SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 61
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God… [Isaiah 61:1-2]
This reading highlights the great turnaround that God will accomplish for the poor, the weak, the oppressed.
For a season, God allowed His nation to suffer under foreign domination, mainly because of their injustice, robbery, iniquity [Isaiah 61:8].
But the time is coming when God will avenge the cruel treatment of the underdog…
And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. [Isaiah 61:6]
Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed. [Isaiah 61:9]
The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me… He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”[Luke 4:17-21]
The significant thing here is not just that Jesus quotes this passage, but that He declares that He is the fulfillment of that passage.
Notice also that the passage is fulfilled “today”, meaning that it is fulfilled through Him.
But they are still under Roman domination, how can this be fulfilled?
Obviously Jesus knows the Romans are still in power, but He also knows that He is ‘something new’ in the world today; the Holy Spirit in Him is the turning point in world history.
But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. [Matthew 12:28-29]
The kingdom of God has come, the strong man has been bound, the prisoners are being set free.
Rome was not defeated and bound, but the ‘strong man’ behind Rome was defeated.
By His coming, by His life, by His death, by His resurrection and ascension – Satan has been defeated, and there is absolutely nothing he can do it about it.
Satan is defeated, and now every person can be transferred to Jesus’ kingdom.
Not everyone wants this, and many still live under Satan’s control, but they don’t have to.
Satan does not want this either, and though defeated, he is doing everything within his limited power to make it hard for us to leave his ‘house’.
The strong man is bound, but he still has use of his lies, and through deception and distraction and discouragement, he does what he can to dissuade us from leaving his control.
And many listen, many refuse Jesus’ help, many chase Him away (as did the people of Nazareth).
Will I choose to be free, will I accept the good news that I am free?
Will I stop listening to Satan’s lies and tricks, and start accepting Jesus’ words of hope and comfort?
PRAYER:
Lord, today I am free, then why do I linger by the door of Satan’s house? I am blessed in the Spirit, yet why do I live as if I am spiritually impoverished? Spirit of the Lord come upon me again today!