Scripture Reading: “…a broken…heart” (Psalm 51:17) 

There is no better summary of the ministry of the Messiah in all of Scripture than that written by the Prophet Isaiah and read by our Lord in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19). According to this divinely inspired synopsis of our Savior’s ministry, He came into the world to:

1. “Preach the gospel [good news] to the poor.” He came to pay the sin debt of poor sinners. Since we are spiritually bankrupt, Christ came to pay our sin debt for us so that we can be forgiven of our sins.

2. “Preach deliverance to the captives.” He came to deliver spiritual captives from their enslavement to sin and from their bondage to the prince of the power of the air.

3. “Recovering of sight to the blind.” He came to open the eyes of those spiritually blinded by the god of this world so that they can see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.

4. “To set at liberty them that are bruised.” He came to free the emotionally bruised from the scars of their offenses so that they can be emotionally healthy and have healthy relationships with others.

5. “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” He not only came to pay our debt and to free us from our bondage, but also to restore to us everything our original parents lost in the Fall. All of this was foreshadowed for us in the Old Testament’s Year of Jubilee, when debts were cancelled, slaves were freed, and everyone’s inheritance was restored to them.

The only other thing enumerated in this passage as a part of the ministry of the Messiah was His coming into the world “to heal the brokenhearted.” It is those brokenhearted over their sin against God that the Great Physician has come into this world to heal. It is to these broken hearts alone that the balm of Gilead is applied (Jeremiah 8:22). 

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit…He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 34:8; 147:3)