THE GREATEST EMANCIPATOR
JOHN 8:36
1. INTRODUCTION. DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS, HISTORY HAS INTRODUCED US TO SEVERAL GREAT EMANCIPATORS. MOSES, WHO, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GOD, FREED THE ISRAELISTES FROM THE BRUTAL BONDAGE OF SLAVERY UNDER THE HANDS OF THEIR EVIL AND WICKED EGYPTIAN TASK MASTERS AFTER SOME 430 YEARS.
THEN, THERE IS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHO BY EXECUTIVE ORDER ISSUED THE PRELIMINARY EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1862; WHICH STIPULATED THAT IF THE SOUTHERN STATES DID NOT CEASE THEIR REBELLION BY JANUARY 1ST, 1863, THEN PROCLAMATION WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. THIS PROCLAMATION WOULD AFFECT THE MORE THAN 3.5 MILLION AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TEN STATES. REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR MADE REFERENCE TO THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHERE HE PLACED IT ALONGSIDE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE CITING IT AS AN "IMPERISHABLE" CONTRIBUTION TO CIVILIZATION, AND "ALL TYRANTS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, ARE POWERLESS TO BURY THE TRUTHS IN THESE DECLARATIONS".
THEN, THERE IS JESUS; THE GREATEST LIBERATOR AND EMANCIPATOR OF ALL. JESUS CAME TO FREE THE WORLD FROM THE BONDAGE AND THE OPPRESSION OF SLAVERY AS IT RELATES TO SIN. HIS EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS NOT SIGNED WITH INK, BUT, WITH HIS BLOOD. IT WAS NOT SIGNED IN THE CAPITOL OR IN CONGRESS, BUT IT WAS SIGNED AT CALVARY. IT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO FREE THOSE IN JUST 10 STATES, BUT, MEN AND WOMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS EVERYWHERE. THE NUMBERS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FREED BY JESUS ARE IMMEASURABLE.
2. SLAVERY IS NOT DEAD. ALTHOUGH MOSES LED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF BONDAGE, PHAROAH IS NOT DEAD. JUST AS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD TO LEARN TO MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW; THERE ARE THOUSANDS WHO HAVE TO MAKE A LIVING OUT OF LITTLE OF NOTHING.
a) ALTHOUGH ABRAHAM LINCOLN ISSUED A DOCUMENT TO END SLAVERY, THERE ARE STILL THOSE WHO ARE SLAVES TO RACISM, SEXISM, AND CLASS-ISM. AMERICA IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY TO LIVE IN, BUT I HAVE DISCOVERED IN THESE YET TO BE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THAT AMERICA IS DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITES STATES PROCLAIMS, “WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL. WHILE WE MAY BE CREATED EQUAL, WE ARE ALL NOT TREATED AS EQUALS. THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT, SIMPLY BECAUSE THOSE WHO HAVE, ARE GUILTY OF OPPRESSING THE HAVE NOTS.
b) DR. KING STATED WITH ELOQUENCE THAT, “INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE.”
c) THERE ARE COUNTLESS THOUSANDS WHO HAVE BEEN FREED PHYSICALLY, BUT ARE NOT FREE SOCIALLY OR ECONOMICALLY. THEY MAY NOT HAVE CHAINS ON THEIR HANDS AND THEY MAY NOT HAVE SHACKLES ON THEIR FEET, BUT THEY HAVE CHAINS ON THE MINDS AND IN THEIR HEARTS.
d) ALTHOUGH JESUS DIED TO FREE US OF FROM SIN, THERE ARE MANY WHO ARE PAYING HIM NO ATTENTION.
e) NEVER THE LESS, MOSES MADE A DIFFERENCE, ABRAHAM MADE A DIFFERENCE, AND JESUS NOT ONLY MADE A DIFFERENCE, BUT HE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
3. THE TEXT. JESUS WAS DISCOURSING WITH A COLLECTION OF JEWS WHEN HE MADE THE STATEMENT ABOUT FREEDOM IN OUR TEXT.
a) I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT WHEN JESUS PARDONS A PERSON, HIS PARDON CANNOT BE REVOLKED OR APPEALED.
b) WHILE CLERGY AND OR CONGREGATION MAY VOTE YOU OUT OF THE CHURCH, THEY CANNOT VOTE YOU OUT OF THE KINGDOM.
c) SALVATION IS BOTH INCLUSIVE AND EXCLUSIVE. IT INCLUDES ALL WHO CONFESS HIM AS SAVIOR; AND EXCLUDES THOSE WHO REFUSE TO ACCEPT HIM AS SAVIOR. FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHO SO EVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.
d) SINCE JESUS HAS MADE US FREE, WE ARE FREE FROM THE POWER OF SIN, WE ARE FREE FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN, AND ONE DAY WE WILL BE FREE FROM THE VERY PRESENCE OF SIN.
e) JESUS IS THE GREATEST EMANCIPATOR BECAUSE HE IS GOD.
f) HE’S THE GREATEST EMANCIPATOR BECAUSE HE ACCOMPLISHED WHAT NO OTHER COULD ACCOMPLISH.
g) HE’S THE GREATEST EMANCIPATOR BECAUSE HE IS PERFECT.
h) WHO ELSE COULD BE BORN YOUNGER THAN HIS EARTHLY MOTHER, AND JUST AS OLD AS HIS HEAVENLY FATHER?
i) JESUS TOLD THE POPULACE IN JOHN 8:56-58, “ YOUR FATHER ABRAHAM REJOICED TO SEE MY DAY: AND HE SAW IT, AND WAS GLAD. THEN SAID THE JEWS UNTO HIM, THOU ART NOT YET FIFTY YEARS OLD, AND HAST THOU SEEN ABRAHAM? JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM.”
j) HE’S THE GREATEST EMANCIPATOR BECAUSE HE WAS ABOUT DIVERSITY.
k) HE DID NOT COME JUST TO FREE THE JEWS, BUT HE CAME TO FREE BLACK FOLK, WHITE FOLK, SHORT FOLK, TALL FOLK, SKINNY FOLK, NOT SO SKINNY FOLK.
l) ONLY JESUS CAN MAKE THE…
• CORRUPT GOOD
• DRUNKEN SOBER
• DECEITFUL HONEST
• GODLESS RIGHTEOUS
• CARNAL HOLY
• LYING TRUTHFUL
• SHAMEFUL MODEST
• RESTLESS CALM
• RESENTFUL FORGIVING
• PROUD HUMBLE
• WHERE OTHERS….
• HAVE FAILED, HE CONQUERED
• WERE DEFEATED, HE SUCCEEDED
• WHERE OTHERS SUCCUMBED, HE CONTINUED
• WHERE OTHERS WERE BARREN, HE WAS FRUITFUL
• WHERE OTHERS WERE WEAK, HE WAS STRONG
• WHERE OTHERS BECAME VICTIMS, HE WAS VICTORIOUS
• YES HE IS THE GREATEST EMANCIPATOR!
