Isaiah 61:1
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. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3
Jesus was sent to proclaim freedom and release prisoners from darkness. We know these are likely spiritual tasks and that Jesus didn’t come to physically release criminals from jail. So who are the captives and what is holding them captive? And who are the prisoners and why are they in darkness?
Let’s start with looking at the original Hebrew. The Hebrew word for “freedom” is dᵉrôr which can describe both unrestrained flow of liquid and unrestricted release from bondage. It is the word used to describe the freedom that comes from the Jubilee when every 50th year all Israelites were to be set free from slavery and debts (Lev 25:10).
The Hebrew word for “captives” is šābâ which consistently describes the idea of taking men, women, cities or thoughts captive. A different Hebrew word is used for “prisoners” which is ‘āsar meaning bound or harnessed painting a picture of being restrained. Whenever ‘āsar is used it generally conveys the idea that God has the authority over who or what is bound up. He permits the binding and He alone provides liberty.
Jesus taught that all people but particularly the Jews were captives of the law and sin. The law of God was the measuring stick that determined whether or not they would enter heaven. The law required perfect obedience so the Jews were bound to obey it at all costs. They were held captive to it. But it was what was required of them in order to obtain eternity:
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:20).
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48).
Perfection is the requirement. And we all fell short. None of us could perfectly obey the law. So Jesus came to proclaim freedom for us who are held captive:
“But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Rom 7:6).
Jesus also came to release us from the darkness that resulted from our sin:
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).
Sin equals darkness. When we intentionally and perpetually sin, we separate ourselves from God who is light. The more we sin, the further we get from the light and the darker our world becomes. But by seeking to follow Jesus, we can receive forgiveness and have his light expose our darkness and begin living in the light:
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph 5:8-11).
We have the light available to us in Jesus. It’s up to us to put aside the fruitless deeds of darkness. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus so that we live in the light because he set us free:
“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus” (Heb 3:1).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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