DELIVERER
". . . who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." ~ Galatians 1.4 (ESV)
"For freedom Christ has set us free . . ." ~ Galatians 5.1 (ESV)
"Look, God is my deliverer! I will trust in him and not fear. For the Lord gives me strength and protects me; he has become my deliverer.”" ~ Isaiah 12.2-3 (NET)
In the book of Exodus, God rescued the Hebrews out of Egypt and from Pharaoh. God saw their pain and suffering, and in the right moment, He sent Moses to deliver the people into the Promised Land. That moment in Israel’s history was a defining moment. It is around that pivotal moment that the history of Israel turns.
But the whole reason God rescued Israel is because they were a part of His greater plan to rescue all of humanity. Moses was a type (a person or thing in the Old Testament that foreshadows another person/thing in the New Testament) of Jesus. And the deliverance of the Hebrews from captivity in Egypt was a foreshadowing of Jesus rescuing all of mankind from slavery to sin, shame, and death. Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection is the pivotal moment that all of human history turns.
Jesus has come to deliver us. He’s come to rescue us. But that doesn’t mean that God is going to magically take away all the pain and suffering in life. He doesn’t rescue us from moments (or months or years) of pain or uncomfortability. He’s come to deliver us from the eternal consequences of our sin. He’s come to deliver us from the shame of our brokenness. He’s come to deliver us from being alone in our sin. He’s come to be WITH us and walk with us in victory and freedom.
Praise God, Jesus is our Deliverer!
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for delivereing me. Thank You for being my Deliverer! Thank You for freeing me from sin, shame, and death. Help me to walk in the freedom that You have given me. Give me strength to abide in Your Deliverance. Amen.
Exorcism (21st century)
by Andrew Madekin
(textile)
Moscow, Russia
This artwork is the work of Russian artist, Andrew Madekin. Here he has woven a tapestry that depicts the story from Luke 8.26-39 where Jesus has sailed across the Sea of Galilee to the region of the Gerasenes and, being confronted by a man possessed by a host of demonic spirits, Jesus commands them to leave.
Madekin has captured the moment that the demonic spirits have left the wretched man and entered into a nearby herd of pigs. The pigs are stampeding off the cliff into the roiling waters of the sea below.
Jesus, dressed in white tunic and a blue outer robe is extending His hand towards the man whom He has just delivered from demonic spirits. The wild-eyed man, with untamed hair, is naked and cowering, pulling his arm away from Jesus. In this moment he is either afraid of Jesus, having witnessed His mighty power, or he has concluded that he’s unclean and not worthy to be touched by Jesus. Luke tells us that in the immediate aftermath of this moment, the moment of Jesus’ deliverance of this young man, he is clothed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, and in his “right mind.”
The men surrounding Jesus are either the men who were tending the herds of pigs or the townsmen who have come to see what has happened (if the later, then Madekin has compressed the timeline in order to include them here at this moment of delivery).
These men seem to be perplexed and fearful of what they have witnessed (or heard about). One has his hands raised and his head turned. It could be that he is asking in a highly animated state, “What is going on?” “What is happening?” “How did he do that?”
Another man has his hand raised, seemingly to cover his eyes, possibly shielding him from the illumination of the power of Jesus as demonstrated by the halo around His head.
Madekin has powerfully depicted a man encountering Jesus and having his life irrevocably changed. He was broken, abused, lonely, cast out, tormented. In an instant, Jesus transformed his life. He became whole again. He was made new. Jesus reached out to this poor soul and touched him, letting him know he’s not alone and no matter where he’s been or what he’s been through, Jesus wants to be near him – in relationship with him. He is not too unclean to be touched by the very hand of God.
So, we too, like this young man, have a Deliverer who wants to rescue us from sin and shame that keeps us captive. He wants to rescue us from the harshness of life that imprisons us.
Let Him Deliver you. Let Him free you. Turn to Him, today!
Exorcism (21st century)
by Andrew Madekin
(textile)
Moscow, Russia
This artwork is the work of Russian artist, Andrew Madekin. Here he has woven a tapestry that depicts the story from Luke 8.26-39 where Jesus has sailed across the Sea of Galilee to the region of the Gerasenes and, being confronted by a man possessed by a host of demonic spirits, Jesus commands them to leave.
Madekin has captured the moment that the demonic spirits have left the wretched man and entered into a nearby herd of pigs. The pigs are stampeding off the cliff into the roiling waters of the sea below.
Jesus, dressed in white tunic and a blue outer robe is extending His hand towards the man whom He has just delivered from demonic spirits. The wild-eyed man, with untamed hair, is naked and cowering, pulling his arm away from Jesus. In this moment he is either afraid of Jesus, having witnessed His mighty power, or he has concluded that he’s unclean and not worthy to be touched by Jesus. Luke tells us that in the immediate aftermath of this moment, the moment of Jesus’ deliverance of this young man, he is clothed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, and in his “right mind.”
The men surrounding Jesus are either the men who were tending the herds of pigs or the townsmen who have come to see what has happened (if the later, then Madekin has compressed the timeline in order to include them here at this moment of delivery).
These men seem to be perplexed and fearful of what they have witnessed (or heard about). One has his hands raised and his head turned. It could be that he is asking in a highly animated state, “What is going on?” “What is happening?” “How did he do that?”
Another man has his hand raised, seemingly to cover his eyes, possibly shielding him from the illumination of the power of Jesus as demonstrated by the halo around His head.
Madekin has powerfully depicted a man encountering Jesus and having his life irrevocably changed. He was broken, abused, lonely, cast out, tormented. In an instant, Jesus transformed his life. He became whole again. He was made new. Jesus reached out to this poor soul and touched him, letting him know he’s not alone and no matter where he’s been or what he’s been through, Jesus wants to be near him – in relationship with him. He is not too unclean to be touched by the very hand of God.
So, we too, like this young man, have a Deliverer who wants to rescue us from sin and shame that keeps us captive. He wants to rescue us from the harshness of life that imprisons us.
Let Him Deliver you. Let Him free you. Turn to Him, today!
Playlist Daily Highlight
Take the time to listen . . . really listen to the words of this song. Reflect on them. Let God’s spirit speak to you in this moment.
