Understanding True Freedom: Jesus is Our Liberator

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, July 17, 2011

Luke 4:16-21, So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
“ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

“What does it mean to be truly free?” That question has been our focus so far this month, as we have examined Jesus' words in John 8 and Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 6. “What does it mean to be truly free?” You know, there are a lot of different answers to that question floating around out there. For some, true freedom has to do with one's political status and the status of governmental and political affairs in one's state or nation. We all can relate to this perspective, and perhaps to the desire that our government might shrink in size. We yearn for less of its regulating control over our lives, and certainly, less of it gobbling up of our money. But does smaller government and a lower rate of taxation necessarily result in more true freedom?

Some people would answer our question, “What does it mean to be truly free?” with kind of a man-centered response. “Freedom,” they say, “is having the right and room to do what you want to do, regardless to whom it might affect.” But, is that true freedom? In face, think about it. What if everyone - EVERYONE – lived that way, totally, 24-7, 365? Imagine what kind of world, what kind of MESS we would be in !!

Still others are responding to our question about freedom, not with a MAN-centered answered, nor with a smaller government answer, but with an ENVIRONMENT or ENVIRONMENTAL answer. With an answer that is definitely green in color. For most of us, this is the new one, the strange one, when it comes to the question about true freedom. You see, those who hold to this definition and understanding of true freedom want us to believe that true freedom will only be a reality when we stop cutting down trees, killing baby whales and emitting green-house gases. In other words, to these folks, true freedom is all about getting back to nature, with 'Mother Earth,' as they call it, being worshiped and served. But, is that true freedom? The Al Gores of this world want you and me to believe it is, but what they don't tell you is that it actually binds you, enslaves you to mountains of government rules and regulations and to a false god and false object of worship: “Mother Earth”!

What does it mean to be truly free? In John chapter 8, Jesus told the Jews who had come to believe Him, that true freedom revolves around the liberating truth made known in His Words. He put it this way: “If you abide in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

In other words, true freedom, according to Jesus, is not EARTH-centered, government-centered, or Man-centered, but Jesus-centered. Obeying Him, abiding in His Word as it unveils the truth to us, that's where true freedom is to be found and experienced!

The apostle Paul, now here's a man who knew about freedom; that is, in these worldly senses. He was born a Roman citizen. Living in the Roman Empire of that day, Roman citizenship gave him rights, privileges and freedoms that others didn't have! Then, to be an apostle, chosen by God through a special act of divine selection on Damascus Road, he had all kinds of perks and perogatives at his disposal as an apostle. But, when he went to Corinth, to the 'Mecca' of Me-ism, to the 'capital' of man-centeredness, he didn't go as a King, as one living by the “all things are lawful for me!” way of thinking. Rather, he went as a servant, literally, a slave, who realized, and I believe, rejoiced in the fact, that he “had been bought with a price”, that he was not his own, that he was to “glorify God in his body, and in his spirit, both of which belong to God.” (See 1 Corinthians 6:12-20) In other words, as Paul wrote to the Christians who lived in that 'Mecca of Me-ism', true freedom is not man-centered, me-centered, but Christ-centered!

What does it mean to be truly free? And, how is it that true freedom is not to be found in a place, a political position or perfect autonomy, but in a PERSON by the name of Jesus Christ? One day, Jesus walked into His 'home church', the synagogue there in Nazareth. And, as was His custom, He stood up to read from God's Word. And, it just so happened that the scroll of the Book of Isaiah was handed to Him. And in that scroll, He found these words:

Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

“Nice choice of passages, Jesus...” Can't you just hear the comments up and down the aisles in the synagogue there in Jesus' hometown? “That's one of my favorites, Jesus. Thanks for reading it!”

But notice, Jesus doesn't just read the text of Isaiah 61:1-2. No. What does He do? Take a look. The gospel writer, Luke, gives us a window into this amazing when he writes, “Then Jesus closed the book [the scroll], gave it back to the attendant and sat down.” And with all eyes fixed on Him at that moment, what does Jesus say? He boldly declares what the people of Nazareth, ultimately, weren't ready or willing to accept. He boldly claims that He is more than Joseph's son, that He, in fact, is the fulfillment of Isaiah's words!

Now, maybe you're wondering, what does this scenario in the Nazareth synagogue and this Bible reading from Isaiah 61 have to do with true freedom?

To answer that question, one not only has to grapple with the text here in Luke 4, but one also has to grasp the background out of which they come. An announcement of good news to the poor, a mission, ordained and orchestrated by God Himself, for the purpose of healing the brokenhearted, a proclamation of liberty to captives and of new eyes for the blind, a removal of chains from the oppressed, this is more than mere words! No! Isaiah 61, not only does it take folks like us back to the days of the Babylonian captivity, when the Jews, the Israelites, were exiled from their homeland in Babylon. Not only does it take us all the way back to the Book of Leviticus and the law of Moses regarding the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee, but more importantly, it takes us all the way around to a PERSON who would be uniquely anointed by God to do and be all these things, to a Person by the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Blow the trumpet to mark the inauguration of the Year of Jubilee. Why? Because Jesus, our Jubilee, our Liberator, has come! Send forth the proclamation to all in the land, freedom to the captives, sight for the blind, good news for the poor, healing, comfort to the brokenhearted – why? Because your debt has been paid! Why? Because the Anointed One, your Kinsman Redeemer, has made a way for you to be restored to what God had given to you.

Freedom, true freedom, in Jesus Christ, what is it that makes that Good News message so good? You know it, don't you? Jesus, my Liberator, He knows! He knows that the Thief, Satan himself comes only to steal, kill and destroy! (John 10:10) His work, he comes, not to make you rich, but to leave you and me impoverished! Oh, but Jesus, what does the Scripture say about Him? Blow the trumpet! Send forth the proclamation! The Jubilee year has finally arrived! How do I know that? 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you, through His poverty, might become rich!” Beloved, the Good News really is good! Oh, how we need to share it! The brokenhearted, how many of you know someone with a broken heart? The thief, Satan, not only does he leave you poor, spiritually, and, perhaps even, financially poor, He also leave you broken, battered, bruised, crushed. Oh, but the Great Physicians, what did He come to do? Peter put it this way: “Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness. By His stripes we are healed!” (1 Peter 2:24)

What does Matthew record about Jesus, our Jubilee? Matthew 12:20, “A bruised reed, He will not break it. A smoking, flickering flame, He will not extinguish it!”' No! Why? Because He's the Healer! He's the One, whose gracious invitation to every broken heart, is: “Come unto me! Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest! [In Me] ye shall find rest for your souls...” (Matthew 11:28-30)

It really is good news, isn't it? To the poor, to the brokenhearted, to the blind? Have you ever thought about yourself that way before? I know I have to use my glasses or my contact lens, but listen, I can see!

Many of the people of Jesus' day, those who did not believe Him, those who rejected Him, they thought they could see just fine! This Fellow from Nazareth, prophets don't come from Nazareth! The Messiah, he's David's son, surely He won't come from Nazareth. Yeah, this Jesus fellow, we know where He's from, Nazareth; and we know Who His daddy is, Joseph. They thought they could see, and see very clearly! But what did Jesus ay? What had the THIEF done in their lives? 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this world has blinded their minds”, in their stubborn unbelief, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, it simply cannot shine.

Oh, but our Liberator, Jesus, our Jubilee! Why did He come? It's good, good news, isn't it? He came to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind! He came to give sight to eyes that other wise cannot see!

What does it mean to be truly free? Don't close the Book and put the scroll away! Fix your eyes on Jesus! Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing... where? How? In Him! He is your liberator! Your Jubilee! How do I know that? “It is finished!” “Paid in full!” I know it by looking right there, at the cross!”

The captives' ransom has been paid! The debtors' obligation has been met! The sinner's guilt and punishment has been atoned. The Thief, his stealing, killing, destroying work has been overcome! And in Christ, in your Jubilee, you can go free!

What does it mean to be truly free? Don't look to the government for the answer! Don't make 'Mother Earth' your focus! Don't get caught up in this 'Mecca of Me-ism'! No! Look to Jesus! “For if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed!” (John 8:36)