Lessons from John 8: Jesus is the Source of Truth and Freedom
Jesus is the Source of Truth and Freedom~John 8:31-59
To the Jews who had believed in Jesus and the truth of His words, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
What Jesus was saying was if you truly believe, if you are truly my disciples, learners, your actions will prove it. And in your belief and your actions you will experience true freedom. Freedom from sin, freedom from the lies, and freedom to be who you were meant to be in Christ Jesus. But some responded by saying that they were Abraham’s descendants. They had never been slaves to anyone. So how could Jesus say that these could be set free?
The truth of the matter was that they had been slaves. Had they forgotten about their slavery in Egypt? The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and their current oppression by the Romans? It appears that their hostility blinded them to reality!
Yet the freedom that Jesus was talking about was not earthly freedom, but rather spiritual freedom. Freedom from sin and the penalty of it!
Scripture teaches us that the wages of sin is death. For an unrepentant sinner, death would not wipe away their rejection of Jesus Christ! No, rather they would carry that rejection of Christ and the weight of their sin into eternity, which is called hell! Yet for the believer, the one who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the penalty of their sin has been paid through His life giving blood that was shed on the cross. Thus, when a believer dies, they simply pass from this life to eternity. There they will meet their Savior face to face and remain with Him forever and always!
Now that, my friends, is true freedom!
And Jesus stated (verse 36) that if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed. Free from the penalty and the burden of sin!
Can I hear an AMEN?!
Yet, Jesus conceded that indeed they were physical descendants of Abraham, but they were not children of Abraham. For children would have followed in their father’s footsteps and believed in the same God Abraham believed in. Therefore, spiritually speaking, they were acting more like their father the devil.
These men were guilty of breaking so many of the laws that they were held responsible to teach and uphold. They were liars and they were about to be counted as murderers. The religious leaders hated Jesus, His teachings, and His followers. They plotted to kill Him because He did not fit into the mold they thought He should. Therefore, Jesus pointed out the fact that if God was not their spiritual Father, the devil was.
It’s plain and simple, as Jesus points out; there is no other way! It’s either Jesus or the devil! It’s either heaven or hell! There are no other ways! That’s it, no matter what you or any others would like to think!
Jesus went on to state in verse 42 that if they truly were God’s children, they would love Him as God’s own Son and accept the truth about Him. Yet the truth of the matter was that the reason they could not believe and were unable to hear or understand what Jesus was saying was because they were not of God. Rather, they were of the devil. And their language of lies and desire to murder Jesus was proof of their spiritual hearts.
Now, in their anger, they hurled insults at Jesus, calling Him a Samaritan or half-breed. They accused Him of being demon possessed. Jesus stated that He was not possessed by a demon, nor was He self-seeking. Rather, He came to honor His Father who sent Him. And whoever believes and lives by His truths would never see death.
Though a believer dies a physical death, absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Believers simply exchange this life for our life in heaven where we will reside with God forever.
At this, verse 52 tells us, the Jews became infuriated with Jesus and His claims. Again, they falsely accused Jesus of being demon possessed. They taunted Him by asking if He thought He was greater than Abraham who died along with the prophets! And then they asked, “Who do you think you are?” Jesus replied to their accusations again by stating that He had not come to glorify Himself. He had come to honor His Father whom they claimed was their God, though they knew Him not.
Jesus went on to say that He knew the Father and that Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing His day. Abraham saw it and was glad.
Scholars are not sure what this phrase about Abraham meant. It could be a reference to the fact that Abraham had hope beyond physical land promises and was looking forward to a spiritual fulfillment at a future time. For we read in Hebrews 11:10 that Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. Or it may be a reference to Abraham’s faith that God was a God of resurrected life (Genesis 22 or Hebrews 11:17-19).
Whatever the case, these religious leaders were not getting it! They questioned how Jesus could have known Abraham since Jesus was not even fifty years old and had never seen Abraham. And Jesus responded by proclaiming to them and everyone there in the crowd, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!”
These religious leaders and the people would have been very familiar with this statement. God had declared before Moses and the people back in Exodus that He was and is the great I AM! He is everything!
Jesus is the Life, the Resurrection, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Living Water. He is all there is and all there will ever be!
The question is, who do you say Jesus is? And does the way you live your life prove your words, your heart, and your actions are true?
Believing the truth about Jesus Christ brings freedom from sin’s falsehood and control.
A true disciple of Jesus Christ walks in the light of His truth and aims to live an upright life before Him and others.
Is this true of you? If not, what will you change as a result what you’ve read here today?
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach