God Is the Door to Freedom

In John 10:9 I read, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” (ESV)

I don’t need to be behind bars to be in prison. Why? Because the most common prison is in the mind.

A relationship can be a prison when it makes me feel trapped. Debt can be a suffocating prison that I don’t think I’ll ever escape. A tradition can be a prison because it confines me and doesn’t let me embrace the freedom God wants me to have. A painful memory can lock me behind steel doors of pain. Depression, fatigue, and shame can also be prisons.

The good news is that God wants to break me out!

God wants me to be free. When he opens doors, they’re pathways to something good. But before God can get me to where he wants me to go, he has to get me out of the prisons I’m in.

How does he do it?

First, he shakes things up. When Paul and his friends were in prison in Acts 16, God brought about an earthquake. Sometimes God has to shake my foundations—particularly my foundational beliefs—to get me out of prison, too. He’ll send an earthquake into my life to shake up those beliefs so I’m ready for the freedom he wants to give me.

Second, he plugs me into the power of the resurrection. That’s what Easter is all about. Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful event in history. God makes that power available to me every day.

Paul says in Ephesians 1:19-20, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (NLT).

The same power that opened Jesus’ tomb will open the prison doors that are holding me back. That’s real freedom! I just have to believe and trust God to provide for me in this way.

Over the next few studies, I’ll look at three specific ways that Jesus wants to bring me freedom.

In summary, I don’t need to be behind bars to be in prison. The most common prison is in the mind. A relationship can be a prison when it makes me feel trapped. Debt can be a suffocating prison that I don’t think I’ll ever escape. A tradition can be a prison because it confines me. A painful memory can lock me behind steel doors of pain. Depression, fatigue, and shame can also be prisons. The good news is that God wants to break me out!  God wants me to be free. When he opens doors, they’re pathways to something good. But before God can get me to where he wants me to go, he has to get me out of the prison I’m in. To do so first, he shakes things up. When Paul and his friends were in prison in Acts 16, God brought about an earthquake. Sometimes God has to shake my foundations—particularly my foundational beliefs. He’ll send an earthquake into my life to shake up those beliefs. Second, he plugs me into the power of the resurrection. That’s what Easter is all about. Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful event in history. God makes that power available to me every day. The same power that opened Jesus’ tomb will open the prison doors that are holding me back. I just have to believe and trust God to provide for me in this way.

In the sheepfold, the shepherd functioned as a gate, letting the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for me. He offers access to safety and security. Christ is our protector. Some people resent that Jesus is the gate, the only way of access to God. But Jesus is God's son, why should I (we) seek any other way or want to customize a different approach to God? 

The First Easter Changed Everything

In Luke 1:78 I read, “A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful.” (GW)

This Easter, many will wake up before daylight and attend an Easter sunrise service. Easter is the only holiday we celebrate at the break of dawn. We do this because it was at the break of dawn, on a brand-new day, when his followers heard the news that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, and it changed everything.

The Bible says, “At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay’” (Matthew 28:1-6 NIV).

Easter is important, because it proved that Jesus Christ was telling the truth. Jesus made some outrageous claims. He claimed to be the Son of God and the only way to heaven. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (NIV).

Many throughout history have claimed to be God. But the difference with Jesus is that he was the only one who proved to be God. Jesus said, “I’m going to prove it. I’m going to die for the sins of the world, and three days later I’m going to raise myself back to life.” And that’s exactly what he did.

The resurrection of Jesus is the most important event of all time. It split history into A.D. and B.C. Now every time you write a date, you are using Jesus Christ as the reference point. Even your own birthday—the day, the month, and the year—is dated from the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And it all happened on the dawn of a new day. Luke 1:78 says, “A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful” (GW).

Over the next several days, I’ll be taking a closer look at God’s mercy and answering the questions: When do I need God’s mercy in my life? What happens when I accept it?

In summary, this Easter, many will wake up before daylight and attend an Easter sunrise service. Easter is the only holiday we celebrate at the break of dawn. We do this because it was at the break of dawn, on a brand-new day, when his followers heard the news that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, and it changed everything. Easter is important, because it proved that Jesus Christ was telling the truth. Jesus made some outrageous claims. He claimed to be the Son of God and the only way to heaven. Many throughout history have claimed to be God. But the difference with Jesus is that he was the only one who proved to be God. Jesus said, “I’m going to prove it. I’m going to die for the sins of the world, and three days later I’m going to raise myself back to life.” And that’s exactly what he did. The resurrection of Jesus is the most important event of all time. It split history into A.D. and B.C. Now every time you write a date, you are using Jesus Christ as the reference point. It all happened on the dawn of a new day. A new day dawned on us from above because our God is loving and merciful. 

Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven broke upon us,