YEAR 2 WEEK 4: “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME….” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

ISAIAH 61:1-3 THE MINISTRY OF THE MESSIAH!

This was a prophecy spoken through the prophet Isaiah about the ministry of the Messiah!! In Luke 4:18-21 just before Jesus started His public ministry, He quoted from this passage saying “today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Just like our saviour Jesus, we too are called to now follow in His footsteps as He works in and through us to fulfil His purposes for His glory!!

1.THE SOURCE OF EMPOWERMENT FOR MINISTRY (vs 1)

Isaiah reveals from vs 1, that the source of empowerment by which the Messiah would minister, would be by the ANOINTING OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD! (See Acts 10:38)

In Acts 1:8, Jesus too, told His disciples that they would receive power to minister and share the gospel when The Holy Spirit came upon them!! The power and anointing of The Holy Spirit is for us today as well (1 John 2:20,27)!!

If GOD THE SON needed the anointing of The Holy Spirit before He started His ministry, how much more do we need Him!!

We need to be fully reliant on The Holy Spirit to be able to minister to others!!

2.THE PURPOSE FOR EMPOWERMENT (vs 1-3)

vs 1 tells us that the LORD HAS ANOINTED ME TO….

This reminds us that the anointing of The Holy Spirit on us is always for a bigger purpose!! The Holy Spirit doesn’t anoint each of us as Christian’s to just be a seat warmer in church, or to sit in a corner twiddling our thumbs, waiting for Jesus to come back again!! HE ANOINTS US FOR A PURPOSE!! (Acts 1:8, The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to be His witnesses/martyrs)

a) PREACH GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR.

The “good news” is the gospel (Mark 1:15, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 1:17) In the New Testament, the phrase “preach the gospel” is where we get the word “evangelise” from. This means that not only was Jesus, but we are anointed by The Holy Spirit to evangelise to the lost!!

According to Matthew 5:3, the POOR most probably refers to the “poor in spirit”, those who are broken and recognise their need for the saviour!!

b) BIND UP THE BROKEN-HEARTED (Psalm 34:18). Jesus came to bring healing to those who are broken in spirit and heart!! In Luke 5:30-31, Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick!!

c) PROCLAIM FREEDOM FOR THE CAPTIVES AND RELEASE FOR THE PRISONERS!!

We have all been captive to sin (Romans 6:6-18) and to satan (Hebrews 2:14-15) and have now been set free by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus!!

d) GIVE SIGHT TO THE BLIND!! Primarily this is referring to the spiritually blind!! (Revelation 3:17) This is what Jesus accused the Pharisees of being!! (Matthew 23:16,19,24,26)

d) PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOUR! This was based on the year of Jubilee in Israel. According to Leviticus 25:8-55, every 50th year was the year of Jubilee where captives were set free (vs 40-41), debts that people owed others were cancelled, lost property was REDEEMED (Leviticus 25:25)!!

e) COMFORT ALL WHO MOURN AND PROVIDE FOR THOSE WHO GRIEVE. This may primarily refer to those who are mourning over their sinfulness (James 4:8-9, Matthew 5:4) but can also refer to those of God’s people who are grieving over injustice that has happened to them and in general, just as Jesus comforted Mary and Martha at Lazarus’ funeral! (John 11:21-35)

3.THE OUTCOME OF THIS EMPOWERED MINISTRY!

vs 3- “THAT HE MAY BE GLORIFIED.”

In whatever ministry and all that we do, it should always be for the glory of God!! (1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 5:16)

This was the outcome of Jesus’ ministry!!

MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT ANOINT US AND EMPOWER US TO BE ABLE TO LIVE OUT THE MINISTRY JESUS HAS CALLED US TO, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER!