Everlasting Joy
Isaiah 61:1-11
Main Idea: Jesus proclaims the gospel of salvation, transforms his people, & clothes us in garments of joy & praise.
I. The Salvation of the Gospel (61:1-2)
Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 = in Luke 4:16ff as his “mission statement” in his first public ministry appearance in Nazareth. These verses give us the “seven infinitives for all that it means for God to save us” (Ray Ortlund).
The recipients of this good news (gospel) include:
The poor & afflicted
The brokenhearted
The captives (or those in exile) & prisoners
Those who mourn
“Jesus did not come into the world to exalt those who are high, to give greater power to the strong, or to clothe those who are already clad in their own righteousness. No! The Spirit of God was upon him, that he might preach good tidings to the meek, that broken hearts should be bound up, captives redeemed, and prisoners released... This ought to be a very great subject of thanksgiving to those who are heavy of heart. Is it not sweet to think that the Anointed of the Lord came for your sakes, that you whose eyelids are fringed with beaded tears, you whose songs are dirges, you who dwell at death’s door, may be brought forth into the sunlight?” ~ Charles Spurgeon
The circumstances of these recipients include physical & socio-economic realities along with spiritual & emotional needs. The Anointed Messiah is coming to mend & set right all that has gone wrong, because sin has infiltrated all things in our fallen world.
Proclaiming “The year of the Lord’s favor” is an allusion to the “Year of Jubilee” in Leviticus 25. Every 50 years, Israel was to forgive all debts, free all slaves, and the land itself was returned back to original family allotments. Jesus came to accomplish the fulfillment of all the Year of Jubilee foreshadowed.
II. The Transformation of the Gospel (61:3-9)
5 “insteads” anchor these verses that talk about the transformation brought by the Messiah.
Instead of ashes → a beautiful headdress or garland (61:3a)
Instead of mourning → oil of gladness (61:3b)
Instead of a faint spirit → a garment of praise (61:3c)
Instead of shame → a double portion (61:7a)
Instead of dishonor → rejoicing with everlasting joy (61:7b)
1 Peter 1:8: Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
The gospel is the message of the “great instead” in Jesus Christ. In Luke 4, Jesus stops reading before “the day of vengeance of our God,” because this was yet to take place. The ultimate “instead” occurs on the cross, where Jesus bears the day of vengeance, taking our shame, dishonor, & sin, while offering us his righteousness, honor, & double portion of grace.
III. The Garments of the Gospel (61:10-11)
The Messiah is clothed as a groom, wearing the garments of salvation & the robe of righteousness. He is experiencing the joy of a wedding celebration & delighting over his work of redemption for his bride.
Revelation 19:6–8: Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
As we await the marriage supper of the lamb, we have been clothed by Christ which sprouts up within us “righteousness & praise” (61:11). We are invited to live as a Jubilee people, “putting on Christ” (Eph. 4:22-24) and living with an everlasting joy before a weary, broken, and mourning world.
