Exposition of Isaiah 61 – Part 1
January 4, 2010
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This is a line by line, phrase by phrase, exposition of the 61st Chapter of the book of Isaiah. Part 1 contains an exposition of Isaiah 61:1 parallel with its quotation by Jesus in Luke 4:18.
Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Lord God is UPON ME; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
61:1A – The Spirit of the Lord God is UPON ME;
Luke 4:18A – The Spirit of the Lord is UPON ME,
The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus after John baptized him. This marked the beginning of the earthly ministry of the Son of God. Mary was the daughter of Heli. He was a direct descendant of Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and King David.
Luke 3:21-23 – Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, [22] And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove UPON HIM, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. [23] And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
He began his earthly ministry by withstanding all the temptations of the Devil in the Judean Wilderness, after which he went north into Galilee, read
from Isaiah 61:1 in the synagogue, and confirmed that it had now been fulfilled at his reading of it.
Luke 4:1 – And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luke 4:14-21 – And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
[15] And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. [16] And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
[17] And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, [18] The Spirit of the Lord is UPON ME, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. [20] And he closed t
he book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
The words used for “meek” in Isaiah 61:1B, and for “poor” in Luke 4:18B, are descriptive words for the character of the individuals that would receive the message Jesus was anointed to preach to Israel.
Isaiah 61:1B – Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the MEEK;
Luke 4:18B – Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the POOR;
This was not the general attitude of the Jewish people at that time – they were neither meek nor poor in spirit.
The attitude of the Jewish priests, rulers, and leaders of Jesus’ day were not interested in the coming of Messiah. They had carved themselves power and authority seats within the Roman governmental structure, and were very satisfied with the status quo. Their attitude is well reflected in their troubled state of mind when the wise men came looking for the new King born in Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:3 – When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And from the time that John was cast into prison, Jesus began to preach the gospel, the good news that at last the promised kingdom was in the immediate future for all who had believed Messiah would come to bring it.
Matthew 4:11-12,17 – Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. [12] Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; [17] From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is at hand.
Luke 4:43,44 – And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. [44] And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
However, only the poor in spirit, the humble, received it and believed they could inherit a kingdom on this earth.
Matthew 5:3,5 – Blessed are the POOR in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [5] Blessed are the MEEK: for they shall inherit the earth.
This was the kingdom Israel had been awaiting for the Messiah to bring in since Daniel defined it more than 600 years earlier.
Daniel 7:13,14 – I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. [14] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and A KINGDOM, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his KINGDOM that which shall not be destroyed.
Israel rejected the king and his gospel of his kingdom! But a remnant of Israel repented with broken hearts from contrite spirits, and they were comforted by the Messiah, being filled with his imputed righteousness.
Isaiah 61:1C – He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
Luke 4:18C – He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
Matthew 5:4,6 – Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be com
forted. [6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalm 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
The promised Seed of Genesis 3:15 crushed the head of the serpent Satan, who had held mankind captive in the bondage
of spiritual blindness since Adam’s fall in the garden. Messiah the Seed had his own body bruised on the cross as the price of our deliverance. Messiah came to proclaim that message to all who would receive it.
Isaiah 61:1D – To proclaim liberty to the CAPTIVES,
Luke 4:18D – To preach deliverance to the CAPTIVES, and recovering of sight to the Blind.
Genesis 3:15 – And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her SEED; it shall BRUISE thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Hebrews 2:14-17 – Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; [15] And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject TO BONDAGE. [16] For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. [17] Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
II Corinthians 5:19-21 – To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the WORD OF RECONCILIATION.
[20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
[21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Colossians 1:13,14 – Who hath DELIVERED US from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into THE KINGDOM of his dear Son: [14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Messiah delivered us from the captivity of the spiritual blindness that existed until he came to give us the light of the glorious gospel in himself.
Luke 4:18E – And recovering of sight to the blind,
John 9:39-41 – And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
[40] And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? [41] Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Ephesians 4:18 – Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Matthew 6:23B – If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Romans 11:25 – For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Isaiah 61:1E – And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Luke 4:18F – To set at liberty them that are bruised,
Messiah opened the prison doors by which Satan had held all mankind, bringing grace and true in him, and with him, to set men free in the liberty he purchased with his own blood.
John 1:16,17 – And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
[17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 8:32,36 – And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [36] If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
The prison doors have been opened and men set free from condemnation for sin by the new birth in Christ.
John 3:6,7 – That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The purpose of the new birth is not just to save you from hell, it is to give you an opportunity to serve God, after Christ comes to eternally live in you, by letting him lead you in your new found liberty to be more and more like him, and less and less like your carnal man.
II Corinthians 3:17,18 – Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. [18] But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
John 6:63 – It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 8:31 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
James 1:25 – But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Galatians 2:4 – And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Galatians 5:1,13 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. [13] For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.