Christmas is Freedom

Jesus’ birth, celebrated every 25^th of December, was the culminating event in God’s salvific historical plan as it stands today. It changed the history of humanity for eternity and with it, has brought freedom to those that choose to accept it.

Before Jesus however, there were 613 commandments that were given by God to Moses as stated throughout the Torah. As the chosen people of God, the Israelites needed to have a distinct character and identity as His children. Therefore, after God rescued Israel from Egypt through his power and sovereign action, he gave the law as a covenant that revealed his standard of righteousness and holiness for scripture states, “For I (God) am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). This was not a list of suggestions, but a divine mandate that required strict observance. These laws that the Jews followed, were followed by Jesus as well.  He was circumcised after eight days (Luke 2:21), presented at the temple at the appointed time to include the appropriate sacrifice (2:22), celebrated the Feast of the Passover at age 12 (2:41-42), and sought education by the Jewish teachers (2:46). However, as Jesus started his ministry after being baptized by John, certain Mosaic laws began to be abrogated, both explicitly and implicitly, and redefined according to the dictates of the Father. Then it happened…

The arrest, death, and resurrection of Jesus broke the burden and power of the law and ushered in a new era of freedom. Paul, the Christian persecutor, who solidified Stephen the disciple’s death by stoning (Acts 7:58-8:1) and who became the apostle of the Gentiles was the greatest proponent of this gift of freedom as he stated, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). The Christian, Paul states, no longer has to submit to the burdensome yoke of the law, which produces sin through the flesh. Freedom is the new gift by the Spirit and through the cross of Christ; however, this freedom in Christ does not allow immorality, “the freedom he preached did not mean a throwing off of all restraint, an invitation to license.”[1] What did this freedom entail then if not the liberty to do what one chooses? The answer that Paul gives to this important question is love. Paul simply, yet profoundly encourages his readers, “…do not use your freedom for an opportunity of the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (5:13-14). “In other words, the doctrine of Christian liberty does not encourage a wicked life; instead, it binds us closer to Christ, and Christ lives out His life through the believer.”^[2] How does love then fulfill the law? With the Spirit of God indwelling the believer, the fruits of the Spirit are produced within. In love, a person cannot be selfish, will not be pushed to unbridled anger, and will not be jealous. Likewise, to love God is to turn one’s back on idolatry and glorify His name.

This Christmas, remember God’s gift of freedom in Christ. That the law of love we are given in lieu of the burdensome requirements of the old law was first brought to us by the love of God, in that, “the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

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[1] Joseph A. Fitzmyer, “Saint Paul and the Law,” Jurist 27, no.18 (1967), 30

^[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 528.