As the arrows of truth pierced the hearts of Christ's hearers, breaking through the barriers of selfishness and bringing humiliation, contrition, and finally gratitude, the Saviour's heart was made glad. When His eyes swept over the throng of listeners about Him, and He recognized among them the same faces that He had seen on former occasions, joy was expressed in His countenance, that here were hopeful subjects of His kingdom. GW 48.3 The messengers of Christ, those whom He sends in His stead, will have the same feelings, the same earnest interest. And those who are tempted to think that their labor is not appreciated, and are inclined to be discouraged, should remember that Jesus had just as hard hearts to deal with, and had a more trying experience than they have had or ever can have. He taught the people with patient love. His deep, searching wisdom knew the wants of every soul among His listeners; and when He saw them refuse the message of peace and love that He came to give them,…
"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Both passages describe the impact of truth on the hearts of listeners, leading to conviction and a change of heart. The EGW passage draws a parallel between the effect of Christ's words and the experience described in Acts 2:37, where the audience was 'pricked in their heart' after hearing Peter's sermon.
"***** The world's Redeemer did not come with outward display, or a show of worldly wisdom. Men could not see, beneath the guise of humanity, the glory of the Son of God. He was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He was to them as “a root out of a dry ground,” with “no form nor comeliness,” [ Isaiah 53:3, 2 .] that they should desire Him. But He declared, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” [ Isaiah 61:1 .] GW 49.2"
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."
The EGW passage directly quotes Isaiah 53:3, making it a clear and explicit allusion.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"
The EGW passage directly quotes Isaiah 61:1, which is also referenced in Luke 4:18, making it a clear and explicit allusion.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;"
Ellen White directly references Isaiah 61:1 in this passage.