A New You for the New Year
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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.
(pause)
Across many Latin American countries [in South America], the New Year is welcomed not only with celebrations and fireworks, but with a powerful symbolic ritual: burning the Old Year.
This tradition, known as El Año Viejo, is a beautiful way of saying goodbye to what has passed and making space for new beginnings. It combines culture, reflection, humour, and family connection—making it especially meaningful when shared with children.
What Is El Año Viejo?
El Año Viejo is usually represented by a handmade figure or doll, created using old clothes, cardboard, paper, or straw. The figure symbolises the year that is ending, carrying with it everything the year brought: joyful moments, challenges, lessons, and memories.
Burning the Old Year is not about destruction—it is about closure, transformation, and renewal.
Countries Where the Old Year Is Burned
Ecuador
This is one of the countries where the tradition is most widely celebrated. Families and communities create large Old Year figures, sometimes inspired by public figures or characters from the year. Before burning them, people often read humorous “wills” where the Old Year leaves messages behind.
Colombia
In many regions, the Old Year is burned as a family ritual. Children often take part in dressing the figure and talking about what they want to leave behind and what they hope for in the year ahead.
Venezuela
Here, the burning of the Old Year symbolises emotional cleansing and hope. It is often combined with gratitude rituals and wishes for health, peace, and prosperity.
Peru and other Andean countries
The tradition appears in different forms and is sometimes connected to ancestral rituals, where fire represents transformation, renewal, and rebirth.
https://www.elrecreospanish.com/blog/%2Fel-ano-viejo-latin-american-new-year-tradition-for-children
(pause)
This tradition does not necessarily regard everything in the old year as bad, but it does recognize the need to leave the old and begin anew.
Our scripture for today from Isaiah 61 is somewhat similar to this tradition, but different. A message is brought to a people who have suffered and have experienced darkness and despair for some time. It is a message of hope for a new year - a new period of time!
(pause)
The last half of Isaiah - Isaiah 40-66 - is primarily addressed to the people of Israel and Judah during their Babylonian exile. Some scholars, however, divide this book further, with Isaiah 40-55 addressed to the exiles, and then Isaiah 56-66 addressed to those who returned to the Promised Land after the exile.
Knowing this context helps us understand out text better. Isaiah 61 is a beautiful scripture which pictures the Spirit of the Lord upon his Servant, proclaiming Good News to the people.
While the Spirit was obviously upon Isaiah as he proclaimed this message, the primary fulfillment of this scripture was Messianic. Jesus, in Luke 4, read this scripture:
And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Thus, we recognize this scripture is primarily about the ministry that the Messiah would bring as he introduced the Kingdom of God to the world.
But there is another key detail we must note. Isaiah 61:2 proclaims “the year of the LORD’s favor.” This reference is to the Year of Jubilee.
In the Law that God gave the Israelites in the wilderness, God set out a practice that the people were supposed to observe every 50 years - a year of Jubilee. It was a …
Year of emancipation and restoration to be kept every fifty years. For Israel, the seventh year expressed at length the values of the seventh day (Lv 25:1–7).
When a series of seventh years reached the perfection of seven sevens, the fiftieth year was heralded by the trumpet of jubilee and a whole additional year was set aside as belonging to the Lord.
The word “jubilee” simply means a ram’s horn; it came to mean a trumpet made from or in the shape of a ram’s horn. Such horns were exclusively for religious use….
The sacred trumpet gave its name to the year of the ram’s horn, the jubilee year—a year to which the people of God were summoned in a striking and holy way.
It was not simply a release from labor, not just a rest, but a year belonging to the Lord. … Functionally such a year was a sabbath rest “for the land” (v 4), and in its spiritual motivation it was “to the Lord” or “belonging to the Lord” (v 4).
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Jubilee Year. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, p. 1226). Baker Book House.
In the year of Jubilee, the farmers were not to sow any seed. Rather, God promised that the land would produce crops on its own to feed the people.
Furthermore, any Hebrew slaves were to be released as free men and women. Also, properties that had been sold during the fifty years previous were to be returned to their original owners.
(pause)
What was the point of this practice of Jubilee?
Simply, in that time, the poor would often sell themselves as slaves in order to pay their debts - as well as selling their properties. Jubilee ensured that no one remained poor or enslaved forever.
In fact, this practice resulted in totally different way of valuation. Property would be purchased or slaves would be bought on the valuation of how many years were left until Jubilee when the property would revert to its original owner or the slave would be freed.
As someone has written:
In summary, the Jubilee Year would prevent the massive accumulation of wealth by a small portion of the population. If a member of the community lost family land and freedom by falling into debt, restoration was granted in the Jubilee Year.
Wealth, in other words, was to be redistributed without injustice or partiality. Many have suggested that the Year of Jubilee would have steered a course between the greedy excesses of unrestrained capitalism and the oppressive control of state communism.
As the bottom line, the Jubilee Year was a test of faith in the promises of God. Peace and blessing were promised to those who would keep the Jubilee Year. Foregoing a year’s harvest would require faith that God would provide enough in previous and succeeding years to sustain them.
Demarest, G. W., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1990). Leviticus (Vol. 3, p. 247). Thomas Nelson Inc.
Someone else has noted:
The Year of Jubilee contained two important theological implications. First, the land belonged to the Lord, who determined its proper use. The people were to avoid selfish accumulation of land (Isa. 5:8), for it did not really belong to them. Second, God’s people were to be free. Even when one was in slavery, redemption was possible. In any case, the Year of Jubilee freed all. Freedom was always the ultimate goal.
Unfortunately, evidence from the Old Testament seems to indicate that Israel hardly ever celebrated the sabbath year or the Year of Jubilee. Christ’s quoting of Isaiah 61:1 and the word deûrôr may suggest that Christ’s ministry provided the ultimate fulfillment of the jubilee concept (Luke 4:16–21).
Beyer, B. E. (1996). Jubilee, Year Of. In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 432). Baker Book House.
(pause)
That fulfillment in Christ is what we see in our text today. When Jesus sat in the synagogue, reading from Isaiah this scripture, he was proclaiming that spiritually we might be made whole.
Big Idea: Jesus offers you the Good News of God’s favor.
Big Idea: Jesus offers you the Good News of God’s favor.
How does Jesus as our Messiah offer us a “New You for the New Year”?
First, note that Jesus has come to proclaim our…
1. Release from Sin, v. 1.
1. Release from Sin, v. 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;
(pause)
“The LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor”…
(pause)
Do you remember the famous first words of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount?
(pause)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(pause)
In both Matthew 5 and here in Isaiah 61, the “poor” does not seem to be primarily a reference to those who are financially stressed, those in debt. Rather, the prophet is speaking of those who are in debt spiritually.
(pause)
In scripture, we find the concept that sin accrues a debt before God that we cannot pay.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Jesus, in the prayer he taught his disciples, taught them to say…
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
(pause)
The old song says, “He paid a debt he did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away; And now I sing a brand new song, ‘Amazing Grace,’ Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”
(pause)
Notice that Isaiah 61 says the Messiah would bind up the brokenhearted. Those who are crushed and broken by their sins and by the sin of the world… Jesus comes to heal.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
(pause)
The prophecy continues: “to proclaim liberty to the captives.” To all those who are enslaved to sin and the Devil, Jesus offers freedom.
It doesn’t matter how great the slavery - whether it is compulsive lying, addiction to pornography, addiction to drugs, alcohol, or something else - from whatever enslaves us and entangles us, Christ will set us free.
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
In the last phrase of Isaiah 61:1 there is a similar imagery, but it is somewhat different.
“the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
Jesus not only frees us from slavery to sin, from addiction to sin, but Jesus also frees us from the guilt of sin.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
(pause)
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
(pause)
Kunta Kinte lived free among the Mandinka people of West Africa, becoming a Mandinka warrior at fifteen. But then as he gathered wood for a drum outside his village, slavers captured him.
Stacked away on a slave ship piled up with a hundred seventy other slaves, he was hauled to America and auctioned off as property, chattel to be bought and sold, used and abused.
But he keeps his memories of freedom alive and passes them on to his daughter Kizzy. She was born a slave and never knew freedom firsthand. But she passed on her father's stories.
That day finally came after Kizzy died when her grandchildren tasted freedom for good. So goes the story of Roots as told by Alex Haley.
Do you … long for freedom, the day of release? Yes, I know [we all are] American citizens, born in the land of the free and the home of the brave. But like Kizzy, you and I were born as slaves, captives [of sin].
(Adapted, Bitter, Greg. https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/75165/roots-freedom-from-your-slavery-by-gregg-bitter)
How wonderful are the words from the prophet Isaiah, the message of the Servant, the Messiah, to us! Jesus has come to bring us freedom from sin, freedom from guilt, wonderful, glorious freedom!
(pause)
How does Jesus as our Messiah offer us a “New You for the New Year”?
Second, note that Jesus has come to proclaim our…
2. Renewal of Life, vv. 2-3.
2. Renewal of Life, vv. 2-3.
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.
We’ve already talked about the signficance of the Year of Jubilee, but can you picture a Hebrew slave toiling along year after year? Surely, the days and months and years must have dragged on so slowly! But finally Jubilee came… and they were free, gloriously free!
(pause)
In verse 3, the prophet seemingly contrasts the garments of a widow with the wedding dress of a bride. For example, picture in your mind Hannah, Ruth’s daughter-in-law, the Moabite whose husband died.
Watch as day after day she put on her mourning garments. But then, Boaz made a deal to be her kinsman-redeemer. See as she then put on a beautiful wedding dress to celebrate the joy of marriage.
(pause)
In the same way, for the one who is discouraged, broken by life’s trials and disappointments, dead in sin, the Messiah offers new life!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(pause)
Consider what it means for you to have a renewal of life. Yes, many things have “passed under the bridge”. As you look back on your life, and even this past year, you might remember certain disappointments, heartaches, and failures.
Sometimes, we feel like we are too old to be used by God for great things. Or, maybe we feel like we have failed too greatly. Or, we have been frustrated in our desires to succeed.
Jesus gives us new life. A new chance. A new hope.
As you look forward to 2026, how is the Holy Spirit prompting you to use the life he has given you for God?
(pause)
How does Jesus as our Messiah offer us a “New You for the New Year”?
Third, note that Jesus has come to proclaim our…
3. Restoration of Purpose, v. 4.
3. Restoration of Purpose, v. 4.
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.
(pause)
Picture with me, if you would, the post-exilic community for whom these words were written. These people had allowed to return from Babylon to Judah. They found a rough, wilderness land that had grown unchecked while deserted, needing to be tamed by man again.
(pause)
They also found haunting reminders of the past. Broken walls and burnt gates were mute reminders of their nation’s apostasy and God’s judgment. They were reminded of their abject poverty, how far they had fallen as a people from where God once led them.
But now the prophet encouraged them - they would build up the ancient ruins, raise up the former devastations, and repair the ruined cities. This broken down, desolate land would once again thrive with God’s blessing.
(pause)
But we recognize the primary meaning of this text is spiritual. In the same way that the Jews worked to restore their land to its former glory, God works in our hearts and lives.
Although sin may have left a terrible mark upon us, God builds us up and restores us so that we might live for his glory.
So I challenge you again: God has given us life - even new life, even this new year of 2026 - to be used for his purpose.
In your life, your family, your community, and our church…
What are some broken-down walls and burnt gates you can help restore?
In a world filled with the devastation of sin, what can you do to plant new life, repair what is broken, and create goodness … through the power of the Holy Spirit?
(pause)
We have three more days for the year 2025 before we start a new year.
(pause)
There are some who like to choose a word or a phrase as a theme for a new year. Some choose a scripture for the year as well.
I would encourage you to do this: ask God for a word or a phrase that should be your focus in this new year.
(pause)
Ask God for a scripture as a promise or a challenge.
(pause)
I am sure that God will impress different words and scriptures upon each of us.
But may I also suggest that our text from Isaiah 61 gives us a general theme and promise that is true for us all?
In a world devastated and darkened by sin,
Big Idea: Jesus offers you the Good News of God’s favor.
Big Idea: Jesus offers you the Good News of God’s favor.
Release from Sin, v. 1.
Renewal of Life, vv. 2-3.
Restoration of Purpose, v. 4.
This new year, but truly this time period from Jesus’ birth to His Second Coming, is the time of “GOD’S FAVOR”!
So I challenge each of us to embrace the grace of God. If you are still bound by chains of sin and guilt, accept the freedom and hope Jesus offers you. Experience the new life and purpose he gives us.
(pause)
But also for all of us who have experienced his freedom, I challenge you to continue to truly live the new life Christ has given you. Follow his purpose for your life and let us glorify our Lord and Savior for the “Good News” that has changed our lives!
(PAUSE)
Frances R. Havergal was an English religious poet and hymnwriter who died in 1879. She is known for at least two hymns that are still sung today: “Take My Life and Let it Be”, as well as “I Gave My Life for Thee.”
Havergal wrote a beautiful poem, a prayer, for the New Year that I would like to end our service with. It will be on the wall if you would like to read along with me:
Another year is dawning,
Dear Father let it be,
In working or in waiting,
Another year with thee.
—
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.
—
Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness,
The glory of thy face.
—
Another year of leaning
Upon thy loving breast,
Another year of trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.
—
Another year of service,
Of witness for thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.
—
Another year is dawning,
Dear Father, let it be,
On earth, or else in heaven,
Another year for thee.
