In the gospel story we often see Jesus casting out demons to set free oppressed people. He said that he did so by the finger of God. However, through his dying and rising Jesus frees people out of their bondage to sin, death and all the powers that enslave. All these powers have wrongly claimed authority over those whom God created for himself. They have attempted to displace God by grabbing his authority for themselves. They want us to serve them rather than God. In this way they have twisted, distorted and enslaved human life. However, Jesus dying and rising brings these powers to nothing. Stripping them of their claims over us he opens up an entirely new situation. The old order is brought to an end and a new order of freedom in the Spirit arrives.

We must never lose sight of how much this triumphant liberation cost Jesus himself. During the Passover meal Jesus spoke to his friends about his blood poured out for them. For he is himself the Passover lamb whose life poured out in blood sets us free from all the powers that enslave. That same blood also seals a new covenant in which we are free to share in Jesus’ relationship with his Father in the Spirit. Now with Jesus we give joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. (Colossians 1:12-14).