Sunday, June 28, 2009: Freedom Is Not Free

Freedom Is Not Free
Mark 10: 45 and Hebrews 2: 14 – 18.

I. Introduction.
This Saturday will be Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July. This is the official day Americans have set aside to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. However, our freedom was not actually granted on the Fourth of July.

The reason we celebrate on July 4 every year is because July 4, 1776 is written across the top of the Declaration of Independence. This was a document which was originally written by Thomas Jefferson and submitted to congress. The congressmen debated and revised Jefferson’s document and eventually signed it as a statement to the British Empire that the thirteen colonies would no longer submit to British rule. Some of the congressmen might have signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, but the final signatures did not come until August 2, 1776.

What’s interesting to me is how the signing of the Declaration of Independence was neither the beginning nor the end of the American Revolution. The Revolution had begun at least six years before the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. At least that is what all my history teachers told me, when they said that Crispus Attucks was the first person killed in the American Revolution when he was killed on March 5, 1770 in the Boston Massacre.

In the years following the Boston Massacre, the American Colonists revolted against the British Parliament and seized control of the way each colony was governed. Then, they organized their own representative congress in 1775. In my opinion, July 4, 1776 became the famous date, because it takes at least a year and a half for anything to get accomplished in congress!

While the fledgling American congress was working on the Declaration of Independence, there was a war raging around them. The British Empire brought the most powerful military on earth to American soil in 1775 to try to disband the American congress and force the colonies into submission. Eventually, this American Revolution became a full-fledged world war. The war did not end until 1783. The war began over a year before the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. The war ended seven years AFTER the Declaration of Independence was signed.

I do not intend to minimize the significance of the Declaration of Independence. It is the foundational document of our country. However, freedom cannot be declared. Freedom for the American Colonies did not become a reality until the war ended. Freedom was “purchased” by the blood and deaths of those men like Crispus Attucks, who died for freedom.

Perhaps we are witnesses today to a similar phenomenon in modern day Iran. The men and women of Iran are protesting more than just the results of an election. They are protesting against an oppressive government. They are losing their lives for the sake of freedom. And freedom is not free. If freedom ever comes to the people of Iran, it will not be free…Just as freedom in the United States of America has never been free.

There is an even greater freedom I want to focus on today. It is the freedom we have as Christian men and women. Again, freedom is not free. Freedom always comes at a high price. For Iranian men and women, it might come as a result of their sacrifices. For American citizens it has been won and preserved by millions who have given their lives. For Christians, freedom comes through Jesus. Specifically, our freedom was won once and for all when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified and resurrected.

There are many places where we can read about freedom in the New Testament. Perhaps the most famous passage about freedom is found in Galatians 5: 1, “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.” But, I want to read about the things from which Christ has set us free.

Read Hebrews 2: 14 – 18.

The book of Hebrews begins with a comparison and contrast between Jesus and the angels. We should not be surprised that Hebrews teaches that Jesus is better than angels. Jesus is the Son of God.

Then, Hebrews 2 compares the angels to the ones the Son of God was sent to save. Jesus was not sent to save the angels. Jesus was sent to save human beings, like you and me. He accomplished this salvation through the crucifixion and resurrection.

Specifically, this chapter of Hebrews tells us that Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished something for us. Jesus died on the cross in order to destroy our three greatest enemies: Satan, death and sin.

Hebrews 2: 14, “…so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is the devil.”
Hebrews 2: 15, “and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Hebrews 2: 17, “…and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”

The technical theological term for what Jesus did through his death and resurrection is the English word Atonement. This might be the only “technical” theological term which has its roots in the English language. The word “Atone” is like a contraction of two English words “at” and “one.” Very simply, the Atonement means that Jesus died and rose again so humanity and God could be “at one.”

This does not imply that humanity and God will be “one and the same,” as if the crucifixion and resurrection makes us gods. Rather, Jesus was crucified and resurrected in order to “bring God and humanity together,” or as the Apostle Paul says God “reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5: 18 NIV).”

But how does the crucifixion and resurrection reconcile God and humanity? You might be surprised to learn that even though all Christians agree Jesus died and rose again to save human beings there is a disagreement about HOW Jesus accomplished this.

One of the popular theological explanations of the work of Atonement says that Jesus died on the cross to satisfy God. Some say Jesus’ death satisfied God’s wrath against sin. Sin and sinners require punishment, so all our punishment was placed on Jesus. However, others say Jesus’ death satisfied the requirements of the Old Testament Law. Forgiveness requires a sacrifice of blood. The Old Testament religion accomplished this through animal sacrifices in the Temple. In the New Testament, Jesus became the ultimate and final sacrifice.

Another theological explanation describes the work of Christ as a “ransom” or payment.
I have always heard and followed the satisfaction theory of the Atonement, because I found the ransom theory to be too difficult to describe. On one hand, who makes the payment? Does Jesus make the payment, or does God? On the other hand, who receives the payment? Does God receive the payment, or does Satan?

I struggle to make sense of the crucifixion and resurrection as a ransom. But then something happened…I read the Bible. If you have your theology all figured out, don’t read the Bible. Reading the Bible is dangerous. It can really change your theology.

Read Mark 10: 45.

In this one verse, we have to come to terms with what we believe about God, Jesus, the Atonement and the inspiration of the Bible. For example, do you believe God inspired every word of the Bible? If you do, then you have to take seriously the word “ransom.” Or, do you believe God inspired Mark to write his Gospel to the best of his human abilities, with a little bit of latitude to use a word like “ransom” when he really should have written “substitution?” If you believe like this, then perhaps you can do like Thomas Jefferson did and use a pair of scissors to cut out the parts of the Gospels that Jesus never said or did. But how are we supposed to decide?

The Greek word translated “ransom” in this verse means exactly that. In secular usage, this word referred to the payment of money given in exchange for releasing prisoners of war and slaves.

For example, if one person owned a slave a second person could purchase that slave for a negotiable price. (I do not in any way condone slavery or the sale of a human life. This is simply the way the Greek word was used to describe the practice of slave trade in the ancient world.) The person who purchased the slave could do so for one of at least two reasons. First, he could purchase the slave and keep that slave as his own property. Second, he could purchase the slave and release him from slavery. This is the imagery of ransom…To purchase a slave for the purpose of releasing the slave.

This is the imagery Jesus used to describe his purpose for coming to earth. In Mark 10: 45, Jesus told us about his identity and his purpose. He clearly identified himself as the Son of Man. This is a common Old Testament reference to the Messiah, who would be sent by God to do the work of salvation. Then, Jesus told us his purpose was to give his life as a ransom. I do believe the word “ransom” is important, but do not miss the way Jesus said this work of ransom was to be done freely. Jesus’ life was never “taken” from him or “overcome” by evil perpetrators. No. Jesus gave his life out of his own volition and initiative.

We would do well to understand Jesus’ use of the word “ransom” in the context of everything that happens in the Gospels.

II. Free From Sin.

For example, very early in Jesus’ earthly ministry he encountered a paralyzed man, who had to be helped by four friends. The friends dug a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was preaching and lowered the paralyzed man to Jesus’ feet. Do you remember what Jesus’ first words to the paralyzed man were? “Son, your sins are forgiven (Mark 2: 5 NIV).”

Jesus recognized that this man had a problem that went well beyond his physical limitation. Yes. The paralyzed man needed to be healed of his physical condition. However, he had a spiritual condition as well. Jesus did not come to take care of physical problems only. Jesus came to release men and women from sin.

III. Free From Death.

In Mark 5, we read a story about a little girl who died. While she was still living, her parents sent for Jesus. But, when the child died, they told Jesus it was too late. Yet, Jesus went into the girl’s room with three of his disciples; took the girl by the hand; and raise her from death to life. Jesus demonstrated that he had power over physical infirmities, spiritual infirmities and even death.

IV. Free From Satan.

Also in Mark 5, we read about an encounter Jesus had with a man possessed by a whole legion (or army) of demons. The demons were no match for the power of Jesus. In fact, the demons knew they were no match for Jesus. The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God and begged him not to destroy them. Instead, Jesus sent them into a herd of pigs.

I believe these three stories from the life of Jesus illustrate and define what Jesus meant when he said he would give his life as a ransom. Jesus is the Son of God, sent by God himself, to release human beings from the power of sin, death and Satan.

V. Conclusion.

If Jesus has already won the battle over sin, death and Satan then why do we still struggle? Why do Christians and non-Christians continue to sin? Why do Christians die? Why is there so much evil in the world? How can sin, death and Satan still be present if the battle is over?

Many of you know that when I was at Mississippi College, I played soccer. We had a pretty good team and were able to compete with schools much bigger than we were. During my freshman season, we had an opportunity to play against Rhodes College in Memphis. The game was scheduled to be played in Clinton, but at the very last minute Rhodes called and cancelled. They had just been recognized as one of the top soccer programs in the nation for a school their size, and it would just be too difficult for them to travel to play us. But they would be willing to play if we traveled to their home field. They thought they were too good to travel to Mississippi. They thought they were too good to play us…They didn’t even wear their game jerseys.

We won the coin toss and chose to kick off. The teams lined up, the whistle blew and we immediately passed the ball to our right wing, who was the fastest player on our team. He ran past their entire defense shot the ball and scored in less than one minute. We scored the first goal of the match.

For the rest of the half, Rhodes dominated the ball. They kept the ball on our half of the field for the entire half. They passed the ball and took shot after shot after shot on our goal…But they never scored.

Rhodes kicked off to begin the second half, and the same thing happened. They dominated the ball. They kept the ball on our half of the field, they passed and took shot after shot after shot…But again, they never scored.

After 90 minutes of soccer, the game ended 1 – 0.

Anyone watching that game would have thought that Rhodes was winning the game, but the score showed that MC won. In fact, we actually won the game in the first 60 seconds. But the game was not over until we had played for 90 minutes.

That illustrates the world we find ourselves in. Sin, death and Satan seem to have the best of us. But God won on that first Easter. All that is left is for us to play out the rest of the game.