We’re starting 2022 with good news!
About 700 years before Christ’s birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon Me, / Because Jehovah has anointed Me / To bring good news to the afflicted; / He has sent Me to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, / To proclaim liberty to the captives, / And the opening of the eyes to those who are bound” (Isaiah 61:1).
This prophecy was fulfilled centuries later in Nazareth of Galilee in ancient Israel. One Sabbath day, the Lord Jesus entered the local synagogue and was handed the scroll of Isaiah’s writings. He opened to 61:1-2, read it aloud, and told those in attendance, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21).
This announcement was the proclaiming of the jubilee, which, in Old Testament times, occurred every fiftieth year. In the Old Testament jubilee, slaves were released from bondage, and each family’s allotted portion of the good land was restored to them. The year of jubilee in the Old Testament is a picture of the entire New Testament age, the age of grace, when God’s salvation is freely available to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ!
The one making the announcement was anointed by God. An anointed person is one who is chosen and sent to accomplish a certain task. The literal meaning of the word Christ is “the anointed One.”
Jesus Christ was anointed by God not only to accomplish redemption for us but also to carry out the wonderful commission in Isaiah 61:1-2. He takes away our sins, but He also releases us from the bondage of sin by giving us His life, heals our broken hearts, and opens our eyes, which were blinded by Satan’s deception, to see the wonderful truth in God’s Word!
If you haven’t yet received the jubilee proclaimed by the Lord Jesus, you can do so by praying this simple prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I believe in You. I confess that I am a sinner. Thank You for coming as the Christ to die for my sins and to proclaim the jubilee. Come into me to be my life. Release me from all the things that bind and afflict me. Open my eyes to see all that You have done for me.”
You can listen to this song here or on our YouTube channel. The song will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other digital platforms in about two weeks.
The text of Isaiah 61:1 is quoted from the Recovery Version of the Bible, published by Living Stream Ministry (used by permission).