Isaiah 61:1-2

Isaiah 61:1-2

Luke 4:16-30; 7:22

To Isaiah’s original audience, these words brought great national comfort with the hope of Yhwh’s kingdom being established. 

1. Isaiah, under the Spirit’s inspiration, looks forward to how the suffering Servant of chapter 52-53 will implement the kingdom of God. 
2. As comforting as this message was for their national interests, it would also create some discomfort when Jesus preaches the chapter because this good news has a much broader scope than Israel’s national interests. 

Part of Israel’s challenge was their inability to think beyond their national identity and national health to the global work of God to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham. 

This failure to look beyond their national identity leads to Israel’s over-reach in seeking their prosperity through a multitude of efforts and things that will lead to their discipline from Yhwh.  

Extra:

Outline of the content of Isaish 61

1. Isaiah 61:1-3 Messiah’s Mission: Good news to the least in all nations.

2. Isaiah 61:4-7 Messiah’s People: Priests of Yhwh

3. Isaiah 61:8-11 Messiah’s Joy in God’s Salvation

Isaiah 61:1-2a

NOTE: Jesus will often use what some refer to as “remez”, a teaching technique in which he quotes the first portion of a passage with the expectation that his disciples or audience knows the rest of the passage.

Example: Psalm 22:1 quoted in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34…

1. The Holy Spirit has empowered Yhwh’s servant. 
2. “Bring good news” is the exact same word used in Isaiah 40:9-11 “herald of good news”.

1. The good news is proclaimed to the poor…those often overlooked. 
2. The good news proclaims that God binds up those whose hearts are broken.
3. The good news proclaims that those who are captive are to be liberated.
4. The good news proclaims that those in prison are to be released.
5. The good news proclaims the restoration of everyone’s rightful possessions. 

The year of Yhwh’s favor is the year of jubilee from Leviticus 25:10. 

NOTE: That likely does not sound like good news to many of our ears. This is God’s universe, and God does things his way. You might have a better way, but you odn’t have a universe. – J. Vernon McGee

This is such GOOD NEWS, so why do the people in Luke 4 move from fawning over the goodness of this news to wanting to throw Jesus off the cliff?

Let’s Answer Our Question By Looking At  How Jesus Preaches and Applies His Word in Luke 4:16-30 and Luke 7:22-23

Luke 7:22-23 (ESV) And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

1. Jesus has done what his word says he will do. 
   1. But Jesus is not going to do that for John. 
2. Jesus reported to John the Baptist that what had been promised was being fulfilled, and yet would not be temporally and physically applied to him, but to others who were in need, therefore, blessed would John be for not being offended by his divine mission to not rescue him while seeking to rescue others who did not have access to what he knew. 
   1. Blessed John would be in his death rather than his rescue because the mission has been accomplished and John would rise again to his reward. 
3. Jesus’ preaching, practice, and application offended his hometown and nation because of the divine mission to expand the borders and include outsiders as was God’s intended mission and practice did not find a place in their hearts like it did John’s. 

Why does Jesus leave off the end of verse 2 in his preaching in Luke 4?

1. Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension fulfill all things.
2. All things’ revelation and application in human history are a matter of God’s dispensing according to his eternal plan. Jesus’ first coming was not the time for Revelation 19 justice just yet.
3. Advent reminds us Jesus has come. 
4. Advent also reminds us that Jesus is coming again 

What Do We Learn From This Advent Scripture?

1. The good news is really good. 
2. The scope of the good news is all nations and must not be hoarded. 
3. The message of Advent has an apostolic edge to it.
4. Don’t be offended like Jesus’ hometown if he does not do for you and me what he will do for those who don’t have access to what I have access to. 
5. The message of Advent also reminds us that Jesus is coming again to bring to fruition what he has fulfilled, and this time it will be Revelation 19 justice. Isaiah 61:2b
6. The message of Advent reminds us to not take the good news for granted and therefore to stay on mission. 

How can we stay on mission right now?: Pray together for the mission. 

Ezekiel 36:37-38

1. “Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” – Ezekiel 36:37-38
   1. Increase our people.
   2. Increase our holiness.
   3. Increase our sending.