Isaiah 61:1-3 are some of the most iconic verses to sum up Christmas for me. Sure, I love reading about the wise men, the star, and Jesus’ birth in the manger, but these Old Testament verses so beautifully encapsulate the why of Jesus’ coming. It’s not the blessed fact that He came, but the reconciliation He brought. Forgiveness and life. Hope and joy. Peace. He brought these to fight the evils of the days until His kingdom comes for good.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:1-3
Often, I like to focus on the beauty and the restoration promised in these verses, but the reason why Jesus had to come was because of the ugly, the broken, and the hurt that swirls over the face of this earth like a biting wind and blinding mist.
The biting, blinding mists that encroach upon us are real and strong, but not stronger than our blessed Savior and the work He did to free us from such onslaughts. To know Jesus and to trust Him is to find rest and find peace in a place where none should be found.
Deuteronomy 33:12 says,…“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”
I am not sure what emotions Christmas is conjuring inside of you, but I know hope nestled in Isaiah 61:1-3. The poor won’t always suffer in the clutches of poverty. The brokenhearted will be comforted. Those once kept in chains of bondage will feel the manacles fall away. The veil of darkness and evil will not last, and light and truth dawn. Those that long for His Kingdom’s coming shall be uplifted.
“The Lord their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be! …” Zechariah 9:16-17
