He came to set us free

As I write this message, it is Monday following Palm Sunday, a day we remember and celebrate the triumphant arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. His supporters welcomed Him in joyous celebration.

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!”

John 12:13-14

The crowd welcomed Jesus as King on Sunday.

On Friday they crucified Him.

What happened?

The scripture tells us the crowd shouted in joy as they proclaimed Jesus as King. The Jews had long expected a Messiah–a warrior King who would free them from Roman oppression.

Jesus was not who they expected.

Yet, at the beginning of His ministry, He had told them who He was and what He was called to do:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

…to set the oppressed free…

Jesus knew His purpose and spoke it in the synagogue in Nazareth just after he began His ministry. But on that Friday, following His glorious entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus died on the cross for us. He fulfilled His purpose to set each of us free from oppression. Jesus took our sins with Him to the cross and accepted the punishment meant for us.

Jesus set us free.

But, that is just part of the story. Jesus also sets us free from fear, pain, and depression. Some of the emotions we are probably experiencing during this world crisis–the Covid-19 pandemic. Our world has changed in the last several months. Many have lost jobs. Most are confined to their homes. And some, tragically, have lost friends and family to Covid-19. This is a time when many are experiencing worry, frustration, anger, and fear for our loved ones.

Let’s look at the Scripture once more. In Luke 4:18, Jesus says: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me…”

God’s Spirit is with Jesus. God, the Father, anointed Jesus.

Both the Hebrew noun, Messiah, and the Greek, Christos, translate as “anointed one.” The purpose of anointing is to set the person apart, a sign of official appointment, an acknowledgement of God’s power upon them.*

And the Good News is–as Jesus fulfilled His purpose during His earthly ministry, we are also the recipients of His love every day of our lives:

Jesus came to proclaim good news to the poor…

Whenever we are poor in spirit (sad or depressed), Jesus is there for us. He will bring comfort to us during this crisis.

Jesus was sent by God to proclaim freedom for the prisoners…

Whatever holds us captive–sin, temptation, chronic illness, addiction, or fear, Jesus will set us free from that bondage if we put our complete trust in Him. His strength will carry us through the worry and anxiety of this health and economic crisis.

Jesus came to give sight to the blind…

When we have periods of darkness, where we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, when hope seems gone, when our faith weakens, or we feel lost, Jesus will restore us and bring us back into the Light.

Jesus came to set the oppressed free.

We all face oppression at some point in our lives. Oppression can be caused by people or circumstances that are beyond our control. We often cannot control the situation in which we are placed (such as a pandemic), but, with God’s help, we can control our reactions. He can help us cope and give us courage to accept our freedom in Him.

Jesus not only gave His life for our sins. He also continues to give of himself to bring peace and comfort during this time of crisis. We are His loved ones in times of comfort and plenty and we are His loved ones in times of anxiety and terror.

I pray that you will pour out your anxiety, sorrow and hurt to our Lord. He will surround you with His love and grant you strength, courage, and hope to persevere through this trial. And, always remember, Jesus loves you, He died for you sins, and He has and will set you free from oppression.

As Paul, the Apostle wrote to the Romans:

Now, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

I hope your Holy Week is filled with blessing and that you are able to celebrate Easter, even if in a different way than for a typical year. I always pray for you, my readers, but please let me know if you have a special request that I may pray for you. May God keep you safe, my friends.

*Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 2003.