Isaiah 61:1f “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;”

We are familiar with this verse because we have read it in Luke chapter 4 and verse 18. Jesus reads this passage in his hometown in the synagogue. What is important about that reading is that Jesus applies the passage to himself. Those present for the reading knew this passage and knew it applied to the coming savior of Israel, the Messiah of God. The entire chapter is filled with the good news of the messianic age, and Jesus is claiming to be the one bringing in this new age.

This message is one of great hope, especially for the large group of poor and oppressed who populated the land. It is still a message of great hope to the world. Good news is freedom from sin, and good news is there is hope for real peace. The good news is a blessing for those who morn and who live in fear and doubt. All that is wrong with life on earth will be changed by the good news. The year of the Lord’s favor will make an everlasting change in the future of all of God’s people.

Task for Today: Please take comfort in the truth that you are living in the year of the Lord and that the gifts of the good news are for you in the present age. The gospel, the truth that Jesus is the anointed one, is for you. Take it, as it is freely given. Share it, as it is meant to be shared. Live it because it is yours, and the world cannot take it away.