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What was Jesus’ divine mission? In this sermon, discover the profound reasons why Jesus came into the world as outlined in Isaiah 61:1-2 and 1 Timothy 1:15. From preaching to the spiritually poor to saving sinners, this message unveils the heart of Christ’s purpose.
Table of contents
Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, asked people to describe their job in one sentence. Here are the top six responses he received:
- A pilot said, “My job is to spend most of the day looking out the window.”
- A security guard said, “My job is to run away and call the police.”
- A university professor said, “My job is to talk in other people’s sleep.”
- A photographer said, “My job is to shoot couples on their wedding day!”
- A flight attendant said, “My job is to ‘Be so fly!’”
- A real estate agent said, “My job is to house people in.”
Isaiah 61:1 describes Jesus’s job in one sentence:
Isaiah 61:1b bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, [open] the prison to those who are bound, [and] proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Jesus was anointed to do these five things. We’ll look at each one to appreciate why Jesus came into the world.
Let’s back up to the beginning of Isaiah 61:1 to get the context:
Isaiah 61:1a “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
These verses are in the first person. The prophet Isaiah wrote them, but we are to read them as though Jesus is saying them through Isaiah.
Jesus is the Anointed One
These first few words are fascinating because the Trinity, or God’s triune nature, wasn’t as evident in the Old Testament as the New. But this is verse shows all three Persons of the Godhead: The Spirit is God the Holy Spirit, the Lord God is God the Father, and “Me” is God the Son. Then Jesus says:
Isaiah 61:1b Because the Lord has anointed Me
The Hebrew word for anointed is māšaḥ, from which we get our English word “Messiah.” The Greek word for anointed is christos, from which we get our English word “Christ.” Christ and Messiah both mean anointed, but one is in Hebrew and one is Greek. Saying Jesus is the Christ or Messiah is saying He’s the Anointed One.
People were anointed to be set apart for a special ministry or purpose. Even though many people were anointed, Jesus is thee Anointed One. He was set apart for a special ministry or purpose, which is beautifully described in the rest of the verse.
Jesus Came Into the World to Preach to the Spiritually Poor
The first thing Jesus came into the world to do:
Isaiah 61:1c to bring good news to the poor
Gospel means good news. Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor. This might surprise you because you think, “Didn’t Jesus preach the gospel to everyone? Why only the poor? Did He have a problem with the rich?”
The verse is not financial. It is spiritual. This doesn’t mean Jesus preached the gospel to the spiritually poor as though some were spiritually rich. It would be better to understand this as Jesus came to preach the gospel to those who recognized they were spiritually poor. We are all spiritually poor, but we don’t all recognize it.
People who recognize their spiritual poverty know they are sinners. They know they have nothing valuable to buy or earn their way into heaven. But people who think they are spiritually rich (I didn’t say they are spiritually rich because nobody is) think they have what’s necessary to earn or buy their way into heaven. They are proud. They think they are good. So, when the gospel is preached to them, they don’t think they need it. Consider the first beatitude:
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The poor in spirit recognize they’re spiritually poor, and the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Why? They embrace the gospel when it’s preached to them. They rejoice over what Jesus did for them because they know they need it. They put faith in the Savior because they know they need saving.
Everything Flows from the Gospel
It’s tempting to read the words “bring good news to the poor” and think this is first because it’s the most important thing Jesus came into the world to do. But that almost undermines the gospel’s importance, giving the impression that the other things are a close second, third, fourth, and fifth.
Instead, it’s better to understand that the gospel comes first, and everything else flows from it. Jesus preaches the Gospel, and after we receive it, He does the other things described. I stress this because Jesus can’t do these other things for us if we reject the gospel, which means rejecting Him. But if we believe the gospel, He does these things for us.
Jesus Came Into the World to Heal Broken Hearts
Isaiah 61:1d he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted
We live in a sinful, fallen world. Brokenheartedness is part of life on this side of heaven, and it takes many forms: the death of loved ones, sickness, disease, financial problems, betrayal, job losses, the ends of friendships, relationship struggles, unexpected trials or misfortunes, and the list goes on and on with everything that can break people’s hearts. But Christ came to heal the brokenhearted.
Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
This past week, I received one of the most discouraging phone calls I’ve ever received. It has nothing to do with this church or with anyone other than my family and me. Katie kept encouraging me with different Bible verses, such as:
Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
I don’t mention this to warrant any pity. I mention it to point out that the only real encouragement comes from focusing on Christ. Focusing on what He did and what awaits us gives us the perspective we need. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of being with hurting people.
Silence is often preferable to speaking or preaching in these situations. In Romans 12:15, weep with those who weep. But can you imagine the tension?
We want people to know things when they are hurting, such as that Jesus came into the world to heal broken hearts, but we know it’s probably best not to start preaching that to them. So, we are left wondering whether people trust the Lord, but we cannot tell them that they should.
Here’s one of the most common things I have heard people say over the years, and it always encourages me: “I don’t know how people make it without the Lord.” I don’t know how people make it without the Lord either, and it blesses me when people say this because it tells me two things. First, it tells me they are depending on the Lord, which is the best thing for them. Second, it tells me that God is giving them the grace to endure, and they don’t know how others would endure without it:
2 Corinthians 12:9 [the Lord told Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
We want people to know that God’s grace will be sufficient for them, but we can’t tell them that, so it’s always encouraging to hear someone acknowledge that.
Let me conclude this part of the lesson by saying that Jesus came into the world to allow people to survive the trials of this life as He heals and mends broken hearts.
Jesus Came Into the World to Provide Spiritual Freedom
Isaiah 61:1e to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound
These words conjure up images of slavery, imprisonment, and bondage. This looks to one of the most common prophecies about what the Messiah would do: free captives and release them from prison:
Isaiah 42:7 [He] will bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 49:9 [He will] say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
The Old Testament clearly stated that the Messiah would give people freedom and liberty. Again, we aren’t looking at anything physical. We’re looking at what Jesus does spiritually. Let me share two accounts from the Gospels to help us fully appreciate what Jesus does for us and to help us avoid making the same mistake as these people.
The Two People on the Road to Emmaus Misunderstood Jesus’s First Coming
First, when Jesus was walking on the road to Emmaus with two people who didn’t recognize Him. They were sad because they misunderstood Old Testament prophecies about His Coming. When Jesus talked to them about it, they said:
Luke 24:21 “We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”
What’s ironic and sad about this? Jesus did redeem Israel! However, because they were seeking a physical redemption from Rome, they overlooked the spiritual redemption He provided for their sins.
John the Baptist Misunderstood Jesus’s First Coming
Listen to these two verses that are pretty unbelievable:
Matthew 11:2 When John [the Baptist] heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Consider what these verses actually say: John the Baptist asked if Jesus was the Messiah! John, of all people, should have known Jesus was the Messiah! By this point, John identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John baptized Jesus, saw the Holy Spirit descend on Him in the form of a dove, and heard the Father’s voice ring out, saying, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
So, how could John ask this? The answer is contained in the words in prison. John knew the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah releasing captives. So, each day that passed that John remained in his prison, where he would end up dying, his concern about whether Jesus was the Messiah grew! It got to the point that he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah.
The Worst Slavery Is Spiritually to Sin
The two people on the road to Emmaus and John the Baptist were looking physically at what they should’ve looked at spiritually. Now, maybe you’re saying, “If the Romans were persecuting me or I was in prison, I would want the Messiah to free me from my captivity.”
I understand that, and I feel the same way. But here’s the thing: There is a slavery that is worse than any physical captivity or imprisonment, and what slavery is that? Slavery to sin. We can be in bondage to Anger, Lust, Bitterness, Worry, Drugs, Unforgiveness, and Covetousness, and it can put us in worse slavery than people in a physical prison. Conversely, inmates could come to know Christ in prison and experience greater freedom than those outside prison.
John 8:34 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is A slave of sin.”
Romans 6:16 Paul said, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
Sin makes us spiritual slaves, but Jesus came to give us spiritual freedom. The Gospel releases us from the slavery sin keeps us in.
Jesus Came Into the World to Give Us Grace
Isaiah 61:2a to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
You might remember that I read a couple of verses from 1 Thessalonians 5 in last Sunday’s sermon. Every Bible has the same heading for that chapter: the Day of the Lord. I told you that the Day of the Lord isn’t literal. Instead, it is an umbrella term for the end times.
Similarly, the words “year” and “day” are not used literally in this verse. Instead, the year of the Lord’s favor refers to the church age, and the day of vengeance of our God refers to the Day of the Lord or the end times. We will first discuss the year of the Lord’s favor, also known as the church age, and then the day of vengeance of our God.
Grace must be given. It can’t be worked for or earned. This is why we define grace as unmerited favor. When Jesus says He came to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, He’s saying He came to proclaim the year of the Lord’s grace. We live in the year of the Lord’s grace, which is why the Church Age is known as the Dispensation of Grace.
Isaiah 49:8 Thus says the Lord: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages,
Notice that Isaiah uses “time of favor” and “day of salvation” synonymously because they are the same. The time of favor or day of salvation is the period Jesus ushered in at His First Coming. Now is the time to receive grace or unmerited favor from God and be saved.
Jesus Came Into the World to Save Sinners
This brings me to what I consider the clearest verse in Scripture describing why Jesus came into the world:
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Think of these verses:
Luke 19:10 the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
john 3:17 God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
John 12:47 If anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
These verses describe Christ’s First Coming, filled with the language of salvation.
The Day of Vengeance of Our God
What comes after the year of the Lord’s favor?
Isaiah 61:2b And the day of vengeance of our God;
After the Church Age or Dispensation of Grace is the day of vengeance of our God. This same period is described elsewhere in Isaiah:
- Isaiah 34:8 It is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, the year of recompense.
- Isaiah 35:4 Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of god.”
- Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in my heart.
This is one of the best examples of prophetic compression in Scripture! You’ve got the First and Second Comings in the same verse: the year of the Lord’s favor is the First Coming, and the day of our God’s vengeance is the Second Coming. We moved from the First Coming to the Second Coming in the same verse. They’re only separated by a comma.
We Receive God’s Favor or Vengeance
Consider the incredible contrast in this verse: we move from favor to vengeance. Those who reject Christ at His First Coming experience His vengeance at His Second Coming.
Isaiah 61:1-2 is well-known because Jesus read these verses when He visited the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth:
Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “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 recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Where’s the rest of Isaiah 61:2? Jesus stopped reading at the comma. You pause at a comma, but you don’t stop reading. Why didn’t He read the rest of Isaiah 61:2, “And the day of vengeance of our God”? Look at the next verse for the answer:
Luke 4:21 [Jesus said] to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus said that the words He read were fulfilled in His First Coming. He couldn’t read the words after the comma because they wouldn’t be fulfilled until His Second Coming. We’ve been waiting over 2,000 years for the rest of this verse. This is the oldest comma in history! So, we choose the favor of Christ’s First Coming or the vengeance of His Second Coming.
The Favor of Jesus’s First Coming
Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I (and notice this…) bring you good news (or the gospel) of great joy that will be for all the people.
The Greek word for “good news” or “gospel” is euangelizō, and here it is…
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Not quite the description of a Savior they were probably expecting: a baby in a manger! But this is the good news or Gospel: “unto us was born in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Jesus was God seated on a throne in heaven, and He chose to humble Himself, come to earth, and be born of a woman. That’s what we celebrate today: our great God and King becoming a Baby in the Person of Jesus Christ. If you believe this Baby is Christ the Lord, then you are saved by grace through faith in Him.
No Mention of Jesus Being a King
You’d think when the King of Kings comes to earth as a Man, that would be emphasized, but when the angel announced His Coming, the word “king” is not mentioned in the entire chapter. Instead, the focus is on Him being a Savior. The other Gospel that discusses Jesus’ birth is Matthew, and it’s the same:
Matthew 1:20 An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The name Jesus means “Jehovah is salvation.” Even His name focuses on Him saving us.
In Isaiah 61:1 [Jesus said], “The Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor.” In Luke 2:10 The angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy…there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” This good news or Gospel is that Jesus came to be our Savior. This was the greatest act of love: the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, became a Man so we can know God’s favor and avoid His vengeance.
