NOTES for Isa 61:1-11
As you may remember, this was the very passage from the prophet Isaiah that the Lord Jesus chose to read when He was invited to read and interpret Scripture in the synagogue at Nazareth. It probably reflects the essence of His ministry more clearly than any other: good news to the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and freedom for prisoners. This ministry did not end with His visible earthly life—He continues to carry it out, as anyone who has been comforted, healed, or set free in this way can confirm. The Gospel is not only a book about Jesus; it is also His living action here among us, the Good News being accomplished through those who themselves live by the Gospel and are open to the action of the Spirit. Among them are the prophet Isaiah and the other prophets, the Apostles, the saints, and the Lord Himself—the chief Herald of Good News, Healer, and Liberator.