Preface
Yeshua ben Joseph of Nazareth [Jesus, son of Joseph of Nazareth], retired into the Place of Worship and picked up the Scroll to read. The Scripture He read from was a revelation written by Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recover the sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:17-19
The “Anointed One” being described is God Himself — largely in connection with Jesus, the Messiah. Supportive references such as Daniel 9:25-26 confirms that Jesus reading of Isaiah 61 at the advent of His public ministry, fulfills a prophecy given to Daniel while the Israelites were captives in Babylon.
The prophecy describes a future time when a promised Messiah (the Anointed One) would restore the fortunes of Israel and all other non-Jewish nations. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight (and the New Covenant), we know that promised One to be Jesus the Mashiach, Messiah [God’s anointed One from heaven].
The Anointed Mashiach
His Humanity coupled with His Divinity
Returning to the prophecy as recorded by Isaiah 61, the Master’s reading in the synagogue communicates clear and distinctive ways in which God has ushered in powerful evidence that the initial aspects of the Kingdom of God were at hand.
- He has anointed Me- God has supernaturally spiritually set Jesus solemnly apart as multiple roles and titles in the overall restorative work of redemption. Messiah is a prophet, priest, king, the last Adam, shepherd, and lamb of God.
- Bring good news– The Master brought forth at the appointed season, good tidings to Israel and other nations, the wisdom of God’s plan of salvation, chiefly the preaching and teaching of the Gospel Message.
- His message was to the poor– Souls in which were the afflicted, humble, meek, needy, those who were oppressed by the rich and powerful.
- To heal– Jesus was called of God to bind up; give relief, administer to the wounded, and those distressed, bringing an end to human sufferance, He came to rule over humanity.
- The broken-hearted– The Hebrew word, [shabar] is used concerning the role in which the Master came to abolish, destroy, to tear down the old order. He does this by bringing to the birth the New Covenant.
- The Master also proclaims– by announcing, addressing liberty [as in Sabbatical year, Jubilee which communicates ultimate freedom from the spiritual spontaneity of heavenly outflow] to those held captives.
- God’s anointed One offered freedom– which implies an opening away from the darkness of prison.
- The prisoners– are those distressed and are the object of God’s divine compassion.
- Such proclamation of the Lord would be indefinite, for it is the year of the Lord’s favor. God’s favor communicates goodwill and acceptance of God.
The Spirit of Messiah
Post Resurrection Glorification
Acts 16:7
The Spirit of Christ asserts and bears witness to the supernatural spiritual nature of Jesus’s presence post-resurrection. His Spirit teaches, guides, prompts, and restrains His disciples in successfully carrying out God’s Kingdom initiative within the earth.
Acts 8:29
The all-inclusive universal spiritual goodwill and acceptance from God’s Spirit is evidenced in all willful and yielding human hearts’ that faithfully and positively respond to the proclamation of the Gospel message. Soul salvation to every nation.
Romans 8:9
Expresses the progressive aspect of spiritual sanctification within the life of a follower of Christ. The indwelling of the Spirit of Christ ensures belonging, being eternally sealed to Christ and thus being spiritually empowered toward emancipated living.
Galatians 4:6
God’s Spirit reforms the identity of faithful followers of the Messiah. The indwelling Holy Spirit adopts believers, making them intimate heirs to God’s Kingdom and His eternal covenants. God’s spiritual Kingdom is based upon the Law of Liberty and the Law of Agape, instead of the natural laws of legalism and human secularism.
Philippians 1:19
The underpinning of the divine sovereign rule of God over His creation and all of humanity is promised salvation through prayers and provisions of the Spirit of Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 1:11
God’s salvation by grace is present and future security for all those who are authentically redeemed by the life-changing power and splendor of the Spirit of Christ.
Our High Priest
Jesus is eternal and seated at the right hand of God in heaven
Christ is now the redeemed of God’s High Priest. In His resurrection, He became the great High Priest the redeemed of God. In His ascension, He returned to the Father, now as the first perfected human being. There, as the glorified human being, He has been elevated to the pinnacle of the spiritually renewed created order.
The work of Christ is the work of God, this statement is confirmed throughout Revelation, as Christ shares in the very identity of God. In Christ Jesus’ exaltation, He remains the Lamb, the crucified one. He participates in God’s identity and reign, making Him worthy of worship, as the slaughtered Lamb. This is a consistent witness of the New Covenant: that the exalted Lord remains the crucified Jesus. He is eternally the true face of God.
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6
Saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:12 Amen
Grace and Peace
Brother Alonzo