Jesus Died To Set Us Free | Why Did Jesus Die? | Week 2

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Jesus Died To Set Us Free | Why Did Jesus Die? | Week 2
Pastor Jericho Toilolo
Mark 10:45

1. Jesus died to set us free because we were all captives in need of freedom.
   • Galatians 3:13
   • 1 Peter 1:19
2. Jesus died to set us free because we all have an enemy seeking to enslave and destroy us.
   • John 10:10
   • 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
   • Matthew 13:19
   • 1 Peter 5:8
   • Colossians 1:13-14
   • Psalm 103:12
3. Jesus died to set us free because we all owe an unpayable debt.
   • Romans 3:23-25

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners”
Isaiah 61:1 NIV

In Mark 10:45, Jesus speaks of his own death saying that he came “to give his life as a ransom for many”. This idea could be best understood by looking at the Passover sacrifice. These slain lambs during Passover became a ‘ransom’ price for Israel to escape both the avenging angel and the oppression of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. 

The Passover lamb was a symbol of God bringing liberation from captivity and oppression. Jesus’ death, set in the story of Passover, gives us these images of divine protection and freedom. He himself is our ransom, taking on the judgment of God and liberating the captives from darkness and oppression. 

This is the story of Jesus – giving himself so that we can live free. As theologian and author, Scot McKnight, writes, “it is the story of liberation from sin and oppression so God’s people can live in the new community just as they were designed by God to live.” We’re not just free for the sake of freedom. We are free in order to live as a united community. We are free so that, we can help more people receive liberation through the cross of Christ. How will you use your freedom for the Kingdom this week?

Blessings, 
Lydia Long

This week, try practicing a prayer of self-examination. You can do this as you’re beginning your day or ending your day. As you begin, ask God to search you. Here are some questions you can ask God and bring into a time of prayer:

• Where was I most aware of God’s presence today?
• When did I experience the most joy today?
• Where did it feel like God was absent?
• When was I the most drained?
• When did I experience God’s love? When did I love someone out of the outpour of that love?

Grab a couple of friends and spend some time in Colossians 1, specifically verses 9-14. Maybe commit to memorizing 1:13-14 together. Ask, pray, and journal about these questions:

• Who is speaking? Who is being talked about? 
• What keywords or phrases are being repeated? What 2-3 themes or ideas do you see? What is the focus of “knowledge” Paul is praying for? What warnings do you see? What is the theme of this chapter?
• Why is Paul giving thanks to God? Why did Paul write this letter to the Colossians?
• Who did the Colossians hear the gospel from?
• How can you bring these prayers into your own life? How has God spoken to you through studying Colossians 1?