Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 6, 2022
Read Isaiah 61:1-4
1 The LORD God’s spirit is upon me because the LORD has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives, and liberation for prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and a day of vindication for our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 to provide for Zion’s mourners, to give them a crown in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, a mantle of praise in place of discouragement. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, planted by the LORD to glorify himself. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore formerly deserted places; they will renew ruined cities, places deserted in generations past.
Good Morning, This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Today’s verses are a continuation of Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. The Israelites have recently returned to Jerusalem following their exile in Babylon. Destruction is everywhere and it was likely that they were discouraged by the enormous tasks that lie before them.
As I read Isaiah’s prophecy, I realize how relevant it is to our lives today. We, too, are surrounded by destruction created by the evil forces at work in our world. We struggle to believe that we can make a difference as we work to bring Christ to others amidst the brokenness that envelops us. Do we believe that God can bring about the enormous change that is needed to rebuild, restore, and renew us?
Who is the anointed one of whom the prophet speaks? Jesus is the “me” and he quotes these verses during his early ministry so that those who were “waiting” for the Messiah could open their eyes to the one standing before them. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18–19)
Jesus knew that He was the one, but the religious leaders were too blind to see because Jesus did not look or act the way that they expected, he wasn’t like them and he didn’t begin by visiting them in the temples. Jesus started with the people especially those whom the leaders had deemed unworthy. The Pharisees and Sadducees were looking for an earthly king with whom they could gain favor because of their “religious” affiliation.
Jesus came for all beginning with the least of these: the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed. He did not fill the mold that those leaders had created, and therefore, he could not be the Messiah. After all, they were the ones who knew the Scriptures the best. We shouldn’t judge these leaders too harshly because we too have been blinded by the truth when we were sure that we already knew the answers and knew what was right.
Jesus the Anointed One, comes to set us free from our earthly perceptions so that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit. Through our transformation from those filled with earthly desires to those longing for the fruits of the spirit, we are molded and shaped (sometimes kicking and screaming all the way) into our new selves. Only by the grace of God is this transformation possible. Thanks be to God! Let us rejoice in the promise of everlasting life as children of God. We are resurrection people rising from the ashes of our former selves.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. Open our eyes so that we may see Your glory shining in the darkness! Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: What hope does the Resurrection offer me today?
We are saved by grace! Pastor Liz