That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places… As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. Here, Jesus refers primarily to being downtrodden and bruised by others. We are broken by their oppression and, in a sense, are enslaved by them. What they have done to us captures us and our attention. We must be set free from the oppresssion and the oppressors.

to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. It may be that Lev. 25:8-13 provides the Old Testament precedent for what Jesus would do. In Old Testament times, every fiftieth year was a year of jubilee. A trumpet was blown. Throughout the whole land, the liberty of Hebrew slaves, the canceling of debts, and the restoration of possession to their original owners was proclaimed. No doubt this was a favorable year of the Lord.

During His ministry on earth, Christ encountered Satan many times. This aspect of His deliverance was instituted right away. He delivered people spiritually from all forms of Satan’s oppression. What is the descent that Paul is thinking about when he says, "he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth" (verse 9)? He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. Isaiah 53:4,5 AMP It may be better to consider the prophecy (Ephesians 4:7-10 quoting Psalm 68:18) as referring to something much plainer in scripture, something fundamental, namely Christ's leadership of his church "that he might fill all things" (Ephesians 4:10, Colossians 1:18-19). This interpretation certainly reflects the context in which Paul mentions the prophecy. Paul is discussing Christ's leadership of his body the church (Ephesians 4:1-16).

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Christ led a host of captives (his church) through the agency of the Holy Spirit who gifted certain men with divine inspiration. Thus empowered, they could preach to all slaves of sin the true message of liberty, and lead them for Christ into light and liberty as captives ofChrist.

To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. Jesus was concerned about the Kingdom of God and our membership in it. According to Mark 1:15, He already had declared (Mark 1:15) “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, This leadership ofChrist includes the work Christ has done through the agency of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he was exalted to God's right hand. Peter says, "Having been exalted to the right hand ofGod, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this which you both see and hear" (Acts 2:33). For seventeen years, Elaine served her master, Satan, with total commitment. Then she met Dr. Rebecca Brown, who served her master, Jesus Christ, with equal commitment. Elaine, one of the top witches in the U.S., clashed with Dr. Brown, who stood against her alone. In the titanic life-and-death struggle that followed, Dr. Brown nearly lost her life. Elaine, finding a power and love greater than anything Satan could give her, left Satan and totally committed her life to Jesus Christ.

I think we can take this a step further. Since we are viewing the words "he led" (Ephesians 4:8) as an act ofChrist begun at his ascension, but continuing throughout the gospel age, then we should see those words as including even his final act of leadership on earth, shouldn't we? That final act is one that he will perform personally at his second coming toearth. When the apostles were empowered, they spoke in tongues of other nations and they heard them. You can speak in Greek as God makes it possible. To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

But people are not satisfied with that, and they say, “Yes but what about his soul or spirit? When his body was buried, didn't his soul go into hell?” Did Jesus descend into hell? Some people might say, “The hell that Jesus went into was not “Gehenna” but the bad side of “Hades” where the rich man who died was in torment: "In Hades he lifted up his eyes being in torments" (Luke 16:23).” But that would contradict Jesus who said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). Did Jesus preach to the dead? The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to preach glad tidings to the poor, to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; Pulpit Commentary Verses 1-3. - THE MISSION OF THE SERVANT OF THE LORD. The words of our Lord in Luke 4:21, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears," preclude the application of this passage to any other than the Lord himself. It is simply astonishing that some Christian commentators (Ewald, Hitzig, Knobel) have not seen the force of this argument, but, with the Jews, imagine the prophet to be speaking of his own ministry. It is contrary to the entire spirit of Isaiah's writings so to glorify himself, and specially unsuitable that, after having brought forward with such emphasis the Person of "the Servant" ( Isaiah 42:1-8; Isaiah 49:1-12; Isaiah 1:4-9; Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12), he should proceed to take his place, and to "ascribe to himself those very same official attributes which he has already set forth as characteristic features in his portrait of the predicted One" (Delitzsch). Hence most recent commentators, whatever their school of thought, have acquiesced in the patristic interpretation, which regarded the Servant of Jehovah as here speaking of himself. Verse 1. - The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; literally, the Spirit of the Lord Jehovah ( Adonai Jehovah) is upon me. The Septuagint, the Vulgate, and one manuscript omit adonai. In the original announcement of "the Servant" it was stated that God had "put his Spirit upon him" ( Isaiah 42:1). The sanctification of our Lord's human nature by the Holy Spirit is very explicitly taught in the Gospels ( Matthew 1:20; Matthew 3:16; Matthew 4:1, etc.; Mark 1:10, 12; Luke 1:35; Luke 2:40; Luke 3:22; Luke 4:1, 14, 18-21, etc.; John 1:32, 33; John 3:34, etc.). The Lord hath anointed me. The "anointing" of Jesus was that sanctification of his human nature by the Holy Spirit, which commenced in the womb of the blessed Virgin ( Luke 1:35), which continued as he grew to manhood ( Luke 2:40, 52), which was openly manifested at his baptism, and never ceased till he took his body and soul with him into heaven. Of this spiritual anointing, all material unction, whether under the Law ( Leviticus 8:10-12, 30; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 1:39; 1 Kings 19:15, 16, etc.) or under the gospel ( Mark 6:13; James 5:14), was symbolical or typical. To preach good tidings (comp. Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 41:27; Isaiah 52:7; and Nahum 1:15). Unto the meek (see Matthew 5:5; Matthew 11:29; and comp. Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 29:19). To bind up the broken-hearted (comp. Psalm 147:3, where this is declared to be the office of Jehovah himself). "Binding up" is an ordinary expression in Isaiah's writings for "healing" (see Isaiah 1:6; Isaiah 3:7; Isaiah 30:26). To proclaim liberty to the captives. This was one of the special offices of "the Servant" (see Isaiah 42:7). The "captivity" intended is doubtless that of sin. And the opening of the prison to them that are bound. St. Luke, following the Septuagint, has, "and recovering of sight to the blind." It is thought by some that the original Hebrew text has been corrupted. Others regard the Septuagint rendering as a paraphrase.

Christ opened the eyes of the spiritually blind. Many came to faith in Him and followed Him. In addition He healed people who were physically blind. Thus, both literally and spiritually, this proclamation was fulfilled during the days of Christ on earth. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. NASU Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; Because the LORD hath anointed me To bring good tidings unto the humble; He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the eyes to them that are bound; Once again, the Spirit empowers Jesus to bring the benefits of the Kingdom of God into life on earth. Jesus was set apart and sent by the Spirit to set at liberty those who are downtrodden and bruised. While He was on the earth, He delivered men and women from the oppression of their spirits and bodies. The statement "When he ascended on high he led captivity captive" (Ephesians 4:8) could mean that when Jesus ascended into heaven he led a host of captives in train who ascended into heaven withhim. Jesus Ascended Alone