Christian Freedom – What Is It?

Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-20, Exodus 12:1-28

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You have been set free in Jesus. But what is that freedom about? What does that freedom mean for your life? To help us think about that, it’s good for us to think about when Jesus chose to go to Jerusalem and when, according to God’s plan, he was handed over and betrayed and died. This all happened at the Passover feast. (Matthew 26:17-30, Luke 22:7-20, Mark 14:12-26) That’s not an accident. The Passover, and actually, when did Jesus institute the Lord’s Supper? It’s when he was celebrating the Passover. This is all on purpose. Which means, then, that the Passover can help us understand the significance of Jesus’s death and resurrection.

So let’s think back to the Passover. The people of God were slaves in Egypt underneath the power of Pharaoh. And when God calls Moses to go to them, he wants Moses to go to Pharaoh so that God’s people can be free to go and worship him and really become the people of God. All the things that Mount Sinai where the covenants established, and all of that can’t really happen until they are set free from slavery, from this power that was holding them back from going forward and being the people of God. And then the Passover comes because it’s at that 10th plague where after all of these plagues, with Pharaoh. And Pharaoh is adamant, no, you can’t go. And then he decides, yes, you can go. But then he change his mind, changes his mind. Finally, you have that that Passover where you have where God has him kill the lamb and have the blood over the doorposts. And then the angel of death would pass over so that no one would die in that house, but in other houses the firstborn would die. (Exodus 12:1-28)

It was that, the Passover celebrates that moment, remembers that moment, how God then had it, where they were finally sent out of Egypt to go and to be free, and to be the people of God.

Your freedom today is about the fact that you and I, we were all slaves to sin and death. We were held back from being what God created us to be, full of guilt and shame on a path towards death and eternity separated from God. But Jesus died to take away what separated you from God to free you from what held you back. Your sin is removed. Death is overcome. Jesus rose again to give you freedom to step forward now and to know that you are forgiven. You are loved. You are right with God. You are a child of God. You are part of the people of God. You have eternity ahead of you with God and you get to take hold of worshiping that God now.

You were held back as a slave, but you are free to be part of the people of God. That’s what your freedom is all about.