The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed. (Luke 4:18 CSB)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners. (Isaiah 61:1 CSB)
As for you, because…of your covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless cistern. (Zechariah 9:11 CSB)
Jesus' mission, as described in these passages, aligns with the liberation of all suffering beings, including enslaved, tortured, and abused animals.
Full Text: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/god-has-sent-me-to-free-the-captives-by-dr-chapman-chen
1. Jesus as the Anointed Liberator
The “me” in Isaiah 61:1 refers to the anointed liberator. In the New Testament, Jesus directly applies this verse to himself when he reads it in the synagogue in Luke 4:16–21. After reading this, Jesus declared: "Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled" (Luke 4:21 CSB), which means that Jesus identifies himself as the one who is anointed to bring good news to the poor, proclaim freedom to captives, and set the oppressed free. While traditionally applied to human suffering, the text does not explicitly exclude nonhuman beings. If we view "captives" and "oppressed" in a broader sense—encompassing all of God's creatures who suffer under oppression—this would naturally extend to animals subjected to enslavement, exploitation, and abuse.
2. The Covenant and Liberation (Zechariah 9:11)
Zechariah 9:11 speaks of liberation through the covenant, echoing the Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:8–17) and possibly the Messianic Covenant (Hosea 2:18) as well. After the flood, God made a universal covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature. In Hosea’s prophetic vision, God speaks of a future covenant of peace in which humans and animals will coexist harmoniously. These covenants demonstrate that God’s care extends beyond humanity to all living beings.
3. Animals as Part of God's Good Creation
Throughout Scripture, animals are depicted as valuable in God’s eyes (e.g., Psalm 36:6—“You save humans and animals alike, O Lord”). Jesus’ teachings on love (e.g., Matthew 5:44, 22:37–39; Luke 10:33–37), mercy (e.g., Luke 6:36; Luke 15:4–6) and justice (e.g., Matthew 5:6, 25:40) suggest that God’s kingdom is one where suffering is abolished. If God cares about the liberation of all suffering beings, and if Jesus embodies God's mission of justice, then the systemic exploitation of animals contradicts God's will.
4. Jesus and the Oppressed
Jesus consistently sided with the marginalised, the voiceless, and the oppressed. By declaring, "I desire compassion, not sacrifice!" (Matthew 9:13; 12:7) and taking direct action to free animals from the Temple—thereby offending the chief priests and scribes who profited from this lucrative business (Mark 11:15–18)—Jesus ultimately died as a pioneering martyr for animal liberation (Akers 2020, pp. 113-14). In today’s world, factory-farmed animals, laboratory test subjects, and those used for entertainment are among the most oppressed beings. If we apply Jesus' liberating mission to them, then Christians are called to challenge the systems that oppress animals, just as Jesus challenged systems of human injustice.
5. Conclusion: A Call to Compassion
If Jesus' mission includes liberating the captives, healing the brokenhearted, and setting free the oppressed, then it is entirely consistent with a Christian ethic of love to see this as a call to end the enslavement and suffering of animals. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, too, to continue Christ’s work of liberation—including for nonhuman creatures who are unjustly imprisoned and tormented. #VeganGod #VeganChrist #VeganTheology #VeganChurch
Comments