Sunday, January 22, 2017

Messianic anointing and mission

I love the passage in Luke 4, where Jesus reads the scroll from Isaiah 61:

Luke 4:18‭-‬19 NIV
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,  because he has anointed me  to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners  and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lordʼs favor."

Previously, I've been frustrated by some of the subtle differences between Luke 4 and Isaiah 61, but today I feel some resolve as I took time to study the meanings of the Hebrew words.

Isaiah 61:1‭-‬3 NIV
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim 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 LORDʼs favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,  and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called [terebinths] of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

I'm trying to consider the application of Isaiah's prophecy to the Israelites and possible connection with Jesus quotation in Luke 4, though Jesus' quote ends with Is 61:2.  But considering verse 3, if Zion represents the dwelling place of the king and a key place of worship of God, and if we can extend Isaiah 61 to all of those who are disciples of the Messiah and long to see Him fully revealed and established as the King to be worshipped, then perhaps people are grieving in Zion because of the tension between the "now and the not-yet"?

Praise the Lord that we are part of the crescendo!  Let's abide and work for more "now"!

Heavenly Father, thank you for calling me to be a disciple of the Messiah, and thank you for sharing His anointing and mission with us.  Lord, may I faithfully abide with you to know your will and do it. I want to live out Isaiah 61:1-3 like Jesus did, and even more, because that is what He promised. Holy Spirit, I know that you are upon me, and you have sent me.  May I be faithful to keep in step with you.  I love you, and I ask in the name of Jesus.

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