From age to age, you gather a people to yourself
I will send him [the Advocate] to you
By Steve Hall
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; 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)
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Acts 16:22-34
John 16:5-11
This passage from the Prophet Isaiah is essential for connecting the Scriptures for today. The connection is not readily apparent, yet it infuses both readings with a greater depth of meaning.
The two verses originally appear as the opening lines of chapter 61 in Isaiah. They speak of hope, of restoration, of the liberation of captives. They are the opening lines to words of healing and renewal and the mission of the Messiah. These are the words Jesus read early in his ministry when he spoke in the synagogue of Nazareth. He adds a few phrases of his own, but they are in keeping with the message of the chapter as recorded in Isaiah.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-20)
Jesus goes on to stamp them with the import of his presence:
"Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:21)
If we turn to today’s readings with these passages from Isaiah and Luke in mind, we hear an echo of what we’ve just read.
“About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened . . . “ [The poor have the gospel preached to them.]
”There was suddenly such a severe earthquake . . . all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.” [To proclaim liberty to the captives.]
“When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, ‘Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.’ Trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” [to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor.]
We trace it forward, and we trace it back. But the message didn’t begin with Isaiah.
The Descendants of Jacob who were slaves in Egypt suddenly found themselves hearing from Moses that they were beneficiaries of liberty now given to the oppressed and that they were released from captivity. And then, on their way to the land they were promised, they received the good news of the day via Moses, who came down the mountain with tablets of the law.
“He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances.” (Psalms 147:19-20)
And . . . It doesn’t end.
“I will send him [the Advocate] to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation.”
From age to age you, O Lord, gather a people to yourself.
We thank you!