Isaiah 61:1 English Standard Version (ESV) he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;^{[blindfolded]}

Continuing where we left off it is time to address the other issues presented.

We know that only the Lord captivates the heart of the lost but the words are given here to “me” which is a personal activity. Binding up of those who were imprisoned is a matter of us, as a church, the bride of Christ, to provide a safe place, a sanctuary.

Exodus 15:17 English Standard Version (ESV) You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

Once again we must emphasize the establishment of what the Lord created, not that which man has built.

We cannot offer sanctuary to anyone if we do not abide there ourselves.

Proclaiming liberty does not set a prisoner free. It only gives them the key to the door and it is up to them to put that key in the door and leave their prison behind. Jesus is at the door and faith is the key.

Revelation 3:20 English Standard Version (ESV) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

It is sin that has held them captive.

Romans 7:23 English Standard Version (ESV) but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

When those blindfolds are removed and the captives see the light for the first time there is the instinct to cover their eyes because of the brightness of the light. That is an instinctive reaction of the flesh. The flesh still wants to protect itself from the truth.

Luke 4:16-21 English Standard Version

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “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, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹ And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

This is the beginning of Christ’s ministry to Israel. What He added at the end about the fulfillment of the prophecy caused quite a stir among the people in the synagogue.

²⁸ When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 

What we can expect is to be treated like Jesus when we preach the gospel. The truth stirs up strong emotions, the guilty often strike out rather than confess their condition. How these people felt and what they did could not sway Jesus from His mission.

When the scriptures speak to us we should know that obedience of faith is going to be met with resistance, even among those we know and care about. It is up to us to find it within ourselves to persevere.

Romans 5:3-5 English Standard Version

³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.