.....key

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed John 8:36

While visiting a church in Mississippi, a guest was intrigued by the preacher’s announcement: “Our prison quartet will be singing tomorrow night.” Curious, the visitor looked forward to hearing a group from the local prison. But the next evening, four regular church members stepped up to sing. The preacher smiled and introduced them: “This is our prison quartet — behind a few bars and always looking for the key.”

Cue the groans — and the laughter.

It’s a clever pun, but there’s more truth in that joke than we might like to admit. The reality is, many of us live our lives feeling like we’re in prison. Shackled by guilt from past mistakes. Stuck in regret. Trapped by worry, addiction or fear.

Outwardly, it may look like we’ve got it all together, but inwardly, we’re rattling the cage and wondering if freedom is even possible. But fortunately, we don’t have to keep searching for the key. The Key has already come, and his name is Jesus.

In John 8:36, Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” He wasn’t talking about physical freedom — he was talking about something much deeper. A kind of freedom that doesn’t just take the chains off our hands but lifts the weight off our hearts.

Jesus wants to set us free from the power of sin and the false beliefs that hold us hostage. Free from the need to prove ourselves. Free from the shame that whispers, “You’re not worthy.” Free from the fear that says, “You’ll never be enough.”

Jesus opens the door not just to escape something, but to enter into something — into abundant life. A life that’s defined not by what’s behind us, but by who walks beside us. So, if you’re feeling caged in today, know that Jesus won’t wait for you to find your own way out. He will unlock the door and set you free. All you have to do is walk into the freedom he’s offering.

- alan smith

Father, thank you for sending your Son to be the key that unlocks real freedom. Show me where I’ve been trapped by sin, fear, or shame, and lead me into the life you’ve made possible. Thank you for setting me free. In Jesus’ name, amen.