Freedom

July 2026

By: Donna Chisholm Schoening

“Freedom” is a very interesting word and concept to me because the word itself is like an oxymoron. The word contains the word “free” but I can think of nothing that is free. 

It is a well known fact that the freedoms we have in America have been paid for many times over. Many people have shed their blood and given their lives for the freedoms that we enjoy today. They have paid the cost for our freedoms. 

Everything we have in life costs someone something. We spend money when we go grocery shopping to buy the food we desire or need. It costs us money when we fill our cars up with gas. If we were to buy a new outfit, we would have to pay the store for our purchase. We pay for our utilities. Even when we live in a residence where utilities are included, they are factored into the amount of rent that is paid. If we aim to be more healthy, it will cost us something. We will have to eat a healthy diet and exercise. 

When debt is “forgiven” it is still costing someone something because it is either absorbed by the entity to which the money is owed or redistributed for someone else to pay. The debt is not really now “free”. 

Even relationships are not free. They cost us something. Regardless of how much we love the other person, enjoy being with them and desire to do things for them, it still costs us. We “pay” with the currency of time, effort, and emotions. 

Every benefit costs someone something. For example, my employer offers various benefits to employees. Some of these benefits are paid exclusively by the employer and some are a shared expense. None of the benefits are truly free to both parties. 

Jesus Christ paid the highest cost for our most precious freedom, freedom in Him. He is the only One that could have paid this cost. No one else qualified because it had to be a sinless, perfect sacrifice. No one else met the criteria except for Him. 

Jesus had resided with God in heaven prior to coming to earth as a baby. Everything in heaven was perfect. There was no sin, evil, sickness or pain. Surely, Jesus must have enjoyed this perfect place. UNTIL…

God created mankind because He desired to have a relationship with them. God loves us so much that He created us knowing what it would cost Him. God knew before we were created that we would fail, sin, and be in need of a Redeemer. Paul tells us that before the foundations of the world, God had a plan for us in Christ Jesus. It is truly amazing to me that even though He knew the cost He still followed through with the creation of mankind.

2 Timothy 1:9   who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 

Jesus, the very Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, left His heavenly abode to come to earth as a baby. There is no indication that He was born into a wealthy family or one with status. Afterall, when they went to Bethlehem for the census they had to stay in the stable causing Him to be laid in a manger when He was born. God could have given Him any family He wanted yet chose this family. This particular arrival caused Jesus to be rejected by the Jews because they were anticipating a king and not a baby born in a manger to commoners. This alone cost Jesus more because He was rejected since He was not who or what they thought He should be. 

Luke 2:7   And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Jesus’ siblings did not believe Who He was. I cannot begin to imagine the pain this part of our freedom cost Him. He came to save us from our sins and yet His siblings did not believe in Him. 

John 7:5   For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

All of these costs for our freedom happened even before one of His chosen twelve disciples betrayed Him for a mere thirty pieces of silver. Judas not only betrayed Jesus but he went to them to offer the deal and then sought out the opportunity to betray Jesus. I’m confident the details of the betrayal significantly increased the cost of pain for Jesus. 

Matthew 26:14-16   Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Judas betrayed Jesus with a prearranged strategy–a Kiss. He used the symbol of love and affection to betray our Lord. We know this cost Jesus some level of hurt because He commented to Judas about being betrayed by a kiss. 

Luke 22:48    But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Jesus endured a mock, illegal trial. The chief priests, elders and all of the council sought false testimony against Jesus. While He was on trial, people were lying about Him. Jesus had NEVER sinned, never told a “white” lie nor did anything wrong and yet people are lying about Him. I wonder how much pain and anguish this cost Him for our freedom. 

Matthew 26:59-60a   Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.

They stripped Him, they mocked Him, and they slapped Him. They flogged Him, they ripped out His beard, and they spit on Him. They tortured Jesus. This was all part of the cost Jesus paid for our freedom. 

Matthew 27:27-31    Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied that He was marred more than any other man. This was all done so that we could have freedom in Christ and He paid the price.

Isaiah 52:14   Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man,And His form more than the sons of men;

After all of this, Jesus was crucified among criminals and took the place of a murderer to be crucified that day. He hung on the tree while people continued to hurl insults at Him. He died in the anguish of physical pain but likely the sin of the world on His shoulders and separation from His Father caused much more pain. He did all of this for our freedom.

Matthew 27:35, 38,39-40, 44, 50   Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Jesus endured all of this so that He could pay the price for our freedom in Him. He paid this exorbitant price knowing not everyone would accept freedom in Him. But this is not the end of the story. Jesus rose from the dead three days later conquering death and the grave. After His resurrection, He ascended to heaven where He is seated by God the Father every interceding for you and me. It still amazes me and brings me great peace and comfort knowing that the same Jesus Who was willing to pay so much for me sits at the right hand of God the Father praying for ME.   

Romans 8:34   Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25   Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Even though Jesus paid such a high cost for our freedom in Him, we must accept Him and believe in Him before we can experience that freedom in our life. 

John 3:16   For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

My prayer is that even as we experience and celebrate so many wonderful freedoms in America we will also come to believe in and accept Jesus so that we can experience freedom in Him.