“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Isaiah 61:1-2a ESV).
Isaiah prophesied to Israel of the coming Messiah (“Messiah” is Hebrew for the “Anointed One.” In Greek it is “Christos” or “Christ.”). Around 700 years after its writing, the first part of Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled. For Jesus Christ had come.
After Jesus was baptized and spent 40 days in the wilderness being tested, he returned to His hometown of Nazareth. There He attended the local synagogue as was His custom. As He stood up in the synagogue, He was handed the scroll of Isaiah to read. Turning to the passage above, He read it aloud and then declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
Jesus stopped reading at “the year of the Lord’s favor.” By stopping before the mention of “the day of vengeance,” Jesus emphasized that His mission at His first coming was to bring good news, healing, and liberty—not condemnation or judgment. Yet there is a Day coming when Christ will return. And at His second coming, the rest of Isaiah’s messianic prophecy will be fulfilled.
The people of Nazareth were confused and angered by Jesus’ messianic claim and drove Him out of the town. But many others in Israel believed. How have you responded to His claim? Is Christ welcome or rejected in your hometown? In your house? In your heart?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we have believed in Jesus as the Anointed One that Isaiah and the other prophets proclaimed. He has fulfilled the first part and will soon return to fulfill the rest. We have believed His good news and been set free from sin. And we have confident hope in His soon return. In Jesus’ name, amen.