This Sunday in worship we hear how Jesus was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth. In the Nazareth synagogue, Jesus read Isaiah 61 and related that these verses were spoken as prophecy and fulfillment in him. Isaiah wrote of the Lord sending the anointed to speak to the children of Israel who had rejected him.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the afflicted. He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a faint spirit, so that they will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord to display his beauty” (Isaiah 61:1-3).
Ruth Duck is the author of the hymn Arise, Your Light Is Come. It is number 387 in Christian Worship. The hymn is based on the words of Isaiah 61. It is a hymn of encouragement rather than a hymn of praise. Rather than being directed toward God, it is directed toward God’s people.
The first verse: “Arise, your light is come! The Spirit's call obey; Show forth the glory of your God, Which shines on you today.”
The season of Epiphany is about Christ revealing himself to the world. He reveals his light through his words and miracles. Ruth Duck calls upon Christians to respond to this light by obeying the Holy Spirit’s call. Christ’s glory shines on us. Now we are called to show forth God’s glory out in the darkness of our world.
The second verse: “Arise, your light is come! Fling wide the prison door; Proclaim the captives' liberty, Good tidings to the poor.”
Christ has flung wide the prison door of our sin. He has set us captives free from Satan’s tyranny. He has proclaimed the good tidings of sins forgiven and salvation won to the poor in spirit. Now we are called to obey the Holy Spirit by flinging wide prison doors, proclaiming the captives’ liberty, and Christ’s rich tidings to the poor.
The third verse: “Arise, your light is come! All you in sorrow born, Build up the broken-hearted ones And comfort those who mourn.”
Christ replaces our sorrows with rejoicing in his resurrection. He builds up the broken-hearted with the promise of reunion in heaven. He comforts mourners with the assurance of life everlasting for his blood-bought saints. Now we are called to obey the Holy Spirit by sharing the message of a Savior from sorrows and the Messiah to mourners.
The fourth verse: “Arise, your light is come! The mountains burst in song! Rise up like eagles on the wing; God's power will make us strong.”
Obeying the Spirit’s call means you cannot remain idle. Burst forth in song like the mountains. Rise up like eagles taking wing. Nothing can stop you. Nothing can intimidate you. Nothing can keep you from carrying out the message of the Messiah’s mission. For God’s power makes you strong.
Listen to Arise, Your Light is Come this week. Then hear it again this Sunday in worship. Obey the Spirit’s call by showing forth your Savior’s Epiphany light.
Arise, your light is come!