Greetings friend, and welcome back to the course for breaking free from depression. I’m so glad you’re back!
We studied in the previous lesson how Jesus came to mend broken hearts, healing us in the very depths of our being. Let’s review the passage we are looking at again:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, (2) to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, (3) and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV
Today we want to see that Jesus not only binds up the brokenhearted but He also came to “proclaim freedom for the captives.” Jesus heals hurting hearts, and He sets captives free. It is His mission.
Today’s truth: “He sent me to…proclaim freedom for the captives!”
Human beings can be captive to all sorts of things. We can become captive to drugs, alcohol, impurity, food, exercise, religion, family, work, fear, thrill-seeking, and a million other things. We can be captive to depression, to the darkness that comes with it, to the isolation and loneliness that we feel. I think I’ve experienced captivity to every one of these things and much more at one time in my life.
Question 1. How about you? What have you experienced captivity to in your past? Do you feel held captive by anything in the present? Please explain:
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Tori writes, "Yes, I have been held captive to food, exercise, dating, religion, fear and depression. I put these all above God at some time in my life. I went to these instead of God with my emptiness."
These are the very things from which Jesus came to set us free. We noticed that Jesus’ first work was to the heart: He came to heal hurting hearts, to mend broken hearts, to help the brokenhearted. This is first because every issue in life flows from the heart (Proverbs 4:23). As Jesus works in our hearts, giving us grace and love, our hearts start to heal, they become alive and are enlarged with His love.
And as our hearts are fixed and mended, we begin to experience freedom from captivity. Notice this wonderful passage:
When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. (33) For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
Psalms 69:32-33 ESV
Question 2. From Psalm 69:32-33, how do we see the same order (heart then freedom) that we’ve seen in Isaiah 61:1-3?
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