Sunday Series: To Proclaim Liberty To The Captives

There is a Messianic prophecy in Isaiah that touches a chord in my heart. It is found in Isaiah 61 , and there are two phrases in particular that stick out to me. I believe I have written about one of them before- "beauty for ashes." It is the second phrase, though, that made a point in Sunday School yesterday.

As you might have inferred, the phrase is "to proclaim liberty to the captives."

In Sunday School, we specifically discussed what it might mean, and I wish that I had raised my hand and said what I was thinking. Because of course, it does mean the literal freeing of captives, of Israel and the Jews, but I wondered if it might mean something more. If it might mean, say, the freeing of a cripple from a body that cannot walk. The freeing of the blind from a life without sight. The freeing of the disabled, bringing their minds in true harmony with their bodies, bringing them to their full potential. The freeing of the depressed to happiness, the freeing of the down-trod to hope. I wondered if "proclaiming freedom" was more than literal.

In addition, this freedom is a freeing from sin. Christ is the Mediator, the forgiver of sins. He knows our hearts, and through His Atonement, He brought freedom to our spirits, from sin, and also from death.

There is support for this idea- did not Jesus live His life healing the sick and mending the broken? His life was full of  miracles such as this. There is a famous story in Luke about a paralytic who was confined to his bed. This man's friends carried him before Christ, who proceeded to free this man in two ways, both from sin and from his bed. With the simple words, "Rise up and walk," Christ brought a new freedom into this man's life- a freedom of movement.

Christ can free us from everything that holds us captive. He can free us from fear, from doubt, from pain and loss. He can free us from heartbreak or longing. He has freed us from sin and death. He can free us from all that binds us, and keeps us from living to our full potential, if we just choose to follow Him.