“The Advent of Freedom” – Isaiah 61:1-11

The time has come. The day of salvation is here. The time spoken of so long ago by the prophet Isaiah. You stand, today, in a privileged position in world history—God’s servant, as spoken of in Isaiah, has come!

Has this fully set in with you? Do you realize all that this means? We don’t sit here today in church because we are just going through the motions of life. We don’t sit here because it is a good investment for raising healthy families. We don’t sit here because this is what we have always done. We are here because something has happened—something big—something huge—something that turns life upon its head!

Your ancestors were slaves. They were oppressed. They were held captive by many different masters. They lived under burdens too great to bear. They crawled through life hoping and praying for something better, hoping that they might see a day of change, a day of freedom.

That day is here—right now! Do not miss it! Do not sit there daydreaming, asleep, or uninterested! This word is for you. Listen to it, absorb it, let it transform you: You…are…free! Regardless of how you may feel, regardless of what you see—you…are…free!

God’s servant, Jesus of Nazareth, has come “to bind up the brokenhearted.” You are free from the brokenhearted-ness of your past. You are free from your poor decisions. You are free from your sins and mistakes. You are free from divorce and broken relationships. You are free from the pain that others have caused you. You are free from every injustice done to you. Your past can no longer haunt you—it is transformed—you now know the end of the story and your past is now free to be an important part of that story.

God’s servant, Jesus of Nazareth, has come “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” You are free in your present situation, despite what you may see. Free from the rulers, powers, and authorities, which place themselves in the place of God and try to dominate your life. You are free from the world’s politics. You are free from your government. You are free from your boss. You are free from your money. You are free from your possessions. You are free from the capitalistic rat race. You are free from all oppression and inequality. You are free from racism. You are free from violence and abuse. You are free from retaliation and revenge. You are free from self-defense. You are free from all forms of hate. You are free from loneliness and depression. You are free from all disease, illness, and chronic pain. You are free from the desires and cravings of your flesh. You are free from your pride and ego. Jesus has come and bestowed on you a “crown of beauty” and anointed you with the “oil of gladness.” You “will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” You stand out as a beacon of hope and freedom in this world of slavery and brokenness. As men gather around false ideologies of freedom, which are only disguised forms of slavery—you bear witness to true freedom.

God’s servant, Jesus of Nazareth, has come so that you can “rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated.” You are free from the unknowns of the future. You are free from all worry and anxiety. You are free for the future. You are free to work towards and build a future in accord with God’s will. You are free to be a new creation in the midst of an old creation that is dying away. With Isaiah you have been clothed in the new creation: “He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.” In Jesus Christ you are free to be a signpost of God’s new creation.

God will indeed create new life in the midst of the old. “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” From the soil of this world of suffering, pain, and injustice, God will cause new life of justice to spring forth. In walking in the freedom of Jesus Christ, you are that new life—regardless of what you may feel and see, I say it again—you are that new life, you are a new creation in Jesus Christ. God has defeated death. The tomb is empty. Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. Death no longer holds you. Death can no longer be used to manipulate you. Death has been defeated. You will rise from death on the last day. God is your future and he has a new and wonderful thing in store for you and all creation. You are free to live boldly now, pushing toward that future. You are the “light of the world.”  You are the “city on a hill.”

Therefore, you are free to be the new creation that God has made you in Jesus Christ. You are free to love—and when you love you are free. You are free to bind yourself in service to all mankind. As Paul said, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone” (1 Corinthians 9:19). Therefore, love boldly. Do the extraordinary. Don’t be like the dying world that only loves those who love them—follow in the footsteps of Jesus, love like he did—love your enemies. Love those who love no one and whom no one loves. Love those who do not forgive in return, who hate you when you love them, who insult you when you bless them. Love your religious, political, and personal enemies. Love those who are putting you to death. Live in the love of Jesus Christ himself—live the way of the cross. You are free to step beyond the world’s ways and to receive victory over the world through the way of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Go forth and love! You are free! Amen.