Matthew sees three primary works of Christ or offices of Christ from this passage (Isaiah 61:1): preacher, healer, and deliverer. He mentions a fourth and fifth, but these seem to be the result of the first three.
Also we may note that these first three occurred at the first coming (See Luke 4). In these passages we find the purpose of Christ’s ministry.
We also find in these passages the pattern for ministry. Essentially, we can cut through much of the unknowns regarding gift ministry and focus on these three activities. They encompass in some ways those gifts mentioned in the New Testament.
It is of interest that while two of the items appear to be ends, the first appears to be a means. Healing and deliverance are, in some sense, ends.
But preaching the Gospel seems to be a means to an end. It may be that preaching the Gospel is the end because of free will. Or it may be that this passage does not make such subtle distinctions. Or it may be that the other two items in some sense are means also. In two of these events, we must conclude that preaching the good news is on a par with healing and deliverance, whether you classify the two with the one, or the one with the two.
