In this sermon, we looked in Isaiah 61:1-4 at God's promise to send a Messiah who would bring good news to the oppressed, brokenhearted, and captive. In this passage, God promises to send a Messiah to comfort those in sorrow, liberate those who are imprisoned, and provide hope and healing to those who are suffering. Here we see a beautiful and kind invitation from God to bring our pain and sorrow to the Messiah. We learned that in and through our mourning, the Messiah will heal our heart wounds and restore hope to our lives. In Luke 4, Jesus claims to be God's fulfillment of this promise and, all throughout Jesus' life and ministry, we see Him live out this claim in the way He gives comfort to those who are suffering, and healing to those who mourn. God's promise in Isaiah 61 is still unfolding today. Now, through the Holy Spirit, God gives us comfort and healing, and restores our hope when we take our mourning to Him.
