Freedom Has A Name

Previously in this series we talked about Jesus the Caller—the One who shows up, speaks to ordinary people, and calls destiny out of them. Like the disciples fishing all night and catching nothing, Jesus stepped in, performed a miracle, and then changed their future: “No longer will you fish for fish, but you will fish for men.”

That’s what Jesus does. He calls. He awakens purpose. He rewrites direction.

But today, we shift from Jesus the Caller to Jesus the Deliverer.
Because Jesus doesn’t just inspire you—He sets you free.

There’s a big difference between a powerful Sunday moment and a transformed Monday life. Someone once said, “It’s not about how high you can jump in church on Sunday morning—it’s about how straight you can walk on Monday afternoon.”

If all we ever experience is inspiration, but we leave still bound by the same chains we walked in with… has anything truly changed?

Jesus doesn’t leave people where He found them.
He breaks darkness. He restores dignity. He rebuilds lives.
Freedom Is Possible… and Freedom Is Personal

Sometimes we treat freedom like a vague idea—something for “other people” or “one day.” But freedom is not just a concept. It’s a Person.

Freedom has a name—and His name is Jesus.
You may have grown up thinking Jesus was mostly about learning information, behaving better, or trying harder. But the Bible gives us a much bigger picture:

Jesus steps into places nobody wants to go.
He confronts what no one else can control.
He restores what everyone else gave up on.

And here’s the best part:
He doesn’t negotiate with darkness.
He doesn’t fear what fears you.

What you’re afraid of doesn’t intimidate Him. That means the thing that feels impossible to you is not impossible to Jesus.

Freedom Isn’t Random—It’s a Kingdom Fruit
Freedom in the life of a believer shouldn’t be a rare, strange, unpredictable moment. It’s meant to be a fruit of living in God’s Kingdom.

Just like we say believers should show the love of God, we should also say believers should walk in the freedom of God.

Why?
Because the Kingdom of God is not just talk—it’s power.
Where Jesus went, things changed:
the oppressed were healed
the sick recovered
captives were set free

That wasn’t a side part of His ministry. It was central.

When Jesus Shows Up, Something Always Happens

Here’s a truth we forget:
The presence of God isn’t decoration—it’s weaponry.

Have you ever come into worship stressed, anxious, weighed down—and then suddenly in the presence of God, the heaviness lifts? You feel peace. Confidence. Clarity. Like, “Why was I even afraid?”

That’s not hype. That’s the atmosphere of God pushing back everything that doesn’t belong.

Then sometimes you leave, go back to normal routines, and you feel it creeping back again.

That reveals something important:
In the presence of God, what oppresses you cannot remain.

A Picture of Deliverance: Mark 5

One of the clearest portraits of Jesus as Deliverer is found in Mark 5.

Jesus arrives “on the other side” of the lake—an unfamiliar, uncomfortable place. And immediately He’s met by a man living in tombs, isolated, tormented, and self-destructive.

This is what bondage does:
it isolates
it torments
it injures
it steals dignity

The man is chained, but still not restored. Society tries to manage him, but nothing changes—until Jesus steps in.

And when Jesus speaks to the spirit, everything shifts.

The man who once screamed through the hills becomes a man sitting peacefully, fully clothed, and completely sane.

That’s what mercy looks like.
Jesus doesn’t just break chains—He rebuilds lives.

Freedom Isn’t the Finish Line—It’s the Starting Line

This man’s real “life” didn’t begin when he was born. He was existing, but he wasn’t living.

His life began when he encountered Jesus.

And that’s what happens with true freedom: you don’t just survive—you finally start living.

Many people are technically in a new season because time passed… but they’re still emotionally, spiritually, and mentally chained to what happened “back there.”

Jesus didn’t die so you could just cope.
He died so you could be free.

Three Revelations About Freedom
1) Jesus Goes to the Other Side

Jesus didn’t end up there by accident. He was on assignment.

Your darkest place is not off-limits to Him.

For some people, “the other side” isn’t a location—it’s a locked room in your heart:

trauma you never processed
anger you’ve justified
addiction you’ve hidden
shame you’ve carried
fear you’ve normalized

But Jesus keeps coming. He keeps knocking. He keeps pursuing.
Because He’s not content to let you live bound.

2) Bondage Has a Strategy

Bondage isolates before it destroys. It torments and tries to rename you:
“This is just who you are.”

But not every chain is visible.

Bondage can look like:
constant anxiety
shame that won’t lift
cycles you can’t break
numbness and apathy
rage you can’t control
secret compulsions

Here’s a simple test:
If it controls you, it’s a chain.
If you can’t stop it, it’s a chain.

3) You Can’t Evict What You Won’t Identify

Jesus asked the spirit, “What is your name?”
Not because He lacked information—but because He forces what’s hidden into the light.

Breakthrough often begins where pretending ends.

God can heal what you’re willing to reveal.

Oppression vs. Possession: A Helpful Clarity

This passage often raises a big question: Can a believer be demon-possessed?

There’s an important distinction:
Oppression is external pressure—harassment, torment, heaviness, influence.
Possession is internal domination—ruling from within, driving the person.

A believer can be oppressed, especially when trauma and open doors create pressure points the enemy tries to attach to.

But freedom comes the same way either way:
truth, renewal, prayer, healing, closing doors, and breaking agreement with lies.

Because oppression thrives on agreement.
Freedom thrives on truth.

The Cost of Freedom

One of the saddest parts of Mark 5 is the response of the crowd.

They saw the man restored… and they begged Jesus to leave.

Why?

Because freedom had a cost, and they decided staying the same was cheaper.

But here’s the truth:
Freedom may cost you something…
but bondage will cost you everything.

Sometimes freedom costs:
toxic relationships
secret hiding
comfort zones
excuses
“this is just how I am” thinking

But it’s worth it, because Jesus didn’t come to help you manage chains—He came to break them.

Stop Managing What Jesus Wants to Heal

The town tried to manage the man with chains.
Jesus restored him with power.

Many of us try to manage oppression with:
excuses
coping
hiding
self-help only
“it runs in my family”
But Jesus died so you can live free.

You don’t have to stay the way you are.

A Short Prayer for Freedom
Jesus, You are my Deliverer.
I renounce every lie, every cycle, every hidden shame, and every torment.
I break agreement with fear, addiction, oppression, and shame.
Bring peace to my mind, purity to my heart, and strength to my soul.
Restore my dignity, restore my clarity, restore my joy.
In Jesus’ name, I am free. Amen.