Opening Prayer
Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word. Amen. (Psa 119:41)
Text: Isaiah 61:1-3
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Devotion
In Leviticus 25 the Lord commands that every 50th year in Israel should be a year of Jubilee, when all debts were forgiven, everyone got his own property back and all Israelite slaves were set free. In the kingdom of Christ all our sins are forgiven us, so that no one has any guilt or judgment hanging over him. There are no slaves; all are free children, born of God. They no longer sit in the prison of the fear of death and are no longer slaves of Satan to live in sin, for by Baptism they have entered into a covenant of a good conscience with God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1Pe 3:21). This is the glorious message of the Gospel which Christ has brought to us, and which He spreads in the world by His servants. Listen, all you who mourn in Zion: in Christ’s Church which you have entered by Baptism, and which you heartily enjoy belonging to and you really belong to it, – in Christ’s Church, where you live, the Lord has established the law that sin is forgiven, so that nothing condemns you. This is God’s covenant with us: “I forgive you all your transgressions and I will remember your sin no more” (Jer 31:34). Jesus has taken your sin upon Himself and paid its price. Won’t you give Him at least this reward then, that you believe it and rejoice? He desires nothing else: don’t deny Him this. He came and established this kingdom and instituted this Gospel by His blood. He appointed to those who mourn in Zion “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” He will establish you in His righteousness, so that you have your roots in the perfect obedience of God’s Son and can stand firm against all Satan’s storms. In yourself you are completely lost, sold under sin, and captive to death. But in Christ you are free and alive, righteous and blessed. This is no dream, no idle talk, but the truth, as sure and certain as God Himself. All the heavens answer: “Amen.”
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, it is hard for us to believe Your joyous message. O help us to believe. It is good for us that You do not break the bruised reed and do not snuff out the smoldering wick (Isa 42:3). We thank You for Your great grace. O help us to believe. Give us the light and grace of the Spirit to believe in You. Amen.
Hymn
What hast Thou left ungranted
To give me glad relief?
When soul and body panted
In utmost depth of grief,
In deepest degradation,
Devoid of joy and peace,
Then, Thou, my soul’s Salvation,
Didst come to bring release.
I lay in fetters groaning,
Thou com’st to set me free;
I stood, my shame bemoaning,
Thou com’st to honor me;
A glory Thou dost give me,
A treasure safe on high,
That will not fail or leave me
As earthly riches fly.
Gerhardt: O how shall I receive Thee L 98:3-4 ELH 94:3-4 tr. C. Winkworth;
tune: Wie soll ich dich