“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; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;. . .” (Isaiah 61:1-2)
These words of Isaiah the prophet were read by Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth at the start of His ministry. They are wonderful words of comfort for this Advent. These words are the mission, the calling of Jesus but also the mission He has imparted to us, His church. We are to preach the good news that will bind up the brokenhearted and free the captives. And in these days we are surrounded by millions of people, young and old, rich and poor, powerful and disenfranchised, famous, infamous, and unknown who are captives to sin but don’t know how to become free. And there are many who are so broken-hearted, confused about who they are that they lash out at others with violence because of their unhappy state.
In Advent, we look forward to the coming of God’s kingdom with joy and gladness. Those who don’t know Jesus, who do not have faith in Him, do not have access to this joy. What is worse is the judgement that awaits them when He returns. That day will be preceded by a time of tribulation in which the Lord will judge and condemn the wicked.
But there is still hope for these billions of people now headed for eternal destruction. For now we live in the time that Isaiah calls the year of the Lord’s favor. This period recalls the Year of Jubilee, a time set aside every 50 years by the Law of Moses. The jubilee year was the time when all debts were cancelled, property restored and slaves freed. In similar fashion, the year of the Lord’s favor is the time when He extends mercy to all and grants salvation to those who repent of their sins. This is the time when punishment and condemnation are set aside and the debt for all sin is cancelled.
The good news we share is that the debt for sin was paid by Jesus on the cross, once for all. This year of the Lord’s favor is the good news. And for believers it is a period of opportunity. We have been liberated by the good news of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Now we are called to be agents of the Lord. We have been commissioned to extend His work to everyone in the world so that they might have the opportunity to repent and receive God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.