| The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me … |
| —from Isaiah 61:1 |
All throughout literature we can read descriptions of the mighty oak trees. They represent power with deep roots in the soil that allow them to resist perilous winds. They provide shade and, through their dropping of acorns, they provide self-perpetuation that can produce a dense, dark forest. The Prophet Isaiah declares the purpose God has given the coming Messiah in the opening verses found in Isaiah 61:1-3:
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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
This is the very passage of Scripture in which Dr. Luke records Jesus reading to those gathered in the synagogue in His home town of Nazareth (see Luke 4:14-30). It is a powerful statement of purpose. But, as Jesus quotes from the Isaiah passage above, it also ends with a hopeful declaration for all who come to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord:
“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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
As we begin a new day, we can draw hope from this declaration. As we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we too can become “oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” May this be so for us this day and every day, as we obediently serve our Great King Jesus.
