From our Sunday service on January 5, 2025, Leviticus 25, Luke 4, John 8, and Ephesians 4. Watch the full message: A Year of Jubilee on YouTube.
As you all know, it is 2025, and a new year brings many new opportunities. The turning of the calendar from one year to the next doesn’t mean much outside of a number changing. There’s not much difference between December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025. But this special moment gives us an opportunity to look back, reflect, and have a fresh start and a new perspective for the year ahead. It marks a turning point for reflection and resolution. We don’t know what we’re going to meet in 2025, but we do know there will be new opportunities and a chance to write a new year with a brand new beginning.
I’ve wanted to preach on the Year of Jubilee for a long time, and as New Year’s got closer, I realized the Year of Jubilee has a lot in common with what we think of as New Year’s. In the Bible we hear about a powerful and radical event in the nation of Israel called the Year of Jubilee. All the Israelites were given a fresh start. Debts were forgiven, slaves were set free, and liberty was extended to all. It was a profound symbol of God’s grace and mercy, and as we begin this year, I want us to look at it as a model for how we can live out God’s love and mercy in our lives and toward others. The main idea I want us to take away is that God wants you to experience true freedom.
What Is the Year of Jubilee?
Let’s start in Leviticus 25. It’s not often we get the opportunity to go to Leviticus. First, a disclaimer: this message has nothing to do with the Catholic Year of Jubilee, which has been officially announced for 2025, the last one being in 2000. I didn’t know about it until I was halfway through writing this message. That’s a totally separate thing.
And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
Leviticus 25:8–10
A jubilee, by definition, is the sounding of a trumpet or ram’s horn. In the King James you’ll sometimes see it spelled “jubile.” In the context of Scripture it means much more than a trumpet blast.
A sabbath year was a year when the Israelites would plant their fields for six years and then, in the seventh year, let the fields rest. It’s good for the ground to get a break from growing crops. After doing that seven times, after forty-nine years, the fiftieth year was to be special, declared the Year of Jubilee.
Notice the day: verse 9 says the day of atonement. That’s the day the sins of the nation of Israel were paid for through the sacrifices, a picture of Christ dying on the cross for our sins. On that day, God says, sound the trumpet and proclaim liberty throughout all the land. In the Old Testament it looks like an economic event, but through the lens of the New Testament it’s a picture of the work of Christ. He was our atonement, and he set at liberty all those bound by sin.
“Return every man unto his possession, and return every man unto his family” is talking about bond servants. We Americans struggle with slavery in the Old Testament because we’re skewed by the Western idea of what slavery looks like. We think of slavery as it was in the South. Slavery in the Old Testament was very different. There was no prison system, so if you stole something, you had to pay it back with fees. If you couldn’t, you’d be in debt to that person and be put into bond servitude to pay off your crime. Other than crimes that deserved the death penalty, it was mostly a punishment for sins you had committed. It could also involve captives of war. You could also put yourself in bond servitude if you couldn’t survive, maybe because you’d never learned a trade. A family would take care of your needs for food and teach you a trade, and eventually, if you raised enough money, you could buy yourself back. We think of slavery in the Bible as super exploitative, but in Israel it was part of the prison system, and it made sure that those with no opportunities could at least survive in an emergency.
In this system there was a special rule. On the fiftieth year, anybody who had sinned and found themselves stuck in bond servitude, anybody who had been bought at a slave market, anybody who had been conquered as an enemy and was working for their war crimes, was declared free. God was saying, “Your sins are paid, your punishment is complete, and I want to set you free.”
A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. … Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God. Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
Leviticus 25:11–12, 17–18
There are two aspects here: the slave’s perspective, where I’m being liberated from what I owe, and the master’s perspective, where “ye shall not therefore oppress one another.” The Jubilee works both ways. If you owe a debt, you’re set free from it, and it benefits you. If you are owed a debt, you must set that person free at cost to you. To apply this today, to experience godly freedom this new year, we must embrace our own freedom given to us and also extend freedom to others.
Jesus Died to Give Us Freedom
I hope we all know today that we don’t need to live in guilt over our past sins, or in worry that we’re not enough, because Christ died on the cross for our sins and he is enough. Jesus announced this very early in his ministry, in Luke 4.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Luke 4:14–21
Jesus goes back to his hometown of Nazareth, because on the Sabbath, Saturday, he’s going to teach in the synagogue, the equivalent of their Sunday School classes. Every Sabbath the synagogue had a reading time and a teaching time by those who knew the Scriptures well, and Jesus went and taught there as his custom. On this day he was handed the book of Isaiah. He reads a prophecy about the Messiah: the Spirit of the Lord would come upon someone anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, deliver the captives, and set at liberty the bruised. That’s the same kind of wording the Old Testament uses for the Year of Jubilee, setting people free from all the debts they owe and all the punishment they are due. “The acceptable year of the Lord” is a reference to a jubilee.
Here Jesus announces to the world what he is about to do. He is going to die, and he’s going to deliver the captives, captives of sin. “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” The Spirit was upon him to begin the work of going to the cross.
Live in the Freedom Christ Gave
Jesus came for our freedom, but he wants us to actually live in it. It’s not enough to know that Jesus died for our freedom. We have to choose each day to live in the freedom he has given us.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 8:31–36
Jesus is telling his followers there’s more to this walk than following him around and eating snacks. On the Sermon on the Mount people followed him everywhere, but when we see the feeding of the five thousand, we see why they followed him. They followed him for a show, for some free bread, for the comfort of having this prophet around them. They didn’t care about what he was teaching. They just knew he was famous, and they could say they spent time with Jesus. They were following for the wrong reasons. Jesus says if you really want to benefit from his word, you have to continue in it, listen to the truth and understand it, and then it will make you free.
These people are confused. “Set us free? We’re not slaves, we’re not bond servants, we’re not indebted to anybody. We’re Abraham’s seed. We own our land, we pay our workers. I’m as free as can be.” Jesus answers, “Verily, verily,” truly, truly: you’re missing the point. The one who commits sin is a slave to it. You’re following me around, eating the bread, hearing the teaching, but living in sin, suffering day by day under sinful habits and missing out on the joy this teaching is supposed to provide. You can come here every Sunday and be encouraged by biblical teaching, but if your life is full of sinful habits, you’re going to miss out on all the joy Christ has for you.
Verse 35 says “the servant abideth not in the house for ever.” If you’re a servant, eventually you’re going to be removed from the house. He loses his employment through age or something else. Jesus says you need to become a son. You need to believe in me. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” If Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and you accept his gift, you won’t be somewhat free. You’ll be truly free.
I don’t know what your 2024 looked like. Maybe you struggled with sinful habits or vices that held you down. The truth is Christ died to set you free, and if he did, you can be free indeed. The Israelites thought they knew what freedom was, yet they were still slaves to the sin in their lives. It could be anger toward other people, resentment, pride, greed, jealousy, lust, addiction, or any other vice that holds us captive. True freedom doesn’t come from freedom from outside oppression. It comes from freedom from the captivity of immorality inside ourselves.
Jonathan Edwards, years and years ago, gave two resolutions we need every year to experience the joy of God in our lives. Resolution one: I will live for God. Resolution two: if no one else does, I still will. If we want a blessed 2025, we need to realize that Christ has set us free for a purpose, to follow him and live for him, even when no one else will.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
Paul gives us a challenge here. We can be set at liberty from sin through salvation, and our slate gets wiped clean. I was saved at a young age, so I didn’t get this experience, but people who are saved at an older age get a real fresh start, because their whole past life has just ended and a whole new one has begun. If Christ totally transformed your life and gave you a 180, look back on that and remember how powerful and transformative that moment was. Paul says that’s beautiful, but there’s a danger that after the transformation we fall back into our old habits. Christ made us free, but it’s possible to get tied up again in the same sin. We create sinful habits, and before we know it we’re enslaved again. But Paul doesn’t say that’s our destiny. He says stand fast. Dedicate yourself to staying in that liberty and make an active choice to remain in a life free from sin.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Philippians 3:13
Paul also gives us the encouragement to leave the past in the past. Paul had a lot of sinful problems in his old life, and he knew that if he kept looking back, he would be discouraged and slow down in running for Christ. I don’t know what struggles, doubts, or vices 2024 held for you, anger or resentment or other attitudes toxic to our lives. But those things are behind us. 2024 is over, and we have a whole year ahead of us to make what we want of it. I pray we pursue a will to live for God in 2025.
God’s Voice or Satan’s Voice?
Sometimes we wonder whether how we feel about our sin is a feeling from God or from Satan. It can be discouraging to think about our past mistakes. Does God want to use me? Does he really think those things are in the past, or is he holding resentment against me? Here’s how to discern God’s voice from Satan’s.
God’s voice convicts you to change, gives you comfort and hope when you repent, and gives you peace and security for the future. Satan’s voice condemns you for your past sins, gives you anxiety that you are not good enough even when you repent, and brings confusion and insecurity for the future.
If you are feeling condemned today because of your past sins, that’s not God condemning you. Christ died on the cross to save you from those sins. If you feel condemned and guilty because of your past, that’s Satan holding you back. He doesn’t want your 2025 to be full-out running for Christ. He wants you slowed down by looking back at past sins that are gone. He wants you to worry, “What if I trip up again? What if I’m not good enough and make a mistake? Is God going to forgive me?” That’s not God’s attitude toward you. God only wants what’s best for you. He’s not worried you’ll trip up again. “A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” God is more concerned with your heart to keep going forward. It is Satan who tells you you’re not good enough, you can’t overcome this, and you will fail. God is the one who brings peace and security, and Satan is the one who brings confusion and insecurity. “God is not the author of confusion.” If you’re confused about the future, that’s not from God. He is there to give you hope and to direct your path. It is Satan who wants you to feel lost and confused.
How do we know God has this positive attitude toward us? Jeremiah 29:11 is as good an example as any.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11
God doesn’t plan bad for you. He plans peace for you and wants you to walk with him down the path he has laid step by step. God has no ill will toward us. Christ didn’t wait for us to get our act together before he died on the cross. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” So if you’re concerned that God doesn’t want to forgive you or might give up on you, that’s not from God. That’s what Satan wants you to think. God forgave you so you could continue to walk forward and draw closer to him. He gave us a jubilee through Jesus Christ: the debt payment has been paid, the conviction is overturned, and we are set free. So live like it.
Extend Freedom to Others
We should not only free ourselves from the shackles of sin but also extend that freedom to others. Remember our original passage: “Ye shall not therefore oppress one another.” The Jubilee was not just about accepting freedom but about giving it.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:30–32
Once again we’re reminded that Christ has taken our sins and removed them from us. But here the challenge is not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, not to make God sorrowful by our behavior. God longs for us to be successful in our walk with him, and when we’re not, it grieves him. He thinks, “My child, you were so close, I have something so much better, but you’re falling short.”
Notice that the examples here aren’t the usual sins like lust. They’re about interpersonal relationships: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking. In other words, holding resentment toward someone after they’ve wronged you, being angry about your situation in life, gossiping, and arguing. God says, “I’m so sorrowful. You’re supposed to be free, but now you’re enslaving everyone around you with your bad attitude.” If we want to walk forward past our mistakes and enjoy the liberty of Christ, we also need to embrace forgiveness toward others, “tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” The Jubilee has happened for us, but our part of it is not done. It’s easy when we’re set at liberty, but hard when we’re supposed to liberate others.
No matter where we are in life, there will be times when people wrong us. It could be people in the church who misunderstood something and spread a rumor. It could be people at work fighting for a new position who want to undermine you. It could be parents on the sports team who don’t like that your kid gets more time than theirs, or a teacher in college who doesn’t give you a break. I had a few of those in my time. We get bitter and angry and hold all this resentment. Christ set you free from your sins, but you’re not going to be free if you’re harboring resentment toward another person. If you’re still bitter or angry about how someone wronged you in 2024, I’m sorry, but your 2025 is already off to a bad start. That anger and bitterness will do you no good. Gossip will hurt your reputation more than it hurts the other person’s. In 2025 let’s remove that from us. It grieves the Spirit of God and harms ourselves. Be kind, be compassionate, and forgive. Christ set you free, so what right do you have not to liberate others?
But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Corinthians 2:5–11
This passage shows the destructive effects of resentment. Paul is talking to the Corinthians, who had a lot of things messed up, and one of their problems was that they didn’t forgive each other. We don’t know exactly what happened, whether it was a clash over this controversy or something else, but Paul says whatever has happened is enough: “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment.” Your delay in forgiving has already caused enough trouble. Holding it over their heads is punishment enough. It’s time to change. Instead, “ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him.” Yes, that person wronged you and messed up, but you ought to forgive him, and also extend comfort and encouragement. Let them know they are forgiven and that you wish the best for them. Don’t hold resentment or wish for their failure. Be Christ to them.
Verse 8 says this is how you confirm your love toward him. You cannot love someone and harbor resentment against them. You cannot love someone and be bitter against them or hold their past against them. You can only love someone if you’re willing to forgive and mend the relationship. In verse 9 Paul says this is the proof of whether you will be obedient in all things. The easiest way to test your walk with God is to see whether you’re willing to forgive the people who wronged you.
Verse 11 is the most powerful point. Why be so quick to forgive? “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” A lack of forgiveness is the easiest way for Satan to get into your life and into the church and start causing chaos. We know Satan’s traps. We know in our hearts, if we’re true to ourselves, that bitter anger and resentment will only harm everyone around us. If Satan sees an opportunity to trip us up, he’ll take it. If he can make the church look a little worse to unbelievers, he’ll take it. If he can create controversy between two members, or make you so bitter and angry that you forget to follow God today, he’ll take it. A lack of forgiveness is destructive, and Paul reasons that it’s one of the main ways Satan gets us to trip up over and over.
If we want 2025 to be a Year of Jubilee, we have to free ourselves and remain free of the entangling sin, bitterness, and anger that would wrap us right back up in the chains we’ve been liberated from. Anger and bitterness will always distract us from what is important, skew our perspective, and prevent us from connecting with others in a godly way. Lewis B. Smedes said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that that prisoner was you.” I think that might be one of the best quotes ever written, and it lines up with what we read today about being entangled in sin and forgiving others. If we want to start 2025 right, we need to forgive those we hold resentment against and mend those relationships. Only then can we truly experience 2025 as God wants us to.
Conclusion
We saw that Christ died to give us a new beginning, that God wants us to accept that freedom and also extend it to others, not only to benefit them but to free ourselves and protect ourselves from Satan’s influence. We should make 2025 a Year of Jubilee. We should forsake the sinful habits that have snared us in the past, live in the freedom Christ gives us, forgive those who have wronged us, and liberate those who hold debts against us. God wants us to experience true freedom in our lives. So the question is: will you choose to embrace true freedom today?
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