Heal the Brokenhearted

As we have been journeying through several aspect of God’s ministry of reconciliation, it has become clear that Jesus is the fulfilment of it all. Jesus brings light into the darkness, healing into the wounds, equality into the oppression and honour into the shame. Jesus the anointed one was sent to heal the brokenhearted. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

As we have been journeying through several aspect of God’s ministry of reconciliation, it has become clear that Jesus is the fulfilment of it all. Jesus brings light into the darkness, healing into the wounds, equality into the oppression and honour into the shame.

God’s true justice of equality to all, sets at liberty those who are oppressed. Jesus declares freedom for the captives as He tears down the lies of self, others and evil with His truth. In Jesus’ coming He declares recovery of sight to the blind. Opening peoples’ spiritual eyes to the truth about God, self and others.

Jesus the anointed one was sent to heal the brokenhearted. There are so many broken hearts in this world. Whether it is through an abusive relationship or the loss of someone close, or being alone, or being rejected, or the circumstances of this unjust world in which we live, whatever the cause, holding on to the emotional hurt and pain is a bondage. A bondage that leads to destruction of self. 

Let us read again Jesus’ declaration of His mission of reconciliation. I’m reading the New King James translation.

Let us read Luke 4:14-21 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus the Son of God who became the Son of Man was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. Centuries before Jesus came from eternity into this finite world, the prophets including Isaiah testified of His coming. 

Let us read the prophecy of the coming of the Eternal One in the book of Isaiah.  

Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

In this Isaiah passage, when compared with the Luke passage there are some visible differences. In Isaiah the word that has been translated as heal means to wrap up firmly, like a bandage. It also linked with governing over. 

Through the prophet Isaiah and this word given to the Ancient Israelites, God has linked the healing of the brokenhearted with identity and allegiance. 

The situation was such that Ancient Israelites had turned their hearts away from God. Yet with their mouths they claimed to be His. 

They walked in darkness and were likened to dead men in desolate places. Their transgressions multiplied and their offences in heart, mind and actions testified against them. They spoke oppression toward others and revolted from God. As a result they had chosen to reject God’s equity and justice. Reject God and His right to rule and reign. Instead they chose the ways of the surrounding nations. The ways of oppression and destruction.

However through the prophet Isaiah, God speaks light and life to them. He continually pursues in love, even in rejection of Him. God promises that He will bring salvation with His own arm. For only in Him is salvation. 

God also promised that through their people group, He would bring salvation. He would  personally step down into humanity’s darkness and shine His glorious light. 

For through the prophet Isaiah and to the Ancient Israelites, God said this in Isaiah 59:20 to Isaiah 60:1-3 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the LORD.

“As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising..

In the prophecy given to the Ancient Israelites, in Isaiah 61:1-3 God reveals that He binds up the wounds of the heart and delivers from oppression. 

In pursuing the Ancient Israelites in love, God reveals that the pathway of this world and its governance is the opposite to God’s kingdom and governance.  

This world is unjust. Those in power rule with violence and oppression to raise self up. Causing brokenness in the heart and mind of those who are powerless. 

In complete contrast to the ways of this world, God rules with peace and true justice. A justice that brings equality and respect. God raises each one up equal equal. He binds up the wounds of the brokenhearted. He brings His salvation, healing and justice to all who are willing to accept His right to rule and reign.

Centuries later, in that moment of time, when the Son of God stepped down from heaven into our darkness, stood in the temple and read that passage from Isaiah, He revealed a deeper meaning. 

Remembering the first hearers were those of Jewish lineage who knew the scriptures, Jesus’ words are both confronting to them and liberating. If they choose to receive Jesus and His right to rule and reign they are set free. However if they choose to reject Jesus, reject God they have rejected their only pathway to salvation and freedom.   

Jesus stood before them and read the text. In the Luke passage, Jesus links together the word that has been translated as heal with the word that has been translated as oppressed. It is interesting to note that liberty for those who are oppressed is not specifically mentioned in Isaiah 61:1-3. It is however throughout the whole book of Isaiah a recurring theme. 

So in the Luke passage Jesus declares that He sets at liberty those who are oppressed. For God knows that emotional hurt and pain comes from inequality and abuses of power. Oppression cuts deep. 

Jesus not only has divine compassion, but in becoming one of us, He experienced it all. In the Luke text both oppression and heals are the action words. But the main action word is heals. 

This word that has been translated as heals that Jesus speaks of means to cure, to make whole. Unlike the Isaiah word which means to bandage.

In the Old Testament covenant God binds up the emotional hurt and pain. This is like a bandage that aids in the healing process. However in Jesus’ coming He brings complete healing. 

In Jesus’ coming the glory of the LORD rose upon those of Jewish lineage. As Jesus came from that line. Born of the uncorrupted seed of the Holy Spirit was birthed through a woman. Jesus came for all people groups, nations and tongues. He shone His glorious light and pushed back the darkness of humanity and evil. Totally setting us free from the hurt and pain, oppression and abuses of power in this world. 

In Jesus’ sacrifice of His physical human body, He is the embodiment of the new covenant. In Jesus reconciliatory mission on earth He brings healing to the brokenhearted. He brings remission for all offences every said, thought or done by humanity. That is a cancelation of the debt and as a result true justice of equality and respect. 

Yes Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted.

Only the Eternal One who created the heavens and the earth and all things good can heal a broken heart. As He brings His true justice. The Eternal One also brings release from the bondage of the emotional hurt and pain of this world. He brings His kingdom of justice and equality. Freedom from oppression and abuses of power.

All this is fulfilled in Jesus coming. Jesus stated that in the first hearers hearing, all of this is fulfilled.

However we still live in the world damaged by evil. Where evil and humanity’s selfish desires  continue to be given power. We exist with oppression, abuses of power, loss and grief, rejection, isolation and the unjust circumstances of this word.

For the fullness of God’s kingdom to be fully realised, evil has to be totally eliminated. This will occur when Jesus returns in His victorious glory. Upon Jesus’ return all those who have received Jesus, received God and His right to rule and reign will inherit the fullness of His kingdom. 

We will dwell forever in the new heaven and new earth with God for all eternity. Where evil or humanity’s selfish desires have no place or power. Living in God’s kingdom of equality and respect. We will live in the fullness of our salvation, where there is no more tears, no more sorrow, no more hurt and no more pain. 

Those who have received Jesus, received God and His right to rule and reign will be made completely whole. Where we inherit our resurrected, glorified bodies. Bodies that never get sick, never wear out and never die. We not only spiritually, but physically are one with only God and only good. Dwelling in perfect harmony with Him for all eternity.

However until them, we receive His kingdom in part. When we receive Jesus, receive God we are spiritually are one with Him. Yes in this life we can receive healing, yet we still dwell in these physical tents that are our bodies. Bodies that get sick again, get older, wear out and surely die. 

Yes Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted. However to live in the reality of who Jesus is and all He has done in this world damaged by evil is a daily journey. A daily journey of surrender and receive.

Surrendering to Jesus, that is letting go of the hurt and pain, enables the heart and mind to  be transformed by God. In surrendering the hurt and pain to Jesus, we are guarding our hearts from becoming a festering cesspool of destruction.

For if we hold onto the hurt and pain of this life, our heart can become a breeding ground for unforgiveness and bitterness. This results in destruction of self which then flows through to others. 

God states in both the Old and Testament of His love story the Bible that inequality, oppression, abuse and rejection are the shame of humanity. For the ways of humanity in rejection to God are a pathway of destruction. In giving the hurt and pain to God we acknowledge the wrongs that have been done toward us and open our heart to receive transformation, healing and freedom. 

The good news is, Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and set at liberty those who are oppressed. To bring freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. For now is the acceptable time of the Eternal One. 

We have in part now but continue to live in this role damaged by evil. As our glorious Father waits for all who will come to Him to come, we herald in His kingdom. Being part of the dawn chorus we testify of who he is and all He has done. 

For all this is fulfilled in Jesus’ coming and will consummated fully in His return. Praise Hs mighty name!

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!