#DailyDevotion What Is The Price Of The Servant’s Good News?

Isaiah 61 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me because the LORD anointed Me ²to tell good news to those who are suffering. He sends Me to bandage the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to announce a year when the LORD will accept people and a day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn, ³to provide for those who mourn in Zion, giving them a crown instead of ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning,  the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. a mantle of praise instead of a drooping spirit. They will be called “oaks of righteousness,” planted by the LORD to glorify Him. ⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins, set up the desolated buildings of those who lived here long ago, put up new cities on their ruins, and rebuild the places lying waste for generations.

Isaiah continues in his theme of Good News here in chapter 61 which started back in chapter 40. The question who is this “me” Isaiah is talking about. Well we know what is the answer because Jesus told us. But I would like to step back before Jesus told us for a moment. This “me” would appear to be the Servant throughout Isaiah. It all sounds so good here in sixty-one until you realize what it will take to bring about all the Good News in this chapter.

Isaiah 52, ¹⁴ …His appearance was more disfigured than any man and His form more than any person.” Isaiah 53, ²… “He had no form or beauty to make us want to look at Him; or pleasing appearance to make us delight in Him. ³He was despised, forsaken by men, a man of sorrows who knew suffering…He was despised… ⁴Surely He has taken on Himself our suffering and carried our sorrows… God had stricken, smitten, and afflicted Him. ⁵And certainly He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our sins; By His punishment, we were saved and by His wounds we were healed… the LORD has punished Him for the sins of us all.”It is only in these verses do we understand the price paid to bring about these wonderful words of chapter 61.

Now we know Jesus is the “me” here in this chapter. He told us so when he first preached in Luke chapter 4 in his home town of Nazareth. That was just before they decided to throw him off the cliff.  But here Jesus is proclaiming a day of the LORD’s favor. It has much in common with the Jubilee years of the Torah but it is better. Because this year Jesus’ announces lasts throughout eternity. It is not just a material liberty he is talking about but a spiritual one, though the physical is included. So Jesus does go about healing the sick, telling good news to those who are suffering. He frees those in bondage to sin and brings about the vengeance of God in his own flesh on the cross. We see those things Jesus gives to us when we hear we are accepted by the Father for his sake, “a crown, oil of joy, glory and a mantle of praise.” We will be like “oaks of righteousness” and glorify the Father. We do and receive these now in his grace. We shall see it more completely filled at the consummation of this age. Jesus in his visible ministry among us gave a foretaste of the Jubilee to come. Yet even now we experience it in our hearts as we experience Jesus’ forgiveness, love and mercy in our lives.

Heavenly Father, you sent your servant, your Son Jesus Christ to proclaim the Jubilee of the ages and to be the sacrifice to inaugurate it. Grant us faith to receive the good news, believe it and live it out in our daily lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.