Listen to the Sermon

The Voice of Jesus

Pastor Emeritus Dwight Nelson | December 11, 2016
12-11-16

Study Questions

Isaiah 61:1-11

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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

On the third Sunday of Advent we light the rose candle, which tells of the joy of the Lord. We will read chapter 61 of Isaiah, which begins “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” Isaiah was the prophet who saw the LORD in the temple, who had access to kings and talked often with them, even when they did not want to hear what he had to say. Isaiah spoke strong words of judgment upon a hard and wayward people, but he also spoke words of comfort, forgiveness and victory in God’s Kingdom. In this passage he shows us God’s heart for healing his people, and in many ways, for healing the nations. When Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth at the beginning of his ministry, this is the passage he chose to read, and then said, “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21

Jesus might have chosen Isaiah 40, which speaks of God’s comfort, or Isaiah 55 which invites all who are thirsty to “come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.” He could have read from Isaiah 35, which says that the redeemed of the LORD will enter Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will crown their heads.” All those are wonderful passages of hope and victory, and we love to read them. But Jesus chose to read Isaiah 61, to embrace its message, and then to live it, to form his ministry around it.

Do we also love this passage? Do we eagerly desire is fulfillment? Do we follow Jesus into its message? This word from Isaiah draws us into the heart of God, the joy of Isaiah, and the way of Jesus. It opens for us doors of faith through which to enter this Advent. (Pastor Emeritus Dwight Nelson)

Study Questions (From Pastor Ryan)

  1. How have you see the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord operating in the world?
  2. What is the good news (quite literally, the gospel) in this passage?
  3. Why do you think Jesus chose this passage from the scroll of Isaiah in Luke 4:16-21?
  4. Our country has a lot of captives and prisoners. How do you think the Christian church should engage ministry to prisoners and parolees?
  5. There are many people in our lives who are mourning right now. How do we give them “crowns of beauty” and “garments of praise?”
  6. Who do you know that is an “oak of righteousness?” Why?
  7. We believe in the priesthood of all believers. What does it mean to you that Isaiah predicts, “you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God?”
  8. God loves justice. Does this statement fill you with hope, fear, or both?
  9. Righteousness and praise will come from all nations. What is our role as priests and ministers to see that the good news reaches all the corners of the globe?
  10. One day we will all wear “garments of salvation” and “robes of righteousness” for all eternity. How do we behave right now in anticipation of that great and glorious day?