Isaiah 61:1-2

1 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,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn.

Reflect:

Jesus inaugurated the beginning of his ministry with these words from Isaiah. In Luke 4:14-22, standing before his family and hometown, he read aloud the scroll from the prophet Isaiah, and applying it to himself he proclaims, “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” With authority and grace Jesus was announcing that through him the world now had a real hope. But Jesus intentionally leaves out the last phrase from Isaiah’s passage. For what reason? For now, before his audience in Galilee and before the world, his coming was to be the “year of the Lord’s favor” - for now his mission was to be servant-Messiah to the nations. Jesus had come not to condemn the world but to save it. This was the purpose of him coming into the world.

But there is final stage yet to be fulfilled, a second coming that will take place in the future. As he spoke from the scroll of Isaiah, Jesus was aware of that day when he would return to earth a second time, this time in judgment and righteous vengeance.

Respond:

How can we look forward to Jesus’ return? How are we to respond to Isaiah’s words that Jesus will return in vengeance? As Christians, we can be assured that the One who will come as the glorious conqueror has already ‘conquered’ our hearts. As those who have been touched and changed in this present “year of favor,” we can confidently and joyfully look forward to his return. Perhaps for some of us, eagerly awaiting Jesus’ return is something new. Today, we can faithfully live out God’s mission of grace and also faithfully expect his return, for both to reveal God’s heart and glory.