Today's reading from Isaiah 52 was written during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE) and presents a powerful vision of God's coming redemption for Israel. It begins with a call for Jerusalem to awake and put on strength, then declares the good news of God's return to Zion. The chapter culminates with the introduction to the Suffering Servant passage, describing the servant who will be exalted despite his suffering. For Christians, this prophetic text foreshadows Christ's work of redemption that we commemorate on Good Friday.