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Sunday School Lesson
Good News For Those Who Suffer (Isaiah 61)
The results of what he does bring comfort, provision, joy, and praise. One difference from this text and Jesus’ use of it in Luke 4 is the phrase, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.
Isaiah talks about God’s people being like oaks of righteousness, and being like rebuilt ancient ruins and re- stored ruined cities. This could refer to God’s people coming back from Babylonian captivity and literally rebuild- ing their nation, but it could also be understood spiritually in the church.
God’s people would become known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. The nations would be able to acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed. When the servant (Messiah) works his wonders, the servants (God’s people) bear the fruit of those won- ders.
What the Lord Loves Isaiah 61:8-11
We would not know any- thing about God unless he re- vealed himself to us.
Sometimes in the Bible, God comes right out and tells us something about himself. Such is the case in Isaiah 61:8. The Lord loves justice.
The converse of that is that he hates robbery and wrong- doing.
We suffer for many reasons --- our own mistakes, some- one elses’ mistakes and injus- tice. When we suffer from our own mistakes, we get what we deserve. When we suffer for someone else’s mistakes or in- justice, God is angry. God in his mercy says that his people have suffered enough and will settled all accounts.
Our God loves setting things right. He began doing that as early as the fall, he continued it with the promise to Abra- ham, and he really fleshed it out in the giving of the law
under Moses.
All of the laws of God come
from his character. When we obey his precepts, we discern his principles. When we dis- cern his principles, we see his person.
Therefore the everlasting covenant that he makes with his people comes from his faithfulness. God’s laws al- ways stem from his goodness. Can the Lord delight greatly in the Lord? Well, yes, we are probably to understand this to mean that Jesus delights greatly in the Father. Jesus re- joiced in God (Luke 10:21).
Because Jesus was aware of his role in saving the world, he knew something about gar- ments, robes, and wedding imagery. He is the bridegroom of his covenant people (Mark 2:19, 20). He not only saves, he is the Savior. He not only is the gardener, he is the soil as well.
God likes covenants because he dislikes misunderstand- ings. He likes agreements, pacts, and contracts. Because he is God he sets the terms of these covenants. Because he is God he makes the covenants out of his own character (i.e. faithfulness). The text this week says that the everlasting covenant is a relationship be- tween God and his people, and God wants us to be clear about it.
What the Servants Do Isaiah 61:1-4, 9
Much of Isaiah 40–66 is about God’s servant. God’s servant can be a pagan king
(Isaiah 45), the nation of Is- rael (43), or the Messiah (42; 52:13).
This messianic figure will be empowered by the Spirit of God. Everything he does will be by the power of the Holy Spirit (see all of Luke 4). This anointing will show up in his preaching (proclaim good news to the poor), in his heal- ing (bind up the broken- hearted), in his liberation (proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners), and in his renewal of the world (to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor).
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