Isaiah 61:1-3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me— The Spirit of JEHOVAH is upon me, because JEHOVAH hath anointed me. To publish glad tidings to the meek hath he sent me; to bind up the broken-hearted: to proclaim to the captives freedom; and to the bounden, perfect liberty: to proclaim the year of acceptance with JEHOVAH; and the day of vengeance of our God: to comfort all those that mourn; to impart [gladness] to the mourners of Sion; to give them a beautiful crown instead of ashes; the oil of gladness instead of sorrow; the clothing of praise, instead of the spirit of heaviness: that they may be called trees approved; the plantation of JEHOVAH for his glory. Lowth. These are the words of the Son of God, made man, wherein he sets forth the nature of his high and blessed office. From Luke 4:18 there can be no doubt of the application of these words; nor of the meaning of them, from a review of the spiritual blessings offered to mankind by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The second verse alludes to the year of jubilee, which was proclaimed by the sound of the trumpet, when there was a general release from all manner of servitude, debts, and obligations; a lively and striking type of that liberty which Christ hath procured for all mankind. See Leviticus 25:8-9. The day of vengeance, which is here mentioned as accompanying the acceptable year of the Lord, alludes to that vengeance which was to be taken upon the enemies of the Gospel and Son of God. See Hebrews 10:27-30. Matthew 24:21.Revelation 18:1; Revelation 18:24. The prophet adds, as a consequence of the preaching, the gifts and graces dispensed by the Messiah, that the believers in him, and the partakers of his mercy, should be called trees of righteousness; that is so say, should become true and righteous believers, strong and firm in the faith; spiritual trees, planted and flourishing in the house of their God. See Psalms 1:3; Psalms 92:12. From this prophesy we gather, that the epithet of Messiah, Christ, or Anointed, which is given to the future Saviour in the writings of the Old Testament, and which afterwards became a part of his proper name, is to be referred to the oeconomy of grace; and that Jesus Christ was anointed by the Father, not only to preach the blessings of the Gospel, and to promulgate the beginning of the new year of grace, but also to confer those blessings which should constitute this oeconomy of the church, and distinguish it from the ancient one; which goods and gifts of grace, being divine and celestial, demonstrate the sovereign and divine excellence of the person of the Messiah, though he is here represented principally as clothed with the human nature, and anointed in it for the great offices which he had undertaken. See Vitringa.