The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
ISAIAH 63:1-13
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.
ISAIAH 9:2
I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, by the paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do and I will not forsake them.
ISAIAH 42:16
The Lord says to his servant, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
ISAIAH 49:6
Come, Lord Jesus
our light and our salvation.
Let us walk in the light
of the Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus
our light and our salvation
Let us walk in the light
of the Lord.
PRAYER
You are holy, O God of majesty,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
You sent him into this world to
satisfy the longings of your people for a Savior,
to bring freedom to the captives of sin,
and to establish justice for the oppressed.
He came among us as one of us,
taking the lot of the poor,
sharing human suffering.
We rejoice that in his death and rising again,
you set before us the sure promise of new life, the certain hope of a heavenly home
where we will sit at the table with Christ, our host.