Advent: The Year of the Lord’s Favor
Notes
Transcript
Christmas is almost here! If you have been here for the past three weeks, you know that we have been moving through the season of Advent mainly focused on what is commonly referred to as the Second Coming. The future time when Christ will return as judge and king. That is fitting for this season, because the word Advent means “coming” in Latin - and it is in the season that we pay attention to the coming of Jesus Christ - first as a child born in a manger 2000+ years ago, then each time a new believer invites Jesus to come into their heart and become Lord of their lives, and finally, on the last day when He comes in glory to judge the quick and the dead.
There are four Sundays in Advent - but since the 4th Sunday this year also falls on Christmas Eve, today message will conclude the Advent focus on the coming of Christ. And no other book of the Bible speaks to and anticipates the coming of Christ more than Isaiah.
Do you know how a superhero’s identity is hidden in most comic books? There is Clark Kent - aloof reporter for the Daily Star who only the reader knows is also Superman - even though his complete disguise is a pair of glasses. Bruce Wayne, playboy philanthropist who is also hangs out in a cave and fights crime as Batman. Krista Pettit, hard working director or One Mission Cambridge and seminary student who also happens to be Wonder Woman (oops - did I reveal a secret?)
Well, in the book of Isaiah, we find the veiled identity of the greatest real-life superhero of all time.
The book of Isaiah was written between 739 and 681 B.C. and Isaiah was primarily called to prophesy to the Kingdom of Judah - a people who at times experienced revival, a turning back to God, and other times rebelled against God’s authority. Isaiah’s messages where part rebuke and part hopeful expectation. He called his people to repentance - warning them of destruction, but his messages also revealed God’s future deliverance of his people.
Our reading this morning begins with a person speaking who boldly says in Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
What is the identity of the one proclaiming such things?
Now, of course, we know that this person is Jesus - this is the particular passage that Jesus read in his first public message when he preached at the synagogue in Nazareth. He read this passage, rolled up the scroll, sat down and proclaimed “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
But let’s put ourselves in the shoes in those who had not yet encountered Jesus but had studied the book of Isaiah. As one reads Isaiah, we find him speaking of two primary characters who are to come, who God will send. One is a servant.
We hear of him in Isaiah 42:1-4
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
We hear of him in Isaiah 49:6
he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
And we find out that this servant will suffer on our behalf in chapters 52-53.
Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The other primary character Isaiah speaks of is a Redeemer/Messiah found mainly in chapters 1-35. This is the anointed One of God, the promised Deliverer. We read of him in Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We hear of his miraculous arrival in Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
And the people will be prepared for the Messiah’s arrival by a messenger who will call them to repentance.
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
We listened to the account of his arrival in our gospel reading today - part of God’s plan of redemption was the person of John the Baptist.
Now these are just a few of the many descriptions that Isaiah provides in his book of two mysterious characters - the suffering servant and the Messiah-Redeemer.
It is in Isaiah 61 that we find out that the two are indeed one. The promised Messiah would also be the suffering servant. We know this because of how he introduces himself.
Isaiah 61:1 (ESV)
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me...
Where else do we see the Spirit of God upon someone in Isaiah? We hear the Spirit is upon the servant - recall Isaiah 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
and we also find the Spirit upon the Messiah in Isaiah 11:1-4
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
The suffering servant and the coming Messiah are one and the same. And now we are able to see how only Jesus Christ of Nazareth fulfills all the prophecies that anticipated His Coming.
His identity has been revealed - unlike Superman, Batman and Wonderwoman - His identity has not been hidden - it is for all to see and for all to receive.
Listen again to the words of the servant Messiah - because they reveal the very nature of God. Col. 1:15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. And hear what He says:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
What an awesome, merciful and loving God we serve. What joy He brings to our hearts when we turn to Him. He is a God who redeems.
And before I close, I’d like to point one more thing out.
When Jesus spoke in the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth, and all the people were leaning in and listening to what he had to say, as noted earlier - he read from this passage in Isaiah. But he did not read the entire passage.
Listen again to Luke’s account.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
It is interesting that Jesus ended his reading in the middle of a passage.
“to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” The Jewish people would have recognized this as the Year of Jubilee that Moses spoke of in Leviticus chapter 25. It was a year of celebration and rejoicing the Jews were supposed to hold every 50 years - although there is no evidence it was ever practiced.
The Year of the Jubilee involved a year of release from all debt and all types of bondage - including slavery. All prisoners and captives were to be set free and all property was returned to its original owners. All labor was to cease for one year, and those bound by labor contracts were released from them. One of the benefits of the Jubilee was that both the land and the people were able to rest.
When Jesus said that it had been fulfilled in him - He was speaking of our redemption and forgiveness that would be found in Him alone. He is our Jubilee. We are free from slavery to sin, our debt has been paid. We are free to rest in the Lord. This is the year of God’s grace and mercy.
But the second part of the Isaiah verse that Jesus did not read at the time goes on to say “and the day of vengeance of our God.”
The day of vengeance is Judgement Day - when all wrongs will be made right, when justice shall be executed. That day is still to come.
It is the overriding mission of this church that we share the good news - the message of Jubilee - to all who will listen and receive. God’s grace is available to all and it is received when we put our faith and trust in His Only Son, Jesus Christ.
Let’s us keep our focus on the mission at hand - it is the greatest gift we can offer anyone this Christmas season.
Amen.