The prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, proclaimed his message to Judah and Jerusalem between 742 and 687 BCE, when the northern kingdom of Israel was divided from Judah in the south and was annexed to the Assyrian Empire. However, chapters 40-66 of the book likely come from the time of Cyrus of Persia (about 539 BCE), when those taken from Jerusalem to Babylon after the defeat of Judah are allowed by the conquering Persians to return home. Chapter 61 is full of good news, which the prophet says he is proclaiming because the Spirit of the LORD is upon him.
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus reads this section of Isaiah in the synagogue of Nazareth at the beginning of his ministry. (Lk. 4:16-20) He applies the words of the prophet to himself, claiming that under the guidance of the Spirit of God he is bringing good news to the poor. As the other gospels do not report this event, it may have been created by the author of the gospel of Luke to express the theology of his Christian community. The gospel of Luke (and the Acts of the Apostles written by the same author) proclaims that the Spirit empowering Jesus is God's instrument of healing in a suffering world.
Grace and peace . . . Bob
