The King’s Purpose

By Denise Trio

“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.”—Isaiah 61:1 (NIV)

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”—Luke 4:18 (NIV)

We've all seen movies where a city or group of innocent people are unjustly imprisoned or taken captive by an antagonist. A hero rises unsuspectedly, overcoming all odds to defeat the enemy and bring freedom and restoration. This pattern of good overcoming evil is the story of the gospel and is overlaid into every captivating story. It’s summarized in these two passages of Scripture from Isaiah 6.

In the first passage, the prophet Isaiah speaks on behalf of the Anointed One. In the Old Testament, anointing is a sign of the Holy Spirit, often indicated by oil placed on the head. Priests were anointed, and the oil on the outside symbolized the calling, service, and transformation happening inside. Here, the Anointed One is called out from the others who were anointed in the Old Testament. This One is the Messiah.

In addition, the Old Testament prophecies were warnings of the day and predictions. There are hundreds of prophecies about Jesus, written or spoken hundreds of years before He came to the earth. He fulfilled them all! Specifically, Isaiah's prophecy is found here in chapter 61. It was written about 700 years before Jesus was born, and, as we’ll see, it points to Jesus.

Fast forward to the Book of Luke. In the first three chapters, we read about Jesus’ birth in a manger, His genealogy, and His baptism. All of these prophecies were fulfilled.

In the verses just before our passage today, Jesus is in the synagogue and stands up to read the scroll of Isaiah (while they didn’t have “chapter” designations per se, we know He opened to what we now call Isaiah 61). He read before everyone that day: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

After reading those powerful words, Jesus boldly declares, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus explains this scripture was written about Him, and He had come in the Spirit of the Lord, the promised Messiah, to accomplish this very purpose. His ministry would set in motion God’s ultimate, perfect plan of salvation, redemption, and freedom made possible through His eventual death and resurrection.

This took place at the beginning of His ministry, and Jesus’ declaration sets up what we see in the rest of the Book of Luke and the other gospel accounts. Jesus physically, emotionally, and spiritually brings freedom and healing to those who are imprisoned, brokenhearted, or blinded.

This is what Jesus continues to do for us today. We are the citizens of the city in that movie who have been taken captive. We are impoverished, bound, and blinded by sin. We need somebody to rescue us. Jesus is our Hero, who conquered the evil one and came to set us free!

PAUSE: Jesus’ purpose was to serve and save us. How does knowing this impact how you view Him, your purpose, and your relationship with others?

PRACTICE: You have a purpose. You were made purposefully, but you don’t have to live it out alone. Remember, God is with you, and He works in and through you to accomplish the purpose you were made for! Today and every day, thank the Lord for being with you and ask Him to lead and guide you in His will.

PRAY: Father, thank You for being with me. Thank You for Jesus and His wonderful purpose to “proclaim good news to the poor… bind up the brokenhearted… proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” I pray that many would come to know and understand this truth this Christmas season and that they would receive the good news, that broken hearts would be healed, and that those who are lost, captive, and trapped would be set free to know and walk with You! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.