that detestable ugliness. Just as the fragrant beauty of your life is sometimes hidden underneath the calloused ritual. It is smothered by daily schedules and monotonous grind. Sometimes painful experiences cause beauty to come forth.
Isaiah said God will give you beauty for ashes. God knew you would be burnt by life’s experiences. But he also knew he could replace that burnt out mess with something beautiful.
Bill Gaither wrote the song that says:
Something beautiful something good
All my confusion Jesus understood
All I have to offer him is brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful out of my life.
God will also turn the tears of mourning into the Oil of Joy. Oil was used to apply to the face to make the face shine, instead of mourning which disfigures the face and the countenance and makes it unlovely. When in mourning no oil would be applied to the face so that people would know that person was in mourning.
Light olive oil, when applied to one’s face and hair, would soothe him and brighten his spirits (Pss. 23:5; 45:7 104:15; Ecc. 9:8; Mt. 6:17; Heb. 1:9), thus dispelling mourning. The Bible speaks of the Holy Ghost as being the comforter. Aren’t you glad for the Spirit of the Lord? He is the comforter.
The oil of joy is blessing of the Holy Spirit. He comes to sooth like oil and refresh like a well of living water. He comes to pour upon you "joy unspeakable and full of glory."
Additionally the failing spirit or the spirit of heaviness will give way to one on buoyant praise glorifying YAHWEH.
The spirit of heaviness. It includes: Inner hurts, depression, despair, dejection, hopelessness, broken hearted, suicidal tendencies, self pity, excessive mourning,
insomnia, sorrow or grief.
Listen to what else the Bible says in Isaiah 43:1-7.
PRAISE is powerful! No matter what difficulties we face, singing praises to our God can dispel Our despondency and bring us encouragement. That’s why every Christian should have a song of praise in his heart.
Troubled at his with a coldness of heart toward the things of the Lord, Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne would sing the praises of God until he felt revived in his spirit. One day, while he was trying to prepare his heart for preaching, he wrote in his journal:
"Is it the desire of my heart to be made altogether holy? . . . Lord, You know all things. . . . Felt much deadness, and much grief that J cannot grieve for this deadness. Toward evening revived. Got a calm spirit through psalmody (singing psalms] and prayer." McCheyne had been uplifted by praising God. Those in his household
were often able to tell what hour he awoke because he began the day with a psalm of praise.
Perhaps you feel as if you are mired in what John Bunyan called the slough of despondency. Lift a song of praise to the Lord! The Psalmist said, "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever (89:1). When we do that, the praise will flow not only from our lips but also from our hearts. What joy will then be ours! The Lord delights to give "the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness". If you find yourself wearing a spirit of heaviness, put on a garment of praise. Yes, "it is good to sing praises to our God" - at all times (Psalm 147:11)
We must literally cloth ourselves in praise. We must put it on. Every morning we decide what to wear. In the same way we must decide to put on the garment of praise.
In the Hebrew the word used for garment was more than something draped around the shoulders but it literally teaches us to wrap or cover ourselves in praise. The garment of praise is to leave no openings or holes which hostile spirits can penetrate.
When you are – Under heaviness¸ Depressed¸ In despair¸ Dejected¸ Have inner hurts, hopelessness, broken hearted then put on praise. It’s a matter of our will!!
Put on the garments of Praise. Hebrew word – tehillah – to sing praise. It is used in Psalm 22:3 where it says God inhabits the praise of his people. God manifest himself in the midst of exuberant singing.
The greatest result of what the Servant/Messiah will do is that His people will be oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord (60:21). Israel will be righteous (Isa. 54:14; 58:8; 60:21; 62:1-2) like stalwart oak trees. Such lives will display God’s splendor (35:2; 46:13; 49:3; 55:5; 60:9, 21; 62:3).
CONCLUSION
Following the vengeance of the Tribulation, God will comfort. He’ll give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, This speaks of the Millennium to be, sure, but also of our present situation. You see, a garment is something you can put on and takeoff. That’s the way praise is. You can decide to slip it on or cast it off. It’s a decision we make every day. When your spirit gets heavy, start praising and worshiping. Speak praise out loud. Sing songs of praise. Worship the Lord. The garment of praise or the spirit of heaviness? It’s our choice.
