The holy spirit proclaims freedom for the captives

THE HOLY SPIRIT PROCLAIMS FREEDOMFOR
THE CAPTIVES
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
NOTE. Jesus was anointed to do this, and the Holy Spirit continues to work through the
body of Christ to continue this ministry to proclaim freedom for the captives. Jesus is our
ultimate example of what the Holy Spirit wills for us to do. We have studied some of these
examples of Jesus, but in this study we are going to forcus on to proclaim freedom for the
captives.
Isaiah61:1-3 1The Spirit of the SovereignLORD is on
me, because the LORD has anointedme to proclaim
good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaimfreedom for the captives
and releasefrom darkness for the prisoners, 2to
proclaimthe year of the LORD's favorand the day of
vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and
providefor those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on
them a crown of beauty insteadof ashes, the oil of joy
insteadof mourning, and a garment of praiseinstead
of a spiritof despair. They will be calledoaks of
righteousness, a plantingof the LORD for the display
of his splendor.

BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Jesus proclaims liberty to the captives
T. Boston.
I. MEN'S NATURAL STATE. A state of captivity. They are captives to Satan
(2 Timothy 2:26).
II. CHRIST'S WORK WITH RESPECTTO THEM. To proclaim liberty to
them.
(T. Boston.)
Liberty for Satan's captives
R. Macculloch.
I. SINNERS IN THEIR UNREGENERATESTATE ARE SATAN'S
CAPTIVES.
II. JESUS CHRIST, WITH THE EXPRESS CONSENTOF HIS FATHER,
HAS ISSUED HIS ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY TO SATAN'S
CAPTIVES.
(R. Macculloch.)
The sinner's captivity
R. Macculloch.
The properties of it. It is —
1. A spiritual captivity, a captivity of the soul.

2. Universal. It extends to all the powers and faculties of the soul, the inner
marl.
3. A hard and sore captivity.
4. A perpetual captivity. This conqueror will never quit his captives, unless
they be taken from him by Almighty power.
5. A voluntary captivity, and thus the more hopeless. Thoughthey were taken
in war, and born captives, yet now he is their master by their own consentand
choice, while they choose to serve the devil, and cannot be brought to give
themselves to the Lord. It is a bewitching captivity.
(R. Macculloch.)
The Gospelproclamation
R. Macculloch.
1. It is a jubilee proclamation(Leviticus 25:10).
2. It is a conqueror's proclamation to captives. Satanwarred against
mankind, he carried them all captive into his ownkingdom; and there was
none to deliver out of his hand. But King Jesus had engagedhim, routed all
his forces, overturnedhis kingdom, and takenthe kingdom to Himself
(Colossians2:15;1 John 3:8). And now being settledon His throne, His royal
proclamation is issued, that Satan's captives may again return into the
kingdom of God.
(R. Macculloch.)
Liberty to the captive.
EssexCongregationalRemembrancer.
Our Lord Himself directs us to considerHim as speaking in these words.
I. THE DEPLORABLE OBJECTSHE REGARDS. Captives. This slavery —

1. So universal as to our species.
2. Dreadful in its operations upon the individual. Voluntary, and submitted to
as though it were a blessing rather than a curse.
4. Diversifiedas to the degree ofits influence and the manner of its operations.
5. Cruel in its presenteffects and inconceivablymore wretched in its final
results. Men are guilty as well as enslaved.
II. THE GRACIOUS DESIGN OF THE OFFICE WHICH HE SUSTAINS.
To effect deliverance for the captives. To this He is consecratedby the Spirit
of the Lord.
1. By Him the claims of justice are perfectly satisfied.
2. Christ dissolves or breaks the powerwhich leads us captive.
3. He induces the captive to acceptdeliverance whenit is offered to him.
4. He renders their deliverance permanent, and prevents them from being
againentangled in the yoke of bondage.
III. THE CORRESPONDINGMANNER IN WHICH HIS GRACIOUS
DESIGN IS TO BE MADE KNOWN. By proclamation.
1. It indicates that His office and its designare to be made universally known.
2. It is intended to excite universal attention — to create the most deep and
lively interest. It is a proclamation which at once demands and deserves
attention.
3. It shows that deliverance is to be effectedin a way perfectly consistentwith
the freedom of human agency.
4. It is in such a way as to secure the glory of their deliverance to Him who
thus proclaims it.
(EssexCongregationalRemembrancer.)

Jesus the Liberator
J. Vaughan, M. A.
It is a blessedname of Jesus, and as true as it is blessed — the Liberator. We
can scarcelyconceive anything grander, or more delightful, than to be always
going about making everything free. To this end, Christ first liberated
Himself.
1. As in Him there was no sin, He never indeed could know the worstof all
bondage — the bondage of the spirit to the flesh. But He did know the
restraints of fear; He did feelthe harassing of indecision; He did experience
the irksomenessofthe sense ofa body too narrow for the largenessofHis
soul; and He did go through the contractions ofall that is material, and the
mortifying conventionalities oflife — for He was hungry, thirsty, weary, sad,
and the sport of fools. From all this Christ freed Himself — distinctly,
progressively, He freed Himself. Step by step, He led captivity captive. He
made for Himself a spiritual body which, in its ownnature, and by the law of
its being, soaredat once beyond the trammels of humanity. Therefore He is
the Liberator, because He was once Himself the Prisoner.
2. And all Christ did, and all Christ was, upon this earth — His whole mission
— was essentiallyeither to teachor to give liberty. His preaching was, for the
most part, to change the constraint of law into the largeness oflove. Every
word He said, in private or in public, proved expansion.
3. When Christ burst through all the tombs — the moral tombs and the
physical tombs in which we all lay buried — and when He went out into life
and glory, He was not Himself alone — He was at that moment the
covenantedHead of a mystical body, and all that body rose with Him. If so be
you have union with Christ, you are risen; bondage is past; you are free.
(J. Vaughan, M. A.)
The opening of the prison to them that are bound.
Sinners worse than captives

T. Boston.
1. They are also prisoners. Every captive is not a prisoner, but all natural
men, being Satan's captives, are held prisoners.
2. They are prisoners in chains, bound in the prison.
3. They are blinded too in their prison (compare Luke 4:18). It was a custom
much used in the Easternnations to put out the eyes of some of their
prisoners, adding this misery to their imprisonment. So the Philistines did
with Samson(Judges 16:21);and. Nebuchadnezzarwith Zedekiah (2 Kings
25:7). This, in a spiritual sense, is the case ofall prisoners in their natural
state.
(T. Boston.)
Causes ofsinners' imprisonment
T. Boston.
1. As debtors to Divine justice.
2. As malefactors condemnedin law (John 3:18).
(T. Boston.)
Satan's bands
T. Boston.
1. The band of prejudices.
2. Of ill company.
3. Of earthly-mindedness.
4. Of unbelief.
5. Of slothfulness.

6. Of delays(Acts 24:25).
7. Of delusion (Isaiah 44:20;Revelation3:17).
8. Of divers lusts (2 Timothy 3:6).
(T. Boston.)
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Freedomfor Captives
So, what is this GoodNews we are to proclaim? First off, we are to bind up
the brokenhearted. To bind up a wound is to dress the wound. The dressing is
“usedby a personfor application to a wound to promote healing and/or
prevent further harm” (Wikipedia). A person who is brokenheartedis one
who is overcome by grief or despair. In context, it appears that this is
speaking ofones who are overcome by grief concerning sin, i.e. it appears they
are sorrowfuland repentant over their sin, though it may not be limited to
just their sin. Still, the solution is the same. Jesus Christ, his blood shed on the
cross for our sins, and his salvationis the dressing for our wounds. To bind
means to secure. Whenwe are secure in Christ, he brings healing to our
wounds, our hurts and our suffering. He heals our sin sick souls, he delivers us
out of bondage to sin, and he sets us free. Amen!
We are to proclaim freedom for the captives and release fromdarkness for
the prisoners;to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and
from the powerof Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness ofsins
and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus (See Ac.
26:16-18). This means we teachthem that coming to Christ means death to
sin, new lives in Christ Jesus, andwalking in Christ’s righteousness and
holiness, all in the powerand working of the Spirit within them (See Ro. 6-8;
Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-4; & 1 Jn. 1-5). It means we teachthem that God’s grace

is not a free license to continue in willful sin, but his grace teachesus to say
“No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlledand
upright lives while we wait for Christ’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). And, it
means that we teachthat Christ died for our sins so that we would no longer
live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15).
UNKNOWN
"FreedomForPrisoners"
Contributed by RobertLeroe on Jul 16, 2002
| 5,688 views
Scripture: Isaiah61:1-2, Luke 4:18
Denomination: Congregational
Summary: As we envision the Nativity-—the baby Jesus surrounded by his
parents, shepherds and wise men—-let’s remind ourselves that our Lord came
to suffer and set captives free.
"Freedomfor Prisoners"
Rev Dr Robert Leroe, Cliftondale CongregationalChurch, Saugus,
Massachusetts
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let’s also be aware of how He beganHis
ministry. Jesus readthese words from Isaiah, and applied them to Himself:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me...He has sent
me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” (Isaiah61:1-2, Luke 4:18).
It was December1944.GermanLutheran PastorDietrichBonhoefferwas
celebrating his last Christmas on the earth. He was only 39 years old. He had

spokenpublicly againstthe Nazi regime, and was promptly arrestedand sent
to prison. He would not survive the war. As Christmas approached,
Bonhoeffersatalone in his cell with his journal. And the thought occurred to
him:
“How like being in a prison cell is the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. We
putter around inside our stone walls and iron bars, and we long to be free. But
the door is locked, and it canonly be openedfrom the outside.” Bonhoeffer’s
best-knownbook is The Costof Discipleship. Being a disciple of Christ
ultimately costBonhoefferhis life. A faith not worth dying for isn’t worth
living for.
In Acts 16 we witness an amazing event—-Paul and Silas are floggedand
thrown into prison. At midnight sent an earthquake that shook the foundation
of the prison and everyone’s chains came loose. Godwas freeing these two
preachers. Whatis striking is what these two men were doing just before the
earthquake—theywere praying and singing hymns to God (vs 25). They were
free even in prison, under the worstof circumstances.
The Apostle Paul reveals that sin has enslavedus—we are the prisoners of sin
until Christ sets us free. That’s why He came to this world. To unlock and
open the door. Our being set free costChrist everything.
Every Christmas we participate in the Angel Tree ministry of Prison
Fellowship. We purchase and deliver gifts for the children of prisoners. And
we pray that those in prison find inner freedom by knowing Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.”
I workedin an Army prison in the late 70’s, and have visited people in state
correctionalfacilities. I gave regular briefings to new prisoners. I suggested
that perhaps God was using this crisis experience to “gettheir attention”.
Everyone agreed, but usually someone added, “I wish He had tried something
else!” I had an answerfor that inevitable reply. I stated, “Perhaps He did, but
you weren’t listening.” I’ve spokenwith prisoners who were free on the inside.
They were set free through trust in Christ.

My neighbor, a retired pastor, recently said to me that people are “enslaved
by what they give power to.” Peterwrote in his 2nd Epistle, “A man is a slave
to whatever has masteredhim” (2:19). We often seek to escapereality only to
find ourselves in prisons of indifference, materialism, and mindless recreation,
and we look back to the freedom Christ made possible, an inner freedom that
helps us to be victorious regardless ofour circumstances. In Galatians Paul
affirms, “It is for freedom that Christ has setus free. Stand firm, then, and do
not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (5:1). Freedomis
life controlledby truth and motivated by love. Bondage is life controlledby
lies and motivated by self-interest.
The popular Christmas carol, “Go Tell It On The Mountain” is an African-
American spiritual. Another version of the song tells of the Jewishbondage in
Egypt: “Go tell it on the mountain, to let my people go.” Bothversions speak
of freedom by people who were cruelly treatedas property, people who clung
to the promises of God and had hope that at leastin the next world they would
be truly free. One verse of the song declares, “OnceI was a seeker;I sought
both night and day. I askedthe Lord to help me, and He showedme the
Way.”
In the 3rd Century A.D. the Roman Emperor Diocletianordered a brutal
persecutionof all Christians. Thousands were imprisoned, tortured and
martyred. Among them was Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of the Mediterranean
city of Myra. Nicholas was finally releasedfrom prison when the Emperor
Constantine became a followerof Christ. Nicholas’experience in prison made
him compassionate towardthe poor and downtrodden. His generous acts of
kindness, especiallyto children, are remembered every Christmas, as gifts are
given to children on December6th, the anniversary of Nicholas’death. In
Europe children put their shoes outside their front door and wake the next
morning to find them filled with treats.
NationalPublic Radio interviewed Mark Scott Friday morning, a convicted
murderer who found faith in Christ while in prison. After serving out his
sentence, he now works for an organization that seeks to help prisoners find
hope in Christ. Mark describedhow Christ enteredhis life, like a light in a
dark room. For Mark, Christmas is a time for secondchances.

Back in 1985 I met Rear Admiral and US SenatorJeremiahDenton; I was
conducting the wedding of his son at Fort Story, VA. Denton served as a Navy
pilot assignedto the USS Independence during the Vietnam War. He was shot
down during a mission and captured by the North Vietnamese. He spent the
next sevenyears as a POW at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”, four in solitary
confinement. He refused to denounce his government during a televised
interview; instead, he blinked his eyes in Morse code, spelling out the word
“torture”, which confirmed that American POWs were being mistreated.
What got him through was, in his own words, “totalsurrender to God.” He
kept a cross fashionedout of broom straws hidden in his cell, a gift from
another prisoner. When a guard found the cross during a searchhe shredded
it, spat on it and ground his heel into it. Dentonsaid, “It was the only thing I
owned.” Two Vietnamese workers saw whathappened and made him a new
cross, betterthan the one that was destroyed. The workers couldhave been
severelypunished for this actof good-will. Admiral Denton explained, “Jesus
was with me all the time.”
Another prisoner we may recallat Christmas is Katherine Koob, who was one
of the 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for more than a year. How was she
able to survive? How did she maintain courage andsanity? How did she stand
the separationand fear? We don’t have to guess—Katherine gave the world
the answerwhen her captors gave her a chance to speak to her family and
friends by way of television. She sang a song:“Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask
Thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray.” Katherine Koob not
only survived captivity, she saidshe “felt good” about it, because she knew
where God was—He was with her. She knew that the One who dwelt among
us now can dwell with us.
The Jewishnation found comfort in knowing their deliverer was coming, to
liberate them from despair. When oppressed, they lookedforward to the
coming of the Messiah. He came, as promised, in a manger in Bethlehem.
After being in heaven, this world must have seemedlike a prison to Jesus. He
entered a vile, sinful world. He was ridiculed, rebuked, and rejected. He was

God in the flesh, yet His ownreceivedHim not. As we envision the Nativity-—
the baby Jesus surrounded by his parents, shepherds and wise men—let’s
remind ourselves that our Lord came to suffer and set captives free.
61:1-4 ISAIAH
3. What is the “milk of nations”? 4. Which Zion would experience the
cessationofviolence? 5. Are verses 19-20 speakingliterally or figuratively? 6.
What are the two aspects ofrighteousness the people of Zion
7. What was the time Jehovahchose to create New Zion? shall have?
B. REJOICING OF ZION, CHAPTER 61
1. FREEDOM
TEXT: 61:l-4
1 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovahis upon me; because Jehovahhath anointed
me to preachgoodtidings unto the meek;he hath sent me to bind up the
broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound; , 2 to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor,
and the day of vengeance ofour God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 to appoint
unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of
joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit cc heaviness;that they
may be called trees of righteousness,1 le planting of Jehovah, that he may be
glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, theyshall raise up the former
desolations, andthey shall repair the waste cities, th.e desolations ofmany
generations.
QUERIES
,a. Who is “me” in verse one? b. What is the “yearof Jehovah’s favor”? c.
How shall the “desolationsofmany generations” be rebuilt?

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FREEDOM61:1-4
PARAPHRASE
The Servant says, The SovereignGodwill send Me in all the fulness of His
SovereignSpirit because His mission for Me is to deliver the messageofthe
goodnews of redemption. The Spirit of God upon Me will be the sign that I
come with His authority. My mission is to heal men who have been broken in
heart and spirit by sin, to declare liberation for all those who have been made
prisoners of sin and to announce that the time Jehovahhas setin His schedule
to be gracious andcon- ciliatory toward sinful man has arrived. Yes, I am to
be sent to comfort and strengthen all who are mourning in Zion for spiritual
help. I am going to give them a crownof beauty in exchange for the ashes of
affliction they have had to suffer, anointing of My Spirit for joy in exchange
for their mourning; I am going to wrap them in divine praise and take away
their heaviness of heart. I am going to do this so that My New Zion may be
establishedand stabilized like firmly rooted trees. After I have done this no
winds or storms of affliction shall uproot them. The ancient house of Israel
which for hundreds and hundreds of years has been in ruin and disarray will
be rebuilt by these people whom I will liberate from the prison- house of sin.
-
COMMENTS
v. 1-2 MESSAGE:The “me” of verse one can be none other than the Servant
of Jehovah, the Messiah. We have divine sanctionfor that verified by the
Servant Himself in the synagogue ofNazareth (Lk. 4:21). Jesus readthese
verses from the scrollof Isaiahand applied them directly to His own incarnate
ministry by saying, “Todaythis scripture has been fulfilled in your ears.” The
Greek peplerotaiis perfect tense for has been fulfilled and would read more
literally, has been and is coiztiizuiiag to be filfilled. From the moment Jesus
was born until the Christian dispensationshall close and the gospelcease
409

61:1-4 ISAIAH
to be preached, what Isaiahwrote in these verses is being fulfilled. And the
Servant is the source ofit all. The Hebrew reads, much adonuy yehoih, or
literally, spirit of Lord Jehovah. Adonay is the Hebrew word which suggests
Judge or Master. It is like kurios in Greek. Yehoih is translatedJehovah and
suggestsCovenant-Revealer. This combination of divine char- acterwas the
much (Spirit) which was upon Jesus. Godgave His Spirit to Jesus without
measure (Jn. 3:34). The reasonJesus neededthis full anointing of the
Godheadwas His mission to a world of rebel‘prisoners enslaved by a
supernatural devil. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38)so
that in Jesus dwelt all the fulness of the Godheadbodily (Col. 1:19; 2:9). To
anoint (the Hebrew word mashuh is anoint and is the word from which we get
Messiah)meant to crownas king-to give authority. Jesus’authority to
proclaim “goodtidings from heaven” was demonstrated by the miracles and
signs confirm- ing His deity. He demonstratedHe had authority on earth to
forgive sins by making the lame to walk and giving sight to the blind and
raising the dead. The Hebrew word for meek is ‘anah and means afSlicted,
oppressed, ravished, miserable, poor. This is an excellent word to describe
those who know they are in need of help. It indicates the kind of person who
would be glad to hear goodnews from God. Jesus pronounceda blessing upon
those who were “poorin spirit” (Mt. 53-12), Brokenheartedis from the
Hebrew shavar meaning fractured, distressed, sorrowing. This is why the
Servant is sent to those who are mourning-sin has fractured their lives- they
are disintegrating. Jesus was sentto bring them wholeness and to “bind them
up.” The Servant came to announce liberty to the captives and release to those
who were bound. The Hebrew word for liberty is deror and was used in
connectionwith the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:lO; Ezek. 46:17, etc.)when bond-
slaves were setfree and land taken in payment for debts was returned to its
original owners. The Mosaic “YearofJubilee” was evidently intended to
typify the messianic time. Christ came to “bind” our jailor (the devil) and free
us (Mt. 12:25-30;Heb. 214-15;
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FREEDOM61:1-4

I Jn. 3:8-9; Rev. 2O:l-6). We have allowedSatan, by choosing sin, lo imprison
us in falsehood, lawlessness, fearand selfish- ness. The Servant of God sets us
free from that prison (see SpecialStudy on “Liberty Is Not License”). The
Hebrew word for Jubilee is yovil, from yaval, which means, protractedsound
of the truniyet, signifying that a very important, “once-in-a-lifetime”
announcement is about to be made. Of course, most of the Jews expected
Jesus in the synagogue atNazareth(Lk. 4:16-30)to interpret this physically.
That was the traditional interpretation of the rabbis (see comments on Isa.
53). When Jesus talkedof “food” they wanted bread and fish; when He talked
of “wholeness” theywanted limbs restored; when He talked of “freedom” they
wanted foreignrulers driven from their land. But circumstances are not what
constitute the Kingdom of God-it is character, (Rom. 14:17). Hebrew gara
means proclainz, callout, shout, cry, surnmo?~. The Servant became The
Prophet, The Apostle. He was sent not only to live a godly life and to do
miraculous things; He was sent to preach and teachthe will of God for every
other individual in the world. That was really His fundamental mission-
accomplishing atonement and preaching the gospel. His miracles were simply
means to that end. The Hebrew word ratzah is translated.favor (or
acceptable)and means deligh@l, pleasurable, gracious. The Servantcame to
announce the precise time God chose in His divine schedule of redemption to
accomplishHis grace towardman. In the filizess of time God sentforth His
Son . . . (Gal. 4:4). The Servant of the Lord was anointedto “summon” all
men to the “year” (or appointed time) of the Lord’s pleasure or conciliation.
And the day of vengeance was part of the Servant’s announcement. All
through the O.T. prophets, in highly figurative language, Godpromises (in the
“lastdays” of the O.T. dispensation) He is going to defeatHis foes in one great
battle (Joel2:30- 3:21; Ezek. 38:1-39:29;Zech. 9:9-10:12; 12:l-14;14:l- 21;
etc.), and give His people victory. That greatbattle was at Calvary and the
greatvictory over Satanwas there and at the enzpty tonzb. The principalities
and powers were “triumphed
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61~1-4 ISAIAH

over publicly and shamed” at the cross (Col. 2:15); when He ascendedon high
He led captivity captive (Eph, 4:8). Of course, the final and consummate
vengeance ofGod will come at the end of this “year” of grace (end of the
Christian dispensation, which are the last days, or end of all ages, ICor.
10:ll). But this “year” is the only “year” Godhas sent His Servant to
announce. Now is the acceptable time . . Today is the day of salvation! (cf. I1
Cor. 6:l-2). The defeat of God’s enemies and His victory is the source of
comfort for Zion. The Hebrew word nakham (translated comfort) is very
appropriate here for it means consoled, eased, freed. v. 3-4 MISSION:The
Hebrew word phe’er, translated gar- lalzd, means more precisely, an
ornamental headdress, or adorning tiara. The Servant-Messiahaccomplishes
more than conquest-He brings coronationto His people (cf. Rom. 8:31- 39).
He makes it possible for believers to “sit with Him in the heavenly places”
(Eph. 2:6). His followers are crownedand reign with Him over death and all
other circumstances. (cf. I Cor. 59-13;Heb. 11:7; I Cor. 3:21-22;Rev. 5:lO).
The Servant arioints His followers with “the oil of gladness” by the ’anointing
of the Holy Spirit (cf. I1 Car. 1:21; I Jn. 2:26- 27)‘ which is the indwelling
presence ofthe Holy Spirit and ayment” on the believer’s future inheritance
(cf. h is from the root ‘ataph meaning , cloak, veil. A man may, so to speak,
wrap himself in his hurhan moods as a defense mechanism. Human moods
and emotions are no protection; they are capri- cious, vulnerable to
circumstances and temporal. Instead of h moods which are so manipulative
and conducive to d the.’Servantwill wrap His followers in a protective cloak
of praise. If our lives are wrapped in praise to Jehovahwe are protectedfrom
the manipulative capriciousnessofhuman emotions which are so subject to
circumstances. The objectof our heark’s3desiresandhopes is The Almighty,
NeverVarying, Always Faithful God and so we do not ever need to despair
(cfi I1 Cor. 1:8-11). The Servant will dress His people up richly like the father
dressedthe prodigal sonwhen he
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returned home (cf. Lk. 1522-24). All the despairand heaviness will be
forgottenwhen the Messiahbrings God’s sons home! The Messiahwill give

His followers beauty (righteousness)andstability (trees, planting of Jehovah)
(cf. Psa. 1:1-3). The messianic people are going to be establishedas God’s
people and nothing can “snatchthem out of the Shepherd’s hand” (cf. Jn.
10:27-28). No human, no spiritual power, no circum- stance cantake away
their beauty. All this, of course, brings glory lo the one so clothed, but
ultimately to the One doing the dressing. The realglory went to the father of
the prodigal because he exhibited such mercy, love and forgiveness. The
Servant’s followers will build up the ancientruins. The house (tabernacle,
dynasty, family) of David was in ruins. David’s house was the house of
messianic destiny. David’s throne was the throne reservedfor the Messiah.
But those who were sitting on David’s throne in the days of the prophets
scornedand usurped its messianic destiny. They violently rebelled against
God’s purposes for this throne of David and had brought it to shame and
ruin. Amos predicted that the house of David (tabernacle of David) would be
rebuilt (Amos 9: 11-12). Amos’ prophecy was fulfilled when the Gentiles were
brought into the messianic kingdom (the church) (cf. Acts 15:1 2-21). We have
already commented on this “rebuilding” (cf. Isa. 59:10, etc.). The church is
built as a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:22); Christians are living
stones built into a spiritual house (I Pet. 2:4-8).
I
QUIZ
1. What proof do we have that this is a messianic prophecy? 2. What
characteris suggestedin the “Spirit” by which the Servant is anointed? 3.
Who are the “meek”? 4. Whatkind of liberty will the Messiahbring? 5. What
is the “garmentof praise”? 6. How will the Messiah’s followers rebuild the
ruins of genera-
413
tions?
615-7 ISAIAH
2. FORTUNE

TEXT: 61:s-7
5 And strangers shallstand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your
plowman and your vinedressers. 6 But ye shall be named the priests of
Jehovah;men shall call you the ministers of our God:’ ye shall eat the wealth
of the nations, and in their glory shall ye boastyourselves. 7 Instead of your
shame ye shall have double; and insteadof dishonor they shall rejoice in their
portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double;everlasting joy shall
be unto them.
QUERIES
a. Why emphasize so much the subjugation of “foreigners”? b. Why promise
that New Zion’s citizens would be priests?
PARAPHRASE
Amazing but true, many of those who are now your enemies, alienatedagainst
you, will, in the days of the messianic Jubilee, become subjects of the. New
Kingdom of Zion and join with you in service to Jehovah. All of you together
will be anointed as priests and ministers of Jehovah. Those former enemies
who become members of New Zion will be the most precious thing their
nations have and they will aid in the ongoing of Zion and their coming will
bring fame and honor and blessing to you. The factthat Jehovahwill conquer
and make citizens of Zion of those who once opposedand mockedHim will re-
place whatevershame YQU once knew with twice as much glory and honor
and blessing. And Zion will be glad and happy forever because ofthis.
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FORTUNE 61 :5-7
COMMENTS
v. 5-6 JOINING:The Hebrew word zarim is translated sirangers and means,
louthed-ones, barbarians, enemies, excluded-ones. Ben-nekaris Hebrew for
sons of the alien or som of the .foreigner. When the Messiah-Servantcame
crying aloud the time of the messianic Jubilee (the time of the Lord’s
pleasure), those who had been excluded, alienatedfrom cove-nant

relationship to Jehovahwere to be given an invitation to join the chosen
people in serving and ministering to Him. Jesus in the synagogue atNazareth
apparently closedthe scrollof Isaiah before He read beyond verses one and
two of this chapter. He did not read the verses now under consideration, but
He implied them in His reference to the mercy shownby Jehovahto two
Gentiles (Lk. 4:23-27)in the remainder of His sermon! Paul’s statement to the
Gentiles in Ephesians 2:ll-22 is certainly the fulfillment of this. Isaiahis
replete with pre- dictions that the nations (goiym) will be included in the mes-
sianic age as God’s people (Isa. 2:l-4; 19:23-25;25:6-12;56:6-8; 60:lO-14,
etc.). The JewishApocrypha (non-canonicalwritings) however, reflectthe
humanistic, materialistic interpretations of such prophecies as those of Isaiah
here concerning God’s purposes for the Gentiles in the messianic age. These
apocryphal writings show a liberal attitude of the Jewishmind toward the
Gentiles during a time of relative freedom and peace for the Jews in the days
of the Maccabeans, but an intensifying bitterness and hatred for the Gentiles
as the oppressionof Rome in- creaseduntil the days of Jesus and the
hotheaded Zealots and Sicarii eventually stirred up the rebellion and
insurrection that brought about the destruction of Jerusalemand the Jewish
nation in 70 A.D. According to I Enoch10:21, (written about 164 B.C.), all the
Gentiles will become righteous and offer to God their adorationand worship.
In the Sibylline Oracles I11 (written about 150 B.C.), the Gentiles will make
their way in procession
415
6115-7 ISAIAH
to God’s Temple there to ponder his law and supplicate the Eternal King
(716ff725ff); from every land the Gentiles will bring frankincense and gifts to
thdshouse of the great Godand in the coming messianic kingdQm they will
have,a share in the blessings that it brings. However, in I1 Baruch (written
after 90 A.D.), it is written: “My Messiah, . . will both summon all the
nations, and some of them he will spare and some of them he will slay. These
things therefore will come upon the nations which are to be sparedby him.
Every nation which knows not Israel, and has not trodden down the seedof
Jacob, shallindeed be spared. And this because some out of every nation will

be subject to thy people. But all those who have ruled overyou, or have
known you, shall be given up to the sword(I1 Baruch 72:2-6).” But the
bitterness of the Jews towardthe Gentiles finds its fullest expressionin
Similitudes of Enoch and I1 Esdras (both written in the first century A.D.).
They teachthat all Gentiles who dwell upon the earth, at the time of the
messianic age, willbring to the ElectOne gifts and presents and tokens of
homage, but these will be of no avail; they will be destroyed and banished
from the face of the earth and will perish forever and ever. D. S. Russellsays
in The Method and MessageofJewishApocalyptic, pub. Westminster, pg.
303, “The bitter- neSs , . . ejrpressed’by the .writer of I1 Esdras againstthe
Gen- tiles is to be4understo st the backgroundof persecutionwhich the Jewish
fiatidn, whole had to suffer, first in the &ne of the Seleucids and then in the
time of the Romans. It reflects the’ troubled years following the capture of
Jerusalemin.A.D: 70 and is in keeping with the trend in Judaism gen- erally.
From ‘this .time forward, and especiallyfrom the close rst century A.D., the
harsher view prevailed and the the earlier years was gradually replacedby
could be satisfiedonly with the annihilation of all the other nations of the
earth.” the light of these apocryphal views, which were una doubtedly the
views of the majority of the Jews in Jesus’day, we may well understand the
extreme animosity generated
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FORTUNE 61:5-7
toward Jesus whenHe interpreted chapter61 of Isaiahto mean the Gentiles
were to be acceptedand blessedin the messianic kingdom! The traditional
interpretation the people of the synagogue in Nazarethexpectedto hear was
that the Gentiles would at leastbecome literally the conquered slaves of the
Jews. ThatSaturday crowd expectedto hear Isaiah61 interpreted to mean
God’s people would someday kill most of the Gentiles and those not killed
would become slave laborers (like the ancestors ofthe Jews had been in
Egypt) and put to work building a rich, prosperous Jerusalemand Palestine
which would become the capital city of the world. What God meant in Isaiah
61 was, of course, just the op- posite of the common Jewishconcept. Many of
the Jews learnedthis with greatdifficulty but rejoicedonce it became

apparent that it was the will of Jehovah (cf. Acts 9:l-16; 10:34-43;11:18;
13:44-52;1512-21;Gal. 2:11ff, etc.). The Hebrew word for priests, is
kohenyim from the root word kahan, meaning, to stand, to prepare, make
ready, adjust-thus to oflciate as one who readies or adjusts some-thing. The
word translated ministers, is sharetheyand means, to waitupon, to serve, to
attend; it is applied only to the Levites in the O.T. Law. The conceptthat all
Jews, (letalone a kingdom of Jews and Gentiles)would become priests and
ministers to Jehovahwas revolutionary! It is essentiallya pre- diction that the
Law of Moses willbe abrogatedin the messianic age!Only those of Levi could
be priests and ministers according to the Mosaic covenant. It took the major
portion of the book of Hebrews in the N.T. to convince JewishChristians of
the first century that Jesus (from the tribe of Judah) could be a priest (after
the order of Melchezidek). All of Messiah’speople are priests-evenGentiles
(cf. I Pet. 2:4-5; Rev. 1:6; 510;20:6). Access, intercession, offering will be the
vocationof all members of the New Zion (Heb. 10:19-25;13:l.S-16;Rom. 12:
1-2). The Hebrew heyZ goiym could be translated host or army of the
Gentiles. The wealth or riches of any nation is not its gold or diamonds, but its
people. It is the characterof the
417
615-7 ISAIAH
people that make any kindgom what it is. Godpredicts through His prophets
that the future “Israel” (N.T. church, Gal. 6:16) will “feedon” the best of all
nations; (cf. Obadiah 17, 21; Micah7:ll-17; Zech 14:16-21;Isa. 19:26-25;
6O:lO-18; 66:12-21). Many of those who came into the .N.T. church were not
what most nations would consider their best(I Cor. 1:26- 31), but they were
people who could repent and be made into the image of Christ and were really
the jewels ofcreation(cf. Phil. 4:li I Thess. 2:19-20). v. 7 JOY: The Hebrew
word bashettekemis from the root bash which means, disappointment,
confusion, ingnominy, disgrace. When the Jews were sinning the prophets
calledon the pagan nations to look at them and see if there had ever been a
nation on earth so disgraceful(cf. Jer. 2:lO-12; 18:13;23:14, etc.). The nations
of the Gentiles could not “hold a candle” to the Jews ofthe days of Isaiah,
Jeremiahand Ezekiel!The Gentiles mocked, derided and held in contempt

everything Jewish. Whenthey were taken into captivity the Assyrians and
Babylonians hissed at them for they had claimed to be invincible because
Jehovahwas with them. The Jews sufferedmuch indignity and reproach
living in “unclean” heathens as prisoners. But Isaiah predicts a time (when
the Messiahindignities shall be turned into exaltation h will take awayall
“uncleanness”and f course, it would not be relief from e; but spiritual
disgrace and spiritual takenaway. One is reminded of the the messianic relief
made by the father of John the Baptist(by the direction of the Holy Spirit)
when he (Zechariah) spoke ofthe mission of his own son, the way- preparer
(Lk. 1:67-79). Everlasting joy is a promise to be fulfilled only in the Messiah’s
kingdom (cf. Isa. 3510;5l:ll; Jn. 1511;16:22, 24; 17:13;Rom. 14:17;1513;
Gal. 522;I Jn’. 11:4, etc.).
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FAME 61:8-11
QUIZ
1. What would have been the common interpretation of Isaiah
2. Why is calling citizens of New Zion priests so revolutionary? 3. What will
the everlasting joy of Zion have as its objectof 61:l-7 in Jesus’day? gladness?
3. FAME
TEXT: 61:8-11
8 For I, :hovah, justice, I hate robbery with iniquity; and I will give them their
recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenantwith them. 9
And their seedshall be known among the nations, and their offspring among
the peoples:all that see them shall acknowl-edge them, that they are the seed
which Jehovah, hath blessed. 10 I will greatlyrejoice in Jehovqh, my soul
shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothedIII~: with the garments of
salva-tion, he hath coveredme with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom deckethhimself with a garland, and as a bride adorneth herself
with her jewels. 11 Foras the earth bringeth forth its bud, and as the garden

causeththe things that are sownin it to spring forth; so the Lord Jehovahwill
cause righteousnessand praise to spring forth before all the nations.
QUERIES
a, What is the “truth” in which Jehovah will recompense? b. Whose “seed”
shall be known among the nations? c. Why use the illustration of a
“bridegroom” and “bride”?
419
61:8-11 ISAIAH
PARAPHRASE
I am Absolute, I am Faithful. hi and SO justice is My very nature. I despise
injustice andrwickedness andso I will faithfully reward My people . by
delivering them from their wickedoppressors andMy pledge of this shall be
in an everlasting covenant which I will establishwith them. The citizens of
New Zion shall be uniquely recognizable and even famous wherever they are
all over the world. It will be so simple to identify the godly that everyone who
sees them will recognize and acknowledgethat Almighty God has blessed
them. Zion will be filled with joy and she shall continually offer happy praise
to God for His goodness. Godhas wrapped Zion in the grace ofHis
righteousness andsalvation and made her as beautiful and admirable as a
bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride wearing her precious jewelry. Just
as surely as the earth produces fruit when seeds are sownin it, so the fruits of
righteousness andpraise will sprout from the “seed9’of. New Zion sown by
Jehovahamong the nations.
COMMENTS
v. 8-9 RENOWN:Zion will one day rejoice because she shall be made famous.
The reasonshe shall be made famous, however, will not be due to her own
merit but because Godis who Hestis:He is‘by nature absolutely just and
faithful. God will deliver’ Zion from her enemies because He loves justice and
hates iniquity and therefore must vindicate His absolute sov- ereignty by
destroying iniquity and rewarding loyalty. The loyalty Jehovahwill reward

will be that of the sinless Servant;but the Servantwill impute His perfect
meritorious obedience (Heb. 105-10)to all who by faith and covenant-keeping
become citizens of the New Zion. The Lord’s primary goalis the vindication
of His Name (cf. Ezkk. 29:9, 14, 22, 44;36:21, 22, ,23, 32;38:16, 23; 39:7, 8,
25-29). It is impefative that Jehovah’s absolute sovereigntyand absolute
faithfulness be
420
FAME 61:8-11
proven and vindicated. Man’s salvation depends on God’s faithfulness, not
his own(see comments, Isa. 48:9-11). The word ’enzeth is translated truth and
is from the Hebrew root ‘aman (same as Greek and English amen). The word
means firmness, faithjidness, stability, fidelity, verity The idea in verse eight is
that God is going to prove His fidelity by keeping His promise to destroy
Zion’s enemies because theyare wicked. This demonstration of Jehovah’s
absolute faithfulness will, in turn, move men of all nations to happily come
into covenantrelationship with Jehovah. All this will be accomplishedwhen
Jehovahmakes an everlasting covenantwith man. Thus once againwe
conclude these scriptures are prophetic of the New Zion, the church. It was at
the cross andthe empty tomb that God destroyed the power of all the enemies
of man (cf. Lk. 1:67-79;2:29-35;Jn. 12:27-33;16:ll; Rom. 8:31-39;Col. 2:14-
15; Heb. 2:14-15, etc.). The Hebrew word berith is the word for covenant. It is
from the Hebrew rootword barah which means literally to cut, or to choose,
to select. Its fundamental idea is “chosen” “separated” orthat which
distinguishes a “selected”people. God’s salvationand blessings are available
always within a covenant. A cove-nant, by its very nature, demands choice, or
selection, and that requires conditions and terms. The everlasting covenant
(or “new” covenantJer. 31:31ff)has conditions and terms men must choose if
they wish its blessings. Christ is the new covenant(cf. Mt. 26:26-29;Heb. 8:6;
12:24;13:20). He is the resur- rection and the life, whoeverlives and believes
in Him shall never die (Jn. 11:26). Paul, the apostle, spoke ofthe new covenant
relationship as “being in Christ” (cf. Rom. 12:s; I Cor. 15:22; I1 Cor. 1:21;
3:14; 517;Gal. 3:27; Eph. 3:6; etc.). The everlasting covenantis predicted in
many places in the O.T. (cf. Isa. 553;Jer. 32:40;Ezek. 16:60-63;37:26, etc.).

The “seed” and“offspring” of New Zion will be renowned among the
Gentiles. The people of the Messiah(Christians)were known throughout the
Roman world of the first century (and ever after) for their faith, obedience
and love (cf. Acts
421
61 :8-11 ISAIAH
2:47; 4:13, 33;Rom. 16:19;I Thess. 1:8-10;Philemon 4-7; I Pet. 4:4). Pliny the
younger wrote “the believers met regularly early in the morning to worship
Christ as a divinity. They insistedon a strict code of ethics; to abstain from
fraud, theft, and adultery, never to lie, nor to default on an obligation. At the
end of the assemblythey ate a common meal and then adjourned.” John
Noble‘(prisonerof the Russians for 12 years) receivedthe admiration and
respectof the Russianprison guards for his Christian life. Isaiah means to
stress how different the people of the Messiahwill be from the heathenish
behavior of the Israelof his day or the paganismof the world in general(cf.
Jn. 13:35). The goodness andblessednessand joy of the lives of the citizens of
Zion will be acknowledged(perhaps even grudgingly respected)by the whole
world. The Messiah’s people are “blessedwith every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3). In verse ten, New Zion is rejoicing in the Lord
because the Lord has clothed her in salvationand righteousness. The church
is all dressedup like someone waiting for a wedding! (cf. Eph. 525-27;Rev.
19:6-10). The people of the Messiahpartake ofthe glory of the Messiahby
being made partakers of His nature (11 Pet. 1:3-4) which is done by abiding in
His Will (Jn. 151-11). New Zionpartakes of her King’s nature gradually,
progressively, “from one degree of glory to another” (I1 Cor. 3:17-18). New
Zion must never forget that her beauty is relative to and dependent upon
partaking of her Lord’s righteousness andsalvation. New Zion has no beauty
of her own. She is clothed by Someone else!So all her boasting or rejoicing is
directed to the Source of her glory (cf. I Cor. 1:29- 31; Gal. 6:14-16). As surely
as the earth produces when seeds are sownin it, s‘d the Lord will produce
righteousness andpraise to spring forth all over the world. Isaiahaffirms. the
faithfulness of word. God’s word always produces - it ! (Isa. 55:lO-11). The

existence ofGod has been demonstrated in thousands of ally-eyewitnessed
events. Many of these
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FAME 61:8-11
events were predicted hundreds of years before they occurred. But most
finally and ultimately God has proved His absolute veracity and
trustworthiness in the resurrectionof Jesus Christ from the dead. Death, the
ultimate enigma, the ultimate obstacle, has beendefeated. It has been
swallowedup forever (Isa. 258). He kept His word! In spite of dungeon, fire
and sword, God saveda remnant of Judah and brought the Messiahinto the
world. Babylon could not stop His word from being fulfilled; Persia, Greece,
Rome-they could not stop it! Not even the death of the Messiahupon a Roman
cross couldstop His word. Now the Lord works slowly, estimatedby our
finite, limited experience. But He works certainly! Some, in fact a majority of
men, may scoff(I1 Pet. 3:l-lo), but one day this victorious, living Messiahis
coming back for His dressed-up bride. What righteousness andpraise that
will callforth from New Zion (the bride) whose citizens are from every tribe
and tongue and people on the face of the earth. Every knee will bow and every
tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
https://www.abiblecommentary.com/
The Daily View: Luke 4:16-21 and Isaiah 61:1-3 Part 2
Lets continue on in Isaiah61 the secondhalf of verse 1:
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the
captives and release fromdarkness for the prisoners,”.
As I was saying the other day we as Christians have tremendous resource to
positively affect the lives of the people around us when we share the Gospel.
The Goodnews of Christ is powerful, freeing, and life giving, as a person who
knows this, it is selfish not to want to share it. Please share whatyou know,

you may be the one that changes a broken and hopeless life eternally. What an
honor to be able to introduce someone to the God who createdthe universe
“Jesus”. Amazing!!! don’t you think?
There are a lot of brokenhearted people out there. Mostof us have been there
at one time or another. Some people are so down that it’s all they know, no
hope for anything to ever change. Godalone has the powerto truly heal
broken hearts. We cannot heal a person, but with the power of God’s word
and a compassionate heart, we can bind there wound and help them to the one
who can.
If you are in the woods hiking and you come across someone who has fallen
and has broken a leg. Do you have the knowledge and ability to heal that leg?
I’m going to say no. You do though have the ability to find some sticks, some
rope or clothing and then bind the leg in a stable position. This will protect it
and prevent further damage so you can help the person down the hill to
someone who can really help them. It seems so obvious to help this person and
yet daily we don’t notice the multitude of terminally brokenhearts all around
us. God has given us the powerin his word to bind the wounds of the broken-
hearted, don’t waste this gift.
Proclaimfreedom to the captives!Many people have fallen into captivity by
the snares ofthe devil, in other words “sin”. Christian and non christians,
Satanis an equal opportunity deceiver. Alcohol, drugs, pornography, greed,
adultery (the list goes on and on and on) hold so many people captive without
the ability on their ownto be setfree. Sins first taste is usually pretty sweet
but by the time you taste the bitterness your captive to it.
Like Pinocchio and the lostboys on pleasure island, everything was greatin
the beginning but before they figured it out, sin had made an … I mean
donkey of them. They were captives. The Gospelof Christ has the power to set
people free, YOU have the powerto share it with them! Once againmy
favorite word AWESOME!!! isn’t it?
A release from darkness for the prisoner. A prisoner is a little different than a
captive, usually a captive is not were they are out of judgement or
punishment. There are so many people that are in such a dark place, because

of who they think they are or what they have done, they think they deserve the
prison they are in. There is no hope and no expectationof freedom from
whateverit is that has them bound.
In Isaiah’s day and even in the time of Jesus if you ended up in prison you
usually didn’t expect to getout acceptby death. Prisonwas a dark, damp,
diseasedand filthy existence and I’m sure after years of this, your conceptor
hope for freedom would completelydisappear. We have neighbors, relatives,
coworkers andso many others that we come in contactwith that have been
prisoners of darkness forso long they no longerexpect to see the light of
freedom. We can shine the light of the Gospelinto their lives and the power of
God can teardown the prison walls.
The Gospel of Jesus Christis powerful beyond anything I canexplain to
change peoples live eternally. For some reasonGodhas given us the privilege
to share it with the humanity he so dearly loves. Don’t miss the opportunity
when it comes.
Well I guess there will be part three. I love this stuff! I hope your getting
something from this to.
As always
GOD is GOOD!!! ralphontheridge.com/
Recovery:Freedomfor the Captives
Postedby Barbara Comito, Marketing DirectorMar5, 2013 1:23:00 PM
“He has sent me . . . to proclaim freedom for the captives,” Isaiah61:1.
At 11, Rowdy had his first run-in with the law. He stole a dirt bike. When he
stole the same bike a secondtime, he ended up at a boys’ ranch. From which

he ran away. Of the next 26 years, Rowdyspent ten incarceratedfor a wide
range of offenses – driving without a license, driving without insurance, theft,
failure to appear, probation violations, etc. When he moved up to Spokane
from Texas five years ago, he got involved with biker gangs and the Mexican
mafia – running drugs and guns.
“I got an apartment downtown with a couple of buddies, and it was basicallya
7-Elevenfor drugs, you know. I mean 24/7, in and out, in and out. I got
connectedwith some very, very dangerous people.” Eventually, he was caught
and convictedof possessionofa stolen vehicle and six felony drug charges. He
spent a year in prison, but when he gotout, he wasn’t really free.
A slave to his passions
“I made it to Seattle before I made a phone call, and by the time I got to
Spokane, I had a pretty girl and a sack full of drugs waiting on me. So, 15
minutes after I gotoff the bus, I was (using). But this time it was different. All
the people I knew, all the prestige I knew, were gone. The people were either
indicted, in prison, or dead, every one of them.
“And, well . . . I know God was working in my life because this time the drugs
didn’t get me high. It was a horrible, horrible thing. I was having
hallucinations and twitching. My whole body was twitching. It was bad. I was
sleeping under the bridge. It was the middle of winter. I was lucky I didn’t
freeze to death.
“I would try to go to sleep, and all these thoughts would come back into my
head, and I couldn’t sleep. I was involved with hookers (in the past), and I
would have these euphoric recalls about doing drugs with them and situations
that happened with them . . . For most of my life, that was something I looked
up to, but this time, it just made me angry. It made me angry and disgusted,
and I didn’t want to think like that anymore.
“It’s like I didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew I didn’t want that anymore,
you know. And for the first time in my life, I prayed, not like a little kid prays,
‘Oh, don’t let me getcaught,’ or anything like that. No, I prayed, ‘Please take
this awayfrom me. I can’t do this anymore.”

Rowdy wantedto be free. Really free. So he askedhis corrections officerto
send him back to prison. But God had a different plan.
“A scaredlittle boy”
First, Rowdywent to short-term treatment where he had a counselorwho
“lookedright into my soul. He told me exactlywhat was going on in my head,
which didn’t have anything to do with drugs. He said, ‘You’re just a scared
little boy.’”
Rowdy was amazed. For as long as he could remember he’d been projecting a
tough image. He had thought, “I’m gonna acttough so you don’t getclose to
me. Otherwise, you might find out just how weak I really am. I went to the
extremes. I played football. I actedtough in front of people. I pursued bull-
riding to the point of being a professionalatit. I got mixed up with very rough
people and very dangerous situations on a daily basis – just so people
wouldn’t know I’m just a scaredlittle boy on the inside. How crazy is that?”
Crazy maybe. But admitting the truth is what started Rowdyon the road to
recovery. After he completed the short-term program, he decided to join the
FreedomBound recoveryprogram at the Union GospelMissionMen's
Shelter.
Free indeed
“I’m a work in progress, you know? I pray every morning to start my day. I
want to be the same man in classesthat I am outside, that I am in here. It
doesn’t happen fastenough, but it’s happening.”
A few months ago, Rowdywent back to Texas to begin the process of
reconciling with his family. “I was able to go down there, stand in front of
everybody, and own up to everything I’ve ever done. I wasn’ttrying to hide or
get out of it. I did it. I’ve never been able to do that in my life.”
On January 4, 2013, Rowdycompletedall of his DOC requirements. “My
whole life, I’ve never been able to complete any type of probation, parole or
anything. I just completedit with no hitches whatsoever.”

The sign on Rowdy’s room at the Missionsays, “Free Man.”
Today, Rowdy isn’t just out from behind bars. He is truly free. “Free from
lying. Free from feeling like I can’t show anyone who I am on the inside
because I’m weak. Free frommisconceptions about what a real man is. Free
to believe that God is the Father I never had . . . and that He loves me.”
“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a
slave has no permanent place in the family, but a sonbelongs to it forever. So
if the Sonsets you free, you will be free indeed,’” John 8:34-36.
~ Barbara Comito, UGM staff writer
UPDATE June 19, 2014:Rowdygraduated from the LIFE Recovery
program. He is now working as the senior desk man at UGM Men's Shelter
and going to schoolto become a chemicaldependency counselor.
Jesus Came to ProclaimFreedomfor the Captives
Postedby Phil Altmeyer, Executive DirectorDec 23, 2014 3:35:36 PM
Editor's note: This is the fourth post in a specialAdvent/Christmas devotional
series, focusing onIsaiah 61:1-3. You may also want to read the introduction,
"A Front Row Seatto Holiness;" part 1, "What's the 'G' in UGM?" and part
2, "Recovery:a Story of Brokennessand Healing."
Failure is a basic human condition.
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the
captives and release fromdarkness for the prisoners.” Isaiah61:1
“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were togetherwith them in
prison, and those who are mistreatedas if you yourselves were suffering.”
Hebrews 13:3

Prisons in ancient times generallyserved a different purpose than modern-
day prisons, and when we read of captives in the Bible, the largercontext
usually pertains to the Israelites in exile from their homeland or followers of
Christ being persecutedfor their faith. The reference is not usually to
someone being punished for a violent crime. So, does God really call us to
minister to men and women who are in, or coming out of, the correctional
system? Yes, for a number of reasons, Ithink He does.
First and perhaps most importantly, we are all in the same boat. The basic
human condition is one of failing, messing up, hurting eachother, falling
painfully short. Unchecked, it’s difficult to say where our own struggles with
pride and jealousymight take us. Our hope is the same as David’s in Psalm
25: “Remember, Lord, your greatmercy and love, for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;according to
your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good.”
Secondly, jail tends to cause people to see their need for God in a way that
prosperity and successdon’t. Paul Staley, who spent 37 years in prison, put it
like this: “It took a long time for me to learn that I have no strength to be
goodon my own.” Prisonmade Paul receptive to the gospel.
My third point is the story of another Paul, a hater and persecutorof
Christians who stoodidly by while an innocent man was murdered. In the
beginning of Acts 9, the Apostle Paul was threatening to arrestor kill anyone
who claimed to follow Jesus. By the middle of the chapter, he claims to be a
different man and wants to join the very people he’s been persecuting.
“When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all
afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took
him and brought him to the apostles” (Acts 9:26-27).
Barnabas stoodup for Paul. He came alongside him and introduced him to
the early church, and eventually, Paul went on to write a significant portion of

the New Testament. We canbe like Barnabas – believing that God really does
change lives.
Worth thinking about: We throw around the expression, “There, but for the
grace ofGod, go I,” pretty freely, but what do we really mean by that? Saint
Augustine once said, “I am capable of the worstsin I have seenmy neighbor
commit.” Do you believe that? How does it impact your attitude toward those
in prison?
Take Action: Pray for men and women you might know who are in prison.
Explore the PrisonFellowshipwebsite:prisonfellowship.org. Orif you’re
looking for deeper involvement, connectwith the chaplain at your localjail or
prison and see what opportunities for involvement exist. Eric, a resident at the
UGM Men’s Shelterwho spent four years in prison before coming here, said
this, “When you’re in there, it’s so easyto think nobody cares.”We want to
communicate the truth that Somebody does.
Jesus Sets Us Free
Isaiah61:1-11
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, October09, 2005
Copyright © 2005, P. G. Mathew
The Spirit of the SovereignLORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed
me to preachgoodnews 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.
Isaiah61:1
The Mystery Savior

In Isaiah 61 we are introduced to a mystery Savior. This unnamed person
speaks with authority in the first person, claiming to be anointed by the
SovereignLord of the universe, claiming to be an apostle of the heavenly
Father, and claiming that the Holy Spirit is upon him, empowering him to do
everything he is supposed to do. In essence, he is claiming to be the Messiah
and describing the sevenfoldMessianic task he is to perform in behalf of God.
Who is the Messiah?We read about him throughout the book of Isaiah. Isaiah
9:6-7 says that he is the child to be born, the son that will be given, the Mighty
God, the Prince of Peace.In Isaiah 11:1-2 we learn he is the Son of David, the
“shootfrom the stump of Jesse.”Isaiahalso refers to him as a servant in four
places-Isaiah42:1-9;49:1-9; 50:4-9;and 52:13-53:12-aswellas here in Isaiah
61.
This Messiahhas certaintasks to perform. Isaiah 42:7 declares he is to open
eyes that are blind, free captives from prison, and release from the dungeon
those who sit in darkness. Isaiah49:9 says his task is “to say to the captives,
‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!'” In Isaiah50:4 this Messiahis
given “an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.” And
Isaiah53:4-5 says of him, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our
sorrows, yetwe consideredhim strickenby God, smitten by him, and
afflicted. But he was piercedfor our transgressions,he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his
wounds we are healed.”
In Isaiah 61 the mystery speakersays,“The Spirit of the SovereignLord is on
me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach goodnews to the poor. He
has sentme to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the
captives and release fromdarkness for the prisoners.” Thus, this mysterious
speakerclearlyis the Messiah. In the Hebrew the word Messiahsimply means
“the Anointed One.” In the Greek it is Christos, and “anointing” is chrisma.
So this one speaking is the Messiah, the Davidic king, the Mighty God, the
Suffering Servant, the Apostle of the Lord. And he defines his sevenfold task
in verses 1-3.

The first task of the Messiahis “to preach goodnews to the poor.” Goodnews
is news that gladdens our hearts. Imagine hearing that Sarahbecame
pregnant, though she was ninety years of age, or Hannah became pregnant,
though she was barren. That is goodnews!Imagine placing your sonon an
altar as a sacrifice, as Abraham did, and then hearing God say, “Don’t do it;
use the ram I have provided instead.” What greatnews! Imagine asking a girl
to marry you, and having her say, “Yes,” or applying to a top schooland
receiving a letter that says you were admitted. Imagine going to the doctor
after a severe illness and hearing him say, “You are going to be all right.” All
this is goodnews!
So the first job of this Messiahis to preachgoodnews. In fact, the Hebrew
text says he is anointed for this particular task alone. For the rest of his work,
the word used is sent.
What else is the Messiahto do? His secondtask is to heal the brokenhearted.
Third, he is to announce liberty to the captives. Fourth, he is to announce the
favorable year of the Lord and the day of the vengeance ofGod. Fifth, he is to
comfort all who mourn. Sixth, he is to give dignity and authority to those who
mourn in Zion. Finally, he is to give to his people a crownof beauty instead of
ashes, the oil of joy insteadof tears of weeping, and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
Isaiah52 and 53 also speaks in detail of the work of the Messiah. Fromthere
we learn that this Suffering Servantwould be despisedand rejectedof men, a
man of sorrows and familiar with sufferings. We discoverthat he will suffer
for our transgressions, iniquities, and sins, and that his punishment will bring
us peace and healing. We learn that this Messiah/Servantwill die, be buried,
and raisedfrom the dead, and that he will be our mediator. He is calledthe
Righteous Servant-meaning he was sinless-who by his knowledge will justify
many people. We also learn that he will have offspring, the people of God.
– Who Is He?
But while much was revealedto us in Isaiahabout this mystery Savior, the
world had to wait many centuries to find out his name. In the first century
A.D., Jesus wentinto the synagogue ofNazareth one day, as was his custom.

The service included reading a portion from the Pentateuchand a portion
from the Prophets, reading first in Hebrew and then translating it into
Aramaic. There was greatfreedom in the service for the ruler of the
synagogue to ask any qualified visitor to read a portion of Scripture and give
a brief exhortation. On this particular day, the ruler askedJesus to readfrom
the Prophets. So Jesus stoodup, unrolled the Isaiah scroll, readfrom chapter
61, and satdown. Then he made a surprise announcement: “Todaythis
scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:17-21).
What did this mean? It meant that the mystery speakerofIsaiah 61 was none
other than Jesus, the son of Mary, the son of David, the sonof Abraham. Jesus
was thus identifying himself publicly as the Davidic king, the Messiah, the
Mighty God, the Righteous One, the covenant-keeper, the only sinless man.
Jesus is the Suffering Servant who died for our sins, was buried and raised
again. Jesus is the only mediator betweenGod and man, the one who justifies
many by his knowledge. Jesusis the preacherof goodnews, the healer of all
broken hearts, the announcer of liberty to captives, and the comforter of all
who mourn in Zion. He is the giver of dignity and authority to his people, the
one who gives us a crownof beauty instead of a head coveredwith ashes, the
oil of joy in place of tears of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a
spirit of despair. Jesus is the Messiah!
Messiah/ServantJesus is powerful to save because the Holy Spirit is upon him
without measure. He is our mighty Saviorwho accomplishedsalvationfor us
by his suffering. And this salvation is applied to all those who are
characterizedby certain traits.
– Whom Does He Save?
To whom is the goodnews preached? To the poor (Isaiah 61:1). This Messiah
sets captives free, but only those who recognize that they are poor,
brokenhearted, and in prison, and who know that no one else cansave them.
He says he will comfort those who mourn, give a crownof beauty to those who
suffer, and save those who despair (v. 7).
Whom does the Messiah/ServantJesus help? He helps the economicallypoor
and sociallyoppressed, forwhom there is no justice. He helps the hopeless, the

sick, and the lonely, the prostitutes, the publicans, and the prodigals. He
comforts the wearyand the heavy-laden and delivers the demon-possessed. He
saves sinners who are aware of their lost condition and are looking to God
alone for help.
Isaiah57:15 says, “Forthis is what the high and lofty One says-he who lives
forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him
who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to
revive the heart of the contrite.'” And in Isaiah 66:2 we read, “‘Has not my
hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the Lord.
‘This is the one I esteem:he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles
at my word.'” The high, lofty, transcendent God is also the immanent God.
But he dwells with those who are poor, weeping, and brokenhearted, not with
those who are arrogant, rich, and comfortable.
Isaiah1:27 says that God will save those who are penitent, and Isaiah59:20
declares, “The Redeemerwill come to Zion, to those in Jacobwho repent of
their sins.” Mostmodern Christian books do not even speak ofrepentance
and sin. But the Bible is full of these words. Isaiah55 speaks abouta great,
grand feastthat is available, but verses 6-7 say it is only for those who repent:
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the
wickedforsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the
Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely
pardon.”
– How Does He Save?
This mighty, anointed Saviorsaves any sinner who repents. At his first
coming, Jesus inaugurated “the year of the Lord’s favor,” the acceptable year,
also calledthe Year of Jubilee.
We read about the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25. Every fiftieth year, on the
Day of Atonement, the ram’s horn was to be sounded to announce goodnews
to all slaves and debtors, and to all who had given up their ancestrallands.
What was the messagethe ram’s horn would proclaim? “This is the year of
grace, the acceptable yearof the Lord, the Year of Jubilee. All slaves, you are
free! All debtors, your debts are canceled!All who have lostyour family

estates, youcan go back now and take possessionof your inheritance once
again!”
Thus, at the sound of the ram’s horn, greatrejoicing and thanksgiving would
break out in the land. The people would exclaim, “No more poverty! No more
disgrace!No more misery! No more shame! No more loneliness!No more
fear! No more depression!The year of the Lord’s favor has come.”
Even so, Jesus announces the Year of Jubilee to us, preaching the goodnews
that gladdens our hearts. Isaiah1:6 describes the bad news:“Fromthe sole of
your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness-onlywounds and welts
and open sores, notcleansedor bandagedor soothedwith oil.” But the work
of the Messiahis to bandage the wounds of his people. So he gives eachof us
personalattention, just as the goodSamaritanpersonally attended to the man
who was beatenup and thrown out on the road. The Messiahknows our
wounds and our hurts. He knows every problem that we have, for he sees all
things and understands our thoughts before we think them. And he pours
upon our wounds, not oil and wine, but his own blood. By his stripes we are
healed.
The final sectionof Isaiahbegins, “Comfort, comfort my people” (Isaiah
40:1). Someone is supposed to comfort God’s people; who is able to do so? In
Isaiah52:9 we read: “Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comfortedhis people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.” Our
comfort comes from the Lord, from the Messiahwho died on the cross for us.
We deservedthe worst, but he gives us the best.
Verse 3 says this Messiahbestowsonhis people “a crownof beauty instead of
ashes.” The idea is of someone sitting in the dust with ashes onhis head to
express overwhelming sorrow. Jesuscomes andremoves all the ashes, and in
their place he gives a crownof beauty. Verse 3 says his further task is to give
us “the oil of gladness insteadof mourning, and a garment of praise insteadof
a spirit of despair.” Additionally, he gives us reconciliationin place of
alienation and eternal life in place of eternal death. He gives us justification in
place of condemnation: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). How canhe do this? He can do so

because he is not only a preacherof goodnews, he is goodnews!He not only
announces the fact that we can be healed, but he performs what he
announces:he heals the sick, raises the dead, and saves the lost.
Additionally, this Messiahis able to give us life in place of death because he
himself destroyeddeath and sorrow, as we read in Isaiah53. This was
announced earlierin Isaiah25:7: “On this mountain he will destroy the
shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheetthat covers all nations.” Because all
have sinned, all will die, and here we are told that death covers the entire
world from end to end. Yet Isaiah continues, “He will swallow up death
forever. The SovereignLord will wipe awaythe tears from all faces;he will
remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.” And then there is a
signature: “The Lord has spoken” (v. 8).
Jesus Christ alone gives life to the dead. How can he do so? Throughhis
incarnation. Hebrews 2:14 tells us, “Since the children have flesh and blood,
he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who
holds the powerof death-that is, the devil.” In 2 Timothy 1:9-10 we read,
“[God] has saved us and calledus to a holy life-not because ofanything we
have done but because ofhis own purpose and grace. This grace was givenus
in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed
through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death
and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”Jesus is
able to give us life because he destroyed death by his death. Thus, in 1
Corinthians 15:54 Paul triumphantly declares, “Whenthe perishable has been
clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the
saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowedup in
victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the powerof sin is the law. But thanks be to
God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Not only has this Messiahdefeateddeath, but he has also prepared a feastfor
us, as we read in Isaiah25:6 and Isaiah 55:1-2. He invites all needy people-the
poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame, the captives, the lonely, the oppressed,
the suffering, the despairing, and all penitent sinners-to this feast.

But how cansinners feastwith a holy God? We must be clothed in the robe of
the righteousnessofthe Messiah/Servant. Thus we read in Isaiah61:10, “I
delight greatlyin the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me
with garments of salvationand arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.”The
penultimate purpose of God is to make us holy, to give us righteousness. The
ultimate purpose is that we may have fellowship with him.
Our salvationis achievedby the righteousness ofChrist, who covers us in the
robe of his own righteousness.Salvationis by goodworks so that it may be by
grace. But whose goodworks canbe acceptable to God? Only those of Jesus
Christ. Romans 1:17 declares, “Forin the gospela righteousness from God is
revealed.” The justice of God is satisfiedby the punishment that the
Messiah/Servantreceivedin his body. He fulfilled the covenantof works so
that a covenantof grace could be establishedand extended to us. That is how
God can be just in justifying wickedsinners like us. Thus cansalvation be
given freely to the poor, the wretched, the miserable, and the lost-to guilty
sinners. Christ clothes us with his own righteousness in place of our shame,
disgrace, and guilt.
When the Messiahproclaims freedom for the captives, he is not just speaking
about captivity in Babylon; he is pointing to our greatercaptivity to sin and
Satan. In Isaiah 45:1 Cyrus is called a messiah, for he allowedthe Jews to
return to Jerusalem. (PGM)But Cyrus could not save anyone from sin, death,
or condemnation. There is another Messiah, JesusChrist. He alone is able to
declare freedom from sin, guilt, and death.
The MessiahSets Us Free
Jesus understoodour captivity very clearly. In John 8:31-36 we read, “To the
Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are
really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you
free.’ They answeredhim, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never
been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be setfree?’Jesus
replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.'” This
statementis the key to understanding Isaiah61. Jesus continued, “‘Now a
slave has no permanent place in the family, but a sonbelongs to it forever. So

if the Sonsets you free, you are free indeed.'” The Messiahis not only
responsible to liberate us, but he alone is also able to do it.
Luke 13:10-14 illustrates this liberating activity of MessiahJesus:“Ona
Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, anda woman was there
who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteenyears. She was bent over and
could not straightenup at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and
said to her, ‘Woman, you are setfree from your infirmity.’ Then he put his
hands on her, and immediately she straightenedup and praised God.”
The Jews were indignant because Jesus hadhealed on the Sabbath. But Jesus
rebuked them, “You hypocrites! Doesn’teachof you on the Sabbath untie his
ox or donkeyfrom the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not
this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for
eighteenlong years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
(vv. 15-16)Jesus alone cansetus free.
Jesus was wellaware that his ministry was fulfilling the sixty-first chapterof
Isaiah. When John the Baptist’s disciples came to ask him if he were the
Messiah, Jesusresponded, “Go back and report to John what you hear and
see:The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosyare cured,
the deafhear, the dead are raised, and the goodnews is preachedto the poor”
(Matthew 11:4-5). And throughout the New Testamentwe see Jesus fulfilling
the Messianicprophecyof Isaiah. Thus, he gave living water to the sinful
Samaritan woman(John 4:10), forgave the woman caughtin the very act of
adultery (John 8:11), and told the town harlot, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke
7:48). He heard the prayers of the publican, who cried, “Lord, have mercy
upon me, the sinner,” and he senthim home justified (Luke 18:14). He heard
the prayer of the repenting thief on the cross and assuredhim, “Todayyou
will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). He welcomedthe repentant
prodigal, forgiving him, embracing him, clothing him, and making a feastto
celebrate his homecoming, saying, “This son of mine was dead and is alive
again;he was lostand is found” (Luke 15:24). He castout thousands of
demons from a man and sent him to Decapolisto preach the gospel(Mark
5:19), and stopped outside Jericho to heal blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:52).
Petersummarized these Messianic activities ofJesus, saying, “Godanointed

Jesus ofNazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and . . . he went around
doing goodand healing all who were under the power of the devil, because
God was with him” (Acts 10:38).
Jesus is the Anointed One. He is the Messiah, the Savior, the Mighty God, and
he alone canhelp us.
The SavedWill Serve
Before MessiahJesus sets us free, we are under the dominion of sin and Satan.
That condition can be called non posse non peccare-notpossible notto sin-
meaning we canonly sin. But when Jesus sets us free, our condition becomes
posse non peccare-possible notto sin. And not only are we given freedom not
to sin, we are also given freedom to do the will of God by the power of the
Holy Spirit.
If we have been setfree by Christ, what then should we do? The answeris
given in Isaiah 61:4: “They will rebuild the ancientruins and restore the
places long devastated;they will renew the ruined cities that have been
devastatedfor generations.” Thosewho are redeemed by Christ are to serve
him by repairing ancientruins. When the captives of Israel returned from the
Babylonian exile, they rebuilt the physical ruins of the temple and the city of
Jerusalem, as we read in Haggaiand Zechariah. But we are to serve God by
rebuilding the people of God, his church. Jesus Christsaid, “I will build my
church,” and he does so through us.
This does not mean that there may not be a physical temple built sometime in
Jerusalem. But when we look at the Scripture, we see that the apostles
understood this “rebuilding” to refer to the preaching of the gospelto all
people.
In Acts 15:13, James, the Lord’s brother and pastor of the Jerusalemchurch,
applies a passagefrom Amos to the evangelizationof the Jews and Gentiles.
James says, “Brothers, listento me. Simon [Peter] has describedto us how
God at first showedhis concernby taking from the Gentiles a people for
himself. The words of the prophets are in agreementwith this, as it is
written,” and here he cites Amos 9:11-12:“‘After this I will return and

rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that
the remnant of men may seek the Lord,'”-referring to the Jewishpeople-
“‘and all the Gentiles who bear my name.'”
Peteralso spoke of this rebuilding ministry in 1 Peter2: “As you come to him,
the living Stone-rejectedby men but chosenby God and precious to him-you
also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy
priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ . . . You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who calledyou out
of darkness into his wonderful light” (vv. 4-5, 9).
The point is, we are not saved to rebuild ancientphysical ruins, but to rebuild
people whose lives have been destroyedby sin and Satan. We do so specifically
by bearing witness through our words and lives. Hebrews 2:3 says, “How shall
we escape if we ignore such a greatsalvation? This salvationwhich was first
announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” The
gospelwas first preachedby Jesus Christ, then by his disciples, and now by us
who have been saved. Yes, our lives were in ruins. But, thank God, some
human being preachedthe gospelto us, and we were rebuilt, and now we
must preach the same gospelto others that they may also be rebuilt.
We serve by proclaiming the whole counselof God. In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul
declared, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness,so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every goodwork.” And in 4:1,2 Paul charged
Timothy, “In the presence ofGod and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the
living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you
this charge:Preachthe Word; be prepared in seasonand out of season;
correct, rebuke and encourage.. . .” Psalm 141:5 speaks ofthis corrective
aspectof the word: “Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness;let him
rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.” Children, you
must thank God when you have a father who rebukes you and corrects you.
Do not refuse it. Receive it, embrace it, and love it. But very few churches are
preaching the word today, and even fewerministers will correctand rebuke
those under them. Yet 2 Timothy 4:2-3 says we are to preach the word of God

“with greatpatience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men
will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they
will gatheraround them a greatnumber of teachers to saywhat their itching
ears want to hear.”
In 1 Corinthians 1:21 we are told, “Forsince in the wisdom of God the world
through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleasedthrough the
foolishness ofwhat was preachedto save those who believe.” How do we
restore ancientruins? How do we repair ruined lives? Through the preaching
of the word. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. That is why it is
essentialthat the saved must serve by declaring the gospel.
Romans 10:14-15 makes this very clear: “How, then, can they call on the one
they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they
have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how canthey preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful
are the feet of those who bring goodnews!'” That is how we serve, by bearing
witness to the gospelofJesus Christ through declaring the gospel.
The other way we bear witness is through our lives. Isaiah 61:6 says, “You
will be calledpriests of the LORD.” FirstPeter 2:9 also speaks ofthis great
doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. We serve God as his priests by
living holy lives and preaching the gospel. This ministry is not only for
pastors;all of us are calledto bear witness to the gospelofJesus Christ.
How can we do this? He who justified us also enables us to live righteous lives
in the world. We are justified by this imputed, alien righteousness, whichthen
enables us to live holy lives. We are not saved to sin more; we are savedto sin
no more! Jesus forgave the woman who was caughtin the very act of adultery
and then told her, “Go and sin no more.” Paul asks in Romans 6:1, “Shallwe
go on sinning so that grace may increase?” Whenthe Holy Spirit works in us,
we will live holy lives so that ruined cities may be rebuilt through our witness-
bearing.
In Isaiah 61:3 we are called“oaks ofrighteousness,a planting of the Lord.”
The picture is of big, sturdy trees and refers to those who persevere in
holiness. Notice, it speaks ofbeing individually planted by the Lord. Do you

think that trees that God himself plants will wither away? No, they will thrive
and flourish. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish”
(John 10:28).
In Isaiah 60:21 we read, “They are the shootI have planted, the work of my
hands, for the display of my splendor.” The purpose of our life is to glorify
God and enjoy him forever. God savedus and made us righteous “for the
display of his splendor” (Isaiah 61:4). How do we display God’s splendor? By
our holy confessionand conduct.
Psalm92:12 says, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow
like a cedarof Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord.” Eachof us is an
oak tree, a palm tree, a cedarof Lebanon, all planted by the Lord himself in
his house. At one time we were not in the house of the Lord; we were in the
groves of paganism. But God brought us into his house, rooting us in him.
Psalm92 continues, “Theywill flourish in the courts of our God. They will
still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The
Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickednessin him.'”
The SavedWill Sing
Not only do the savedserve, but they also sing. In Isaiah61:7 we read,
“Insteadof their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead
of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a
double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” And verse 10
says, “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.” This is what
Hannah prayed after God gave her a son (1 Samuel 2:1) and what Mary
prayed in the Magnificat(Luke 1:46-47). In the Hebrew it is, “Rejoicing, Iwill
rejoice.” Thenthe reasonfor such rejoicing is given: “Forhe has clothed me
with garments of salvationand arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.”Justas
the Lord killed animals and coveredAdam and Eve, so now he has coveredus
with the divine, unimpeachable righteousness ofthe Lord Jesus Christ.
It is always goodto look back at our past. Once we were poor, hopeless
prisoners, coveredwith ashes, full of shame, disgrace, andsorrow, slaves of
sin and Satan. But God, because ofhis greatlove and rich mercy, setus free
and made us alive with Christ. Now we are children of God! He has comforted

us, healed us, and given us a crownof beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy
instead of weeping, and the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
If this has happened to us, what should we do? Sing for the glory of God! We
should rejoice, exult, and dance as we worship God and celebrate this great
salvation. We should rejoice as we would on our own wedding day (v. 10).
This is a foretaste ofwhat we will be doing in heaven. The entire book of
Revelationis filled with singing. Even now, those who are in heaven sing with
joy because ofthe One who is in their midst. So too shall we be in the presence
of this greatGod one day, and we shall sing his praises foreverand ever.
Verse 7 says we will rejoice with “everlasting joy.” Let me tell you, brothers
and sisters, nothing can destroythe joy that God gives us-not even death. As
Paul says in Romans 8:38, neither death nor life nor anything else in all
creationis able to separate us from the love of God. Nothing! That is why it is
calledeverlasting joy.
Verse 8 says God will make a new and everlasting covenantwith us. Isaiah
identifies this covenantas Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Because Jesus Christ
kept the covenantof works, he can now extend the covenantof grace to us,
which we are made partakers ofby faith.
This covenantis not only for us, but also for our children: “Their descendants
will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All
who see them will acknowledgethey are a people the Lord has blessed” (v. 9).
When the world looks on us, their conclusionwill be, “These people are
blessedby the Lord.” Thought they may want to curse us, the Lord will reply,
“You cannot curse them because they are blessed” (cf. Numbers 22:12).
Suppose our children are unbelievers? We must keep on praying for their
salvation:“The promise is for you and your children” (Acts 2:39).
In verse 10 we read, “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my
God.” Notice, we are not to rejoice in ourselves orin our possessions,but in
the Lord. Circumstances always change;the only thing that never changes is
the immutable God. That is why we can rejoice even in tribulations. God has
made us partakers ofhis everlasting covenantand given us eternal life and
everlasting joy. How can we not sing!

What, then, is the ultimate reasonthat we worship God and sing his praises?
The Messiah/Servantdied for our sins and gave us the robe of his
righteousness. Clothedin this, we can now enjoy fellowship with God forever,
and nothing in all creationcan separate us from his love. Therefore, let us
rejoice!Let us rejoice greatly!Let us rejoice even in tribulations, for this
everlasting joy is based on an everlasting covenant.
Has the MessiahSavedYou?
The first advent of Jesus Christinaugurated the acceptable yearof the Lord,
the yearof mercy, the year of grace, the year of God’s favor, and it has been
going on ever since. We may think it will go on indefinitely. But let me tell
you, eachof us must die, and there is no certainty that any of us will live out
the remainder of this day. If you do not heed this message ofgrace, the
Messiahhas a different messageforyou: “the day of vengeance ofour God”
(v. 2). The Fatherhas given Jesus the authority to judge, and he will do so, as
we read in Revelation19 and 20.
The Messiahdid not come for the healthy, the righteous, the powerful, the
wise of the world, the comfortable, or the controlling. He came to seek and to
save those who are lost. He came to heal the sick and save sinners.
We have no excuse to be without everlasting joy, for Jesus himself calls us
through the preaching of his word, telling us, “I am the Messiah, the apostle
sent by the SovereignGod. I am the servant who workedrighteousnessand
accomplishedsalvation. I am the one who destroyed death by my own death.
And I have prepared a grand, greatfeastfor all who are hungry and thirsty.”
In Nazareth, Jesus cried out, “Todaythis scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing!” He still cries out today. “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the
day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). This very day Jesus cries out to all poor
and miserable sinners, to all who mourn and weep, to all captives who are
without comfort and without hope, to all who are sick and lonely: “Come to
me, all you who are wearyand burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew
11:28).

Jesus not only preaches the gospel;he is the goodnews. He announces that
which he will perform. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your
hearts; turn to the Lord Jesus Christand be saved.
Copyright © 2005, P. G. Mathew-
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You are here: Home Opinion Standing With Israel Like a Cancer, Jimmy
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He Came to Set the Captives Free
12:00PM EST 1/15/2010BethMoore
No other book of the Bible has more to sayabout the captivity of God's people
and the promise of freedom and restorationthan the book of Isaiah. Isaiah
ministered as a prophet to the people of Godin and around Jerusalemduring
the period when the nation of Israelwas a divided kingdom.
Isaiah's name means "The Lord Saves," andthe word "salvation" is used in
his book 27 times—twice as many as in the books of the other Old Testament
prophets combined.
Isaiahspeaks aboutthe rebellion of God's people and their resulting captivity
to the Assyrians. But he also looks aheadto a time when the captivity will end,

a time when Israelwill be comfortedby Godand restoredto her appointed
purpose.
More importantly, Isaiahprophesies about the coming of the Deliverer, the
One who is destined to set His people free:
"The Spirit of the SovereignLord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed
Me to preachgood 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 ofour God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those
who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crownof beauty instead of ashes, the
oil of gladness insteadof mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit
of despair.
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to our newsletter.
"They will be calledoaks ofrighteousness, a planting of the Lord for the
display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancientruins and restore the
places long devastated;they will renew the ruined cities that have been
devastatedfor generations" (Is. 61:1-4).
From this passagewe canlearn severalimportant points:
God hears the cry of the oppressed. We must believe that Godcares about
those in physical, emotional, mental or spiritual prisons. God issuedIsaiah
61:1-4 as a response to the captivity He foresaw whenHe lookeddown on
rebellious Judah. These liberating words apply to us just as surely as they did
to the Israelites. Theywill continue to apply as long as God looks downfrom
the height of His sanctuary, views the earth and hears the groaning of the
prisoner.

God fulfills Isaiah 61:1-4 in Jesus alone. WhenHe read from the Scriptures in
the temple, He quoted Isaiah61 as His personalcharter (see Luke 4:14-21).
Both Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:14 tell us that Christ Jesus was empoweredby
the Spirit. And we know that "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
freedom" (2 Cor. 3:17).
Christ sets us free by the power of His Spirit; then He maintains our freedom
as we learn to live from day to day in the power of that Spirit. Isaiahand
Luke agree that only Christ was appointed to offer this kind of freedom.
Christ's ministry is a ministry of the heart. Do you notice all the parts of
Jesus'job description? Christ came to "bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the
prisoners...to comfortall who mourn...to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes...agarmentof praise instead of a spirit of despair" (Is. 61:1-
3).
Christ's first priority is setting captives free from the bondage of eternal
destruction (see 2 Pet. 3:9). But savedpeople, as I mentioned before, canstill
be in bondage (see Gal. 5:1).
Forms of Bondage
What does this mean in real life? When I think of bondage, I most often
imagine yokes that come from some area of childhood trauma or victimization
because this is the kind of yoke I had to combat. However, I know there are
many different types of yokes.
I recently askeda group of women I teachto broaden my horizon in terms of
areas ofcaptivity believers face. I heard painful testimonies of bondage to lust

and patterns of falling into sexual sin. I read about struggles with
homosexuality and a fearof men because ofchildhood abuse.
Some spoke about an inability to love people fully, including their own
husbands and children. One wrote me about the victory God had given her
over a compulsion to steal. Another had been freed from habitual dishonesty.
A friend surprised me by writing about gaining freedom from the bitterness
she had developed as a result of the physical abuse she endured as a child.
My heart broke for one woman who describedhow deep insecurity had stolen
friendships, church work and her marriage from her. I've heard from many
who were held captive by a critical and judgmental heart towardpeople.
Others wrestledterribly with angertoward God. Doubt. Discouragement.
Loneliness. A chronic lack of satisfaction.
And these letters came only from those who had already found freedom in
Christ. Imagine how many people are struggling!I firmly believe:
· Christ came to setthe captives free-no matter what kind of yoke binds them.
· He came to bind up the brokenhearted-no matter what broke the heart.
· He came to open the eyes of the blind-no matter what veiled their vision.
Obstacles to Freedom
In Isaiah's glorious thesis on captives setfree, the prophet describes the
benefits of God in one unforgettable summation: "Since ancienttimes no one
has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seenany God besides you, who
acts on behalf of those who wait for Him" (Is. 64:4). Godwants to do in your

life what your eyes have never seen, your ears have never heard, and your
mind has never conceived.
But just as the Israelites were in bondage, a foreignyoke may be keeping you
from realizing five primary benefits that God intends for His children to
enjoy. The absence ofany one benefit is a helpful indicator of captivity.
According to the Book of Isaiah, God graciouslyextended the following
benefits to His children:
· To know God and believe Him
· To glorify God
· To find satisfactionin God
· To experience God's peace
· To enjoy God's presence.
Since many Christians today obviously are not experiencing the fullness of
these benefits, there must be hindrances that keepus from the birthright God
intends. Five obstacles block our accessto the benefits God has for us:
· Unbelief, which hinders knowing God;
· Pride, which prevents us from glorifying God;
· Idolatry, which keeps us from being satisfiedwith God;
· Prayerlessness, whichblocks our experience of God's peace;
· Pegalism, whichstops our enjoyment of God's presence.
These five obstacles are so prohibitive that if they are not addressedand
removed the personalvisitation of our King will be greatly hindered, and we
will never walk in true freedom.
Unbelief. Unbelief is choosing not to believe God. I'm not talking about
believing in God; I'm talking about believing what He says. We can believe in
Christ, accepting the truth that He is the Son of God, and we can believe on

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