The Day of Freedom

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21 ESV).

 

Here, in the United States, July 4^th is our annual celebration of Independence.  It’s worth noting our nation was founded upon the idea that God created human beings to be free. The Declaration of Independence states that people “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The real question is “What is liberty?” Is freedom based upon the country where you live, or the socio-economic level you have reached, or your cultural and/or racial heritage, or can it have a deeper meaning?

 

The quest for freedom is a theme found throughout the Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. In fact, the first three chapters show us the tragic choices of humanity’s first couple. Adam and Eve gave up their freedom by choosing to rebel against God. As the representatives of humanity they lost the perfect freedom God created in the Garden of Eden. The long-term effects were both physical and spiritual. Today’s cries for freedom are a result of that sin.

 

When Jesus began took on humanity and began his public ministry our reading today reveals an incredible truth. Going to the Temple he was given the scroll containing the prophecy of Isaiah. His choice of reading was the formal announcement that He was the One that God’s people had been waiting for since the fall of humanity. The words had been written hundreds of years earlier and spoke of a new freedom that was coming in the future. When Jesus stood up to read, He was saying the future had arrived. The only genuine freedom would come through Him. That is the heart of the Gospel.

 

Today’s celebrations will be different for many reasons too numerous to list here. My hope and encouragement for us is that we will go to the real root of freedom and celebrate the grace of God in Jesus. Use this day to pray for others who have not yet found the freedom of Christ. That’s cause for some real fireworks!