The Mission Of The Savior Series

Luke 4:14-21 [14]And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. [15]And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. [16]And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. [17]And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, [18]"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, [19]to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." 20]And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. [21]And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (ESV)

• Jesus explained that Isaiah summarized His mission. Christmas is about understanding why Jesus came. His incarnaiton, His first coming deals with the year of the Lord’s favor. Jesus stopped his reading before the section in Isaiah on vengeance. This is reserved for when He comes again, His second coming (cf. Mt. 25:31–46; Acts 17:31; 2 Thes. 1:6–8).

“Vengeance,” although paralleled with “redemption” in v. 4 of Isaiah, clearly has destruction of enemies in view in the larger context.

It is a great source of comfort to anyone who is oppressed to know that the source of the oppression will one day get exactly what it deserves, and that its power will be broken.

Those who mourn for their own sin and for the ruined state of Zion will hear words of comfort from the Messiah; but, more than that, they will be comforted by him. God declares a year of favor, that He will accept them in spite of their sin. That is indeed a word of comfort. Yet how can a holy God do that? The answer is the work of the Servant (cf. 52:13–53:12). God is reconciled and his people need mourn for their sins no more. Sin and death are defeated, and one day their power will finally be broken, and all mourning ended forever.

Thirdly, he has come:

Isaiah 61:3 [3]to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. (ESV)

There is a play on the sound and meaning of the Hebrew words, peer, epher, literally, “ornamental headdress” or tiara (Ez 24:17), worn in times of joy, instead of a headdress of “ashes,” cast on the head in mourning (2Sa 13:19) (Jamieson, Robert ; Fausset, A. R. ; Fausset, A. R. ; Brown, David ; Brown, David: A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, S. Is 61:3).

The text here is an illustration and an expansion of what has just been said in the previous verse: the mourners in Zion will be comforted. The picture of the mourner, with ashes on the head, wrapped in clothes of mourning (sackcloth), with a faint spirit crushed by despair, is replaced by celebratory dress: a beautiful headdress, smelling of costly oil, the oil of gladdness, and wearing a garment of praise. This last phrase could be interpreted either as a garment whose beauty is an expression of praise to God, or a garment that excites praise.