Jesus Our Deliverer

The Romans began their occupation of Israel around 60 years before Jesus was born. They divided the country into administrative districts. Their intent was to overthrow the way israel had been set up since Solomon was king. This realignment was put in place to destabilize the nation and to be able to put down public resistance. They also used this system to try to instill their culture on Israel, but that was much more difficult than they realized. They then tried brut force and dominate power on the people’s day to day lives in order to change them. It’s no wonder that the people of Israel were looking for a political messiah to fight Rome and deliver them once again from oppression.

Luke starts off his Gospel with the birth of John the Baptist and then Mary’s pregnancy. In chapter two, he shifts to the north of Jesus. He tells us that there was no room in the inn and that Jesus was laying in a manger. He also tells us about how there were shepherds in a field nearby watching their flocks by night. That’s when an angel appeared, and in verses 10-11 he said, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah)” (AMP). The word for Savior here also means deliverer. The Messiah did come to deliver them (and us), but it wasn’t from Rome or a political power. He came to deliver us from the things that bind us and imprison us spiritually and emotionally.

In Luke 4, Jesus was beginning His ministry and went to the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He stood in front of everyone, opened the scroll of Isaiah and began reading, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” His power to deliver you is still at work today. Whether it is an oppression, a sin, a habit or an addiction, He wants to release you and set you free. He is a Savior who delivers His people so that they can walk in freedom. The thing that holds you captive may have tried to destabilize your life and hold you down, but He has come to give you life and freedom.

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash