Isaiah 61:1-3, Jeremiah 31:31-36 Real Freedom

The country is in chaos. Everyone says they want freedom. And many seek this freedom at other people’s expense. They want to tear down the historical images of US freedom. They want to be rewrite history, emphasizing the imperfections and minimizing the progress. They want to judge all of history through their very limited perspectives. It’s as if they are saying, “I want freedom a certain way, and all other perspectives are wrong. I am the judge of what freedom is or is not. And I want to destroy anyone or anything that gets in my way of gaining this self-defined freedom.” The result is self-focus. Destruction. And trampling on everyone’s freedom but my own.

The reality is that every generation is imperfect. Who can stand scrutiny of our every act? As culture changes, how can it condemn previous cultures that strived the best the could to move forward? Who is to say which perspective is correct. Every historical view of freedom is flawed and if we focus on the flaws there are plenty to fine.

Where is the grace? Where is the humility that recognizes that we all get some things wrong? Why can we not honor the major moves forward as this nation sought to usher in freedom? Imperfect? Yes. But it was world impacting progress. Nations around the world were shaped by the experiment in freedom called America. People from around the world still flood our land to seek out this thing that we call freedom.

If there is a flaw with our view of freedom, it is not primarily a racial divide. It is not primarily a problem of the haves and have nots.

No, instead the flaw comes in our definition of real freedom. Freedom is not something a government can give. It is not a set of human laws. It has little to do with the right to vote, safety from a government, or any such thing.

Real freedom begins with an inner transformation. It then lives itself out in a life lived for God. Freedom is the real hope that comes from being in relationship with the living God. Let’s reflect on real freedom this morning.

(ESV) Isaiah 61 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

I. Real Freedom: Predicted to come via a person

A. The sent One

(ESV) Isaiah 61 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; …

1. In time of crisis God sends a person – His Son

2. Annointed - Messiah

3. Sent – commissioned with a task – offer hope

a) Not bringing violence. Note even bring condemnation. Bringing good news - Offering hope / offering a future / offering real freedom

4. The problem was sin / separated from God / made an enemy of God / inability and no desire for God ---- Someone needed to come

a) Provide a substitute to suffer the consequences for sin

b) Become an intercessor to stand between God and man

c) Selected as redeemer / savior to whoever will personally come to Him

B. Giving good news to the needy

(ESV) Isaiah 61 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; …

1. Good news – bring good news

2. Or Afflicted / distressed and troubled

3. Poor – people living on the margins / often Godly but forgotten by the main stream

4. The redemption is at hand for those who know they are in trouble

C. Comforting the broken

(ESV) Isaiah 61 1 … he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, … 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

1. Broken by life / hopeless / no longer have the ability to try / sin has broken them

2. Oozing bonds – slow and painful death

3. Bind /bandage up the broken hearted

4. Put the pieces back together

5. To transform one’s life of sorrow

a) To personally comfort

b) To put on a beautiful headdress to replace ashes

c) To anoint with joy to replace mourning

d) To cloth with a garment of praise to replace a faint spirit / despair

D. Freeing the captives

(ESV) Isaiah 61 1 … to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

1. Captive to life and sin / addiction / unable to be free / hopeless

2. Release – greater than the captor

3. Open the prison like one’s eyes

4. No longer bound by sin / held by addictions / captive to the consequences of sin

5. Free to come to God / To live for Him

E. The enabler of righteousness

(ESV) Isaiah 61 3 … that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

1. The problem was sin – the ability to be transformed from wild brambles to a steadfast oak

2. Given righteousness – changed the DNA – powerful trees – giving the fruit of righteousness

3. Planted by the Lord – His hand at work nurturing / empowering / caring for them

F. The source of grace and justice

(ESV) Isaiah 61 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

1. Year of His favor / the answer is grace to the problems

2. God to look upon them with favor

3. And the Day of vengeance will come – make things right - bring justice – the wrong will be made right / the unforgiven will face the consequences.

II. Real Freedom: From the inside out

A. A transforming covenant

(ESV) Jeremiah 31 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers … my covenant that they broke, …

1. People are born into bondage to sin. They have no power to overcome sin.

2. God through Moses established a covenant with His people. Do right and things will go well with you it said on its surface. And so people tried to do right – but they couldn’t / they didn’t

3. This covenant was inadequate

(ESV) Jeremiah 31 33 For this is the covenant that I will make … I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.

4. Because people cannot on their on do right / a new covant was needed ---- a covenant that would transform people from the inside out --- a transforming covenant

5. A covenant that would allow God (via His Spirit) to come within and enable people to be something different

B. A relationship with the Lord

(ESV) Jeremiah 31 33 … And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 … they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. …

1. This new covenant would finally solve the inner problem --- the need for God – fill the emptiness that only He can fill --- not a religious thing but a personal relationship

C. A complete forgiveness

(ESV) Jeremiah 31 34 … For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

1. And the New Covenant would provide for their forgiveness

2. Some had to be punished for the sin

3. A just God could only be intimate with people whose win was forgotten – in Christ – granted righteousness – forgotten the sin

D. Given by Jesus

(ESV) John 8 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” … 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

1. Real freedom a gift from Jesus

2. His disciples are truly free – might be someone’s slaves / might be oppressed by the government – might have not rights on earth

3. But truly free --- belong to Jesus / enabled to be His disciples --- a larger priority than what happens here.