The following is a devotion from my message series 10 Steps to Freedom. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus!

STEP ONE: day 2

Fill your soul with the hope of Jesus

When Jesus walked onto the pages of human history, he did so with a powerful claim and a specific promise: Freedom is here! In Luke 4, Jesus declared his public ministry by quoting this ancient prophecy from Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Luke 4:18-19

Let those words sink in for a moment. When Jesus came, it was with a promise of freedom for prisoners and the oppressed. He came to free us from the ultimate bondage of sin and death. He came to give us hope, and our hope in Jesus that sets us on the road to freedom. But Jesus didn’t just proclaim freedom for us, he proved his power to set us free. Read the eyewitness account of Jesus’ life in the New Testament book of Luke. You’ll discover twenty different miracles that Jesus performed, proving his power over nature, sickness and even death.

When Jesus declared that he came to set us free, he backed up those words with power. When he rose from the dead, he proved once and for all that he has the power and authority to set us free. And when Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed (John 8:36)!

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. If you’re familiar with the life of Jesus as recorded in the Bible, what’s your favorite miracle that Jesus performed, proving his power over nature, sickness and death? (If you’re not sure where to read, try Matthew 8).

2. Read John 20:30-31. What can we begin to experience when we put our hope and faith in Jesus?

You can read other devotional entries for 10 Steps to Freedom here.