“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” Isaiah 60:1-2
Through every day, His hope still rises strong. His Spirit within us shines brightly in a world that can seem dark much of the time. We may not always see it, we not always know we’re making a difference, we may succumb more to worry than peace at times, but God’s Presence over us and in us, is powerful in this life. Be assured, His light will never be put out by the darkness. He is always greater.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Throughout the chapters of this great book, Isaiah points us to our Savior, the Messiah, Christ the King, Emmanuel. Through the gift of Jesus and the price He paid on the cross for us, we can find hope, deliverance, healing, and purpose for our lives. He alone is the One who can set us free from the stronghold of fear and sin. He alone holds the power to renew our days and give us peace.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
The gospel isn’t only for those who need salvation and then put away and never remembered – we need reminding of the gospel each day. We need reminding of the price that was paid for our freedom and our eternal life. All of Scripture speaks to our need for a Savior to save us from our sins, and this verse in Isaiah is a visceral reminder of the length God went to rescue His beloved children. Thank you Jesus, that by your wounds we are healed!
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:1-3
Jesus reads this passage of Isaiah in the synagogue on the Sabbath in Luke 4. He was aware of his anointing and knows his Messianic calling, to proclaim the good news of God’s grace to us: the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive and prisoner. He came to bring comfort and joy to those who mourn and despair. In Jesus, the power of our greatest fears is vanquished and we find peace and rest.
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