Advent Week 3. Reading 1

Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11 NRSV

The Prophecy

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
        because the LORD has anointed me;
    he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
        to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim liberty to the captives,
        and release to the prisoners;
2     to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor,
        and the day of vengeance of our God;
        to comfort all who mourn;
3     to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
        to give them a garland instead of ashes,
    the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
        the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
    They will be called oaks of righteousness,
        the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.
4     They shall build up the ancient ruins,
        they shall raise up the former devastations;
    they shall repair the ruined cities,
        the devastations of many generations.
  For I the LORD love justice,
        I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
    I will faithfully give them their recompense,
        and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9     Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
        and their offspring among the peoples;
    all who see them shall acknowledge
        that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.
10     I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
        my whole being shall exult in my God;
    for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
        he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
    as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
        and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11     For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
        and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
    so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
        to spring up before all the nations.

The Fullfilment

Luke 4:14-21 NRSV

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.  15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
Luke 4:16    When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. 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 bring good news to the poor.
    He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
        and recovery of sight to the blind,
            to let the oppressed go free,
19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:20   And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”