“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment’” (Exodus 6:6 NIV).
Can you imagine what it must have been like when the Israelites left Egypt? Everyone had been slaves their whole lives. Yet, all 600,000 men – plus women and children – just walked right out of the country. That’s something that was not permitted before.
But now the Israelites were free. As with the Israelites who left Egypt after Passover, the end of our slavery is the beginning of freedom. The Children of Israel were saved from bondage to Pharaoh, and we’ve been saved from bondage to sin.
Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read from the Hebrew Scriptures, quoting a verse in Isaiah about the Messiah who would come to proclaim freedom for captives and release for prisoners. He then rolled up the scroll and said the people had just heard that prophecy’s fulfillment.
What freedoms do we have as Believers in Jesus? Scripture tells us we can freely approach God with confidence, that we’re free from accusation, free from condemnation, and we are free from the fear of death. Those are some nice freedoms!
The New Testament writers remind us that freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility. We are to use our freedom for good as though we are slaves to God, and as we have freely received so much from Him, we ought also to freely give.
At Passover, God dramatically freed His people. Jesus told His followers that if the Son sets us free, we’ll be free indeed. Passover is a time to look back and thank God for setting us free! Emphatically free!
“For freedom, Messiah set us free––so stand firm, and do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery again” (Galatians 5:1).
Scriptures
Exodus 12:37, Luke 4:18–21, Isaiah 61:1, John 8:36, Ephesians 3:12, Colossians 1:22, Romans 8:1, Hebrews 2:15, 1 Peter 2:16, Galatians 5:3, Matthew 10:8
Reflection Questions
- What mental images come to mind when you think of being freed?
- How do you think life expanded for the Israelites once beyond Egypt’s borders?
- When you think of yourself being saved from slavery to sin and released into God’s freedom, what does that mean to you?
- What kind of expanded life did Jesus’ blood purchase for you?
- What responsibilities come with your freedom in Messiah?
