To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (Revelation 1.5d)

See Jesus there. His body held by nails to the cross, held by His love. Crucified is the one who loved us from before the creation, before we were formed by His hands and knit together in the womb. Raised before all humanity in hatred and disdain is the one who loves us—is loving us—without ceasing. His words, suspended from the cross, were not justified condemnation. We nailed Him there. We mocked Him as we placed a crown of thorns on His brow. Instead, He spoke forgiveness. He speaks forgiveness still. His sacrificed life spoke love. He speaks love still.

In Jesus’ enduring love we find undeserved freedom! Bound in slavery by our failure and fears, Jesus bore our sin and shame and invites us to everlasting freedom. He loosed the chains of our sins by His death and liberated us for eternity by His resurrection. Liberated, Jesus has commissioned us as His kingdom of priests to carry His cross. In every language, among every people, across space and time we lift up His crucified body as a light in the darkness beckoning oppressed people to freedom. We proclaim liberation for the captive, not from a place of power, but beneath the wide spread arms of the crucified King.

John, exiled on the island of Patmos and far from the persecuted people he pastored, was given a great revelation. John saw in the face of the resurrected Christ the enduring promise of God’s redemption. Exiled John was no stranger to grief and isolation. He experienced them at the foot of the cross, one of the few who followed Jesus there. To his persecuted people John reminds them—He reminds us—of Jesus Christ the liberator, the one who loves us and looses us from our sin by His blood.

Jesus, thank you for freeing me in your love, through your immense sacrifice.