How Is Isaiah Connected to Jesus? (Isaiah 56-66)
Have you ever wondered if Jesus shows up in the Old Testament? Isaiah 61 reveals his mission long before he walked the earth.
Isaiah 56-66
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Is Jesus actually found in the Old Testament?
“One scholar, J. Barton Payne, has found as many as 574 verses in the Old Testament that somehow point to or describe or reference the coming Messiah. Alfred Edersheim found 456 Old Testament verses referring to the Messiah or His times. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry.”[1] And many of these prophecies are found in Isaiah.
As the book of Isaiah comes to a close, we see this continued theme of salvation extended to all who obey God, regardless of national or ethnic origin. Isaiah 61 is especially powerful, and after closer observation, we notice this dual aspect of the speaker. Isaiah appears to be the writer and original prophetic voice, while Jesus is recognized as the ultimate speaker who embodies and fulfills the prophecy in his mission and ministry. We know this because when we look ahead to Luke 4:18-19, we see Jesus enter the synagogue and quote from Isaiah 61 by stating.
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Then, in Luke 4:21, Jesus makes this astonishing claim: “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.” “In the ancient Near East the freeing of prisoners (from debtors’ prison) as an act of justice often occurred in the first or second year of a new king’s reign (and then periodically after that).”[2] And so, in a real sense, Jesus is announcing his kingdom—not freedom from the chains of physical oppression, but freedom from spiritual oppression.
The more we make these connections and realize the full impact of Jesus’ coming to earth for those past, present, and future, the more we realize how the entire arc of the story of humanity hinges on him. With him, life holds significance. Without him, life is meaningless. American investor Ray Dalio once wrote,
It is a reality that each one of us is only one of about seven billion of our species alive today and that our species is only one of about ten million species on our planet. Earth is just one of about 100 billion planets in our galaxy, which is just one of about two trillion galaxies in the universe. And our lifetimes are only about 1/3,000 of humanity’s existence, which itself is only 1/20,000 of the Earth’s existence. In other words, we are unbelievably tiny and short-lived and no matter what we accomplish, our impact will be insignificant.[3]
On our own, the impact we will make in life is trivial. But when we find our total sense of belonging, purpose, and meaning in Christ, we join a story that God has been writing throughout human history. It’s out of this understanding that our natural instincts should be to echo the words of Isaiah 63 and bring the good news, the gospel, to all we encounter.
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Jesus, I praise you for bringing good news. Because of you, I have hope. Because of you, I do not need to fear. Because of you, I am part of a story that is just getting started. I worship you for your incredible goodness today.
Release | Father, I release all my burdens and the broken pieces of my heart into your caring hands. Remove the weight of my sorrows and clothe me with joy and praise. I surrender my struggles and exchange them for the beauty you promise, trusting in your power to restore all things.
Ask | I ask you, Jesus, to guide me by your Spirit. Help me to follow in your footsteps, to rebuild what has been destroyed, and to renew what has been desolate. Empower me to live out your righteousness and share your good news with others.
Yield | I yield to your will, God, trusting that your plans for me are filled with hope and purpose. Teach me to walk in your ways, to embrace your truth, and to depend wholly on your love. I am listening for your voice and am ready to move forward, led by your Spirit, as I serve in your kingdom.
