These words are certainly among my favorites … in all the vast Book of Isaiah.

God is able, and has faithfully promised, to bestow upon converted (saved) Israel: “… beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3

Wow!

“Beauty for ashes!”

“Joy for mourning,” for weeping and sorrow!

“Praise” instead of “heaviness!”

This is thrilling!

Salvation … from death to life!

Then God compares the born-again little Nation to some “trees!”

“Trees of Righteousness!”

Trees planted by the Lord Himself!

I am currently planning (studying) for a series of Sermons on the “trees of the Bible,” so this Text is especially alluring to me this morning!

And the purpose of all this goodness, this blessing upon blessing?

Not for Israel’s sake, at least not that alone.

But … “that the Lord might be glorified!”

He blesses us … for His Glory!

It is His Nature to be gracious!

Wow!

And what He has here promised to Israel some day literally … He is already giving to us saved folks right now, spiritually!

So I say, of necessity as well as of desire,

PRAISE HIS NAME!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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The very first Miraculous Act in bringing Jesus to earth (the Incarnation) was the Holy Spirit’s overseeing the conception of Jesus in the womb of the virgin Mary.

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35, the annunciation, the angel Gabriel speaking. (His name means “man of God,” but more specifically “champion of God!”)

Then when Jesus was still in infancy, just after Simeon and Anna had “seen” the Lord at the Jerusalem Temple … Mary and Joseph went back to Nazareth to raise the little Jesus … “And the child grew, and waxed strong in SPIRIT, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”Luke 2:40, “strong in Spirit.” I believe that’s another direct reference to the Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus!

Then later, when Jesus begins His “Public Ministry” … the first thing He does involves a trip to the Jordan River! To be baptized of John! And, as He comes up out of the water … “And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the SPIRIT like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:10-11, the Holy Spirit (beginning) a new Phase in Jesus’ Plan for Redeeming sinners!

Then, our Text today in Isaiah 61, God would have it that Jesus’ first “recorded” reading of God’s Word was … “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach …” Isaiah 61:1

The Holy Spirit and Jesus … again!

And, had we space and time, the List could go on and on and on! (I specifically wanted to carry you up to our chapter this week, Isaiah 61.” The Holy Spirit and “first things” in Jesus’ Life!)

My point today?

If Jesus required/craved the Holy Spirit THAT MUCH in His sinless Life … what about you? What about me? In our frail humanity?

Maybe that’s why, the very second we were saved, God placed the Holy Spirit “within” us, converting us into His “Temple” for this age!

Cultivate, develop a Relationship with the Holy Spirit!

This I beg of you all.

Paul to the Corinthians … “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, AND THE COMMUNION (FELLOWSHIP) OF THE HOLY GHOST, be with you all. Amen.” A prayer, 2 Corinthians 13:14.

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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He was not much past thirty years of age, as being the incarnate Son of God, as the God-Man! Jesus, our Saviour!

And the Isaiah Passage we’re about to notice comprised His Text that notable day, long ago in Nazareth. (His “home town,” one could say, where He had been raised. In Luke 2:52 fashion: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

Here’s Luke’s Account of that unique Sabbath Day: “16 And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them …” Luke 4:16-21

He went to the weekly worship service “as His custom was!” Verse 16, habitually an attendee!

And that day He was asked to read the Scripture selection, probably an “assigned” Portion of God’s Word. They (I understand) systematically read through the whole Old Testament, or at least Major Sections of it. (Think of the Beauty, the Divine Forethought of Jesus being asked to read this Golden Paragraph about HIMSELF!)

What Passage is that?

Isaiah 61!

“17 And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

Wow!

Jesus plainly told them, too … that the Prophet wrote (700 years in advance) of HIM! “This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears!”

Oh, exactly what did Isaiah write?

“1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God …” Verses 1 and 2 of Isaiah 61.

BUT … Jesus strangely stopped mid-Sentence with His Reading, mid-Verse I had better say, in the middle of verse 2.

See if you can discover what I mean.

And when you do, you will have found what I call “a two thousand year comma” in the Word of God!

The first part of that comforting Two-Verse Unit is “history” now.

But after that comma, it is still “prophecy!”

Over two thousand years later!

And Jesus knew that!

Jesus: “And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book ….”

Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God …”

Our Lord stopped reading with the words “to preach/proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

And Jesus did NOT read the next phrase, after that comma! Note the comma: , and the day of vengeance of our God!”

Jesus was fulfilling all that precious text up to that comma! Grace and love and forgiveness!

But the time had not yet come (still has not yet come) for “the day of the VENGEANCE of our God!”

That’s the Tribulation!

Wow!

What a discerning Student of Scripture … our dear Lord Jesus!

Yes, a two thousand year comma!

Actually a little over two thousand years now, and still counting!

Amazing!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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What a chapter!

It deserves to be preached, verse by verse!

But as I read it (again) this morning, a couple of truths (nuggets) seized my attention. (That’s the thrilling thing about the Bible, one of the thrilling things. It is a living Book, always imparting new insight!)

God speaking to Israel: “… and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 60:16c

“Saviour!”

“Redeemer!”

Both new Terms, Names … as far as the Jews are concerned. (Sounds like we’re studying the NEW Testament, doesn’t it?)

Then … “the Mighty One of Jacob!”

An old Term, Name …. promised to Israel at her very inception as a God-created little Nation! (The specific expression “Mighty One” translates “abiyr” in Hebrew, at its root meaning “One Who flies, hovers, moves His Wings!”

As in Deuteronomy 32:11-12 … “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, BEARETH THEM ON HER WINGS: so the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.”

Wow!

“As the eagle” … “so the Lord!”

Then another thought … Isaiah 60:18, what a promise! “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.”

No longer Israel, Jerusalem … the hated!

No more terrorism!

Just the Presence of the Lord, and His Salvation and Praise!

Then one verse later … a fact John (from Patmos) reiterates in the Book of Revelation, in the Bible’s last chapter really.

God again to Israel … “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” Isaiah 60:19, but compare this to Revelation 22:5.

God (and His Radiant Glory) in the midst of His people! So much so, SO BRIGHT, the sun and moon have become obsolete!

No wonder so many of us pray … “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

Isaiah 60, read it again sometime today.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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God is speaking, to Israel: “In my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.” Isaiah 60:10

What a change!

A period of God’s Wrath!

Followed by an eternity of God’s Mercy!

What’s happened here?

In the middle of the sentence, at the position occupied by the conjunction “but,” Israel was saved by the Grace of God!

She “looked on Him (Jesus) Whom she had pierced” (on Calvary’s Cross) … and BELIVED! (Quoting Zechariah 12:10.)

Yes, Israel will be saved some day! (Quoting Romans 11:26 … “And so all ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”)

Thus, because of the Lord Jesus Christ (Himself a Jew), as well as Him being the eternal Son of God … this great “reversal” is prophesied for Israel!

But actually, is this not true of every Christian reading these lines today?

Once we were under God’s Wrath!

“He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM.” John 3:36b

But because of Jesus, His vicarious Death …

God has had Mercy upon us!

“ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5b

“But GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5

Amen!

Today, Memorial Day 2019, let’s remember the greatest Solider Who every fought!

Jesus and His Victory on the Cross … “destroying the works of the devil!” (Quoting 1 John 3:8.)

Because of that Event … what God accomplished on Golgotha’s Hill … I too can sing: “God has had Mercy on me!”

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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