”The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations. Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards. You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches. Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. “For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.“
Isaiah 61:1-11 NLT
The messiah is a complex figure. He is dynamic in the sense that he is one dimensional with thoughts and feelings. On the one hand, he ushers in judgment for the enemies of God. This is a public facing function that is of extreme emphasis in a world where wickedness has been allowed to reign and God’s enemies flourish. Yet he is much more than this. The majority of his ministry is to silent masses who need a savior. These are the weary and downtrodden. They are the casualties of the war that the wicked wage. For those people Isaiah’s messiah is the savior. He is a man of the people. He brings hope for salvation, and a safe haven for the oppressed. Here we see that this is a source of great joy for him. It is a point of honor to him as he is aligned with his Father’s will. Lastly, he is excited to reap the blessings of the relationship with those he saves. He anticipates and executes a relationship of covenant, and likens his joy to that of a bride or bridegroom. It is apparent that Isaiah’s suffering servant suffers with cause and with thought. He is not merely a cartoon but a fully dynamic person in whom Israel can place its trust, and in whom the world can anticipate knowing their creator. He will be a man to be admired.
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