‘Hark, the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes’
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me . . . to proclaim good news to the poor . . . to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom . . . and release from darkness. . . .
This song begins with the announcement: “The Savior comes, the Savior promised long!” For God’s people waiting for the Messiah, this was a welcome announcement.
Why? The Messiah who was promised since the time of Isaiah was to come with blessings for God’s people. The rest of the song describes what this Messiah would do:
“He comes the prisoners to release, in Satan’s bondage held. . . .”
“He comes the broken heart to bind, the wounded soul to cure. . . .”
At the beginning of Jesus’ teaching ministry, he was invited to read from the Scriptures in his hometown. He turned to this passage from Isaiah and read the words of our text for today. And when he finished, he said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
The Savior has come! This is exciting for God’s people everywhere. The Lord and Savior has come with good news to meet all of our needs: to release us from our bondage to sin and Satan—to heal our broken hearts and cure our wounded souls. This is what we prepare to celebrate in the coming weeks. The long-promised Savior has come!
Dear Jesus, our Savior who was promised so long ago, thank you for coming! Set us free from our sin, and heal our brokenness, we pray. Thank you, Lord, for being our Savior. Amen.
About the author — Brian Kuyper
Brian Kuyper is the lead pastor at a church in Taber, Alberta. He has served in two congregations in southern Alberta over the past 12 years. He is married to Brenda, and they have three school-age children.
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