“Isaiah: Anointed and Sent”

Bible Text: Isaiah 61:1-4 (John 1:29-34) | Preacher: Pastor Mark Verbruggen | Series: Isaiah | Long before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Word made flesh, the prophets of the
Lord announced his coming. In the Bible we hear from many prophets and they all declared the
Word of God to the people of God. When the prophets spoke, it was as if they were speaking
the very words of the Sovereign Lord. It might be hard for us to fully understand or appreciate
this truth. Words today are cheap. We say and hear all kinds of things, and much of it is
meaningless drivel. We text and tweet; we blog, post, share and like; but if all we’re doing is
interacting within the social media echo chambers of our own making, how is any of it real?
Words today are cheap. How can we hear a Word that is true and a story that gives shape and
meaning to all of life?
Isaiah 61:1 says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.” Seven hundred years later or so, Jesus would speak these
words from Isaiah and say, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-21).
What does Isaiah mean when he says what he says, and why does Jesus take these words from
the prophet and claim them for himself? The answer is the key for understanding this season of
Advent and Christmas. If we listen to the prophet, we hear a new word calling us to New Life in
a New Creation.