The truth will give you freedom

John 8:31-41

The Children of Abraham

³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

³³They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants^b]">[b] and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

³⁴Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. ³⁸I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.^c]">[c]"

³⁹"Abraham is our father," they answered.

"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would^d]">[d] do the things Abraham did. ⁴⁰As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹You are doing the things your own father does."
"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."

1. Main Points

Content

1. Lord Jesus explains the meaning and benefits of being real disciples to his Jewish believers (v.31-32)
2. They challenged Jesus because they didn’t understand the implications of “the truth [that] will set [people] free”. (v.33)
3. Jesus explains to them once again the meaning of “the truth [setting people] free”. (v.34-36)
4. Saying “you are ready to kill me”, Jesus is implying that He and they were from different fathers. (v.37-38)
5. Jesus and the Jews had an argument over whether “God was their Father”. (v.39-41)

Themes

1. The truth will give you freedom.
2. Two fathers, two bases.

2. Who are God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?

1. Jesus Christ, the son of God (v.36)

2. Jesus Christ, one who sets people free (v.36)
3. Jesus Christ, one who will be killed (v.37)
4. The way (words, teachings) of Jesus Christ, rejected (v.37)

3. Lessons (commands, promises, examples, rebuking, warnings)for me

1. Discerning between real and false disciples

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” (v.31)

According to this logic, if we do not hold on to Jesus’ teachings, we obviously couldn’t be called his disciples. Thus, it follows that there are real and false disciples, and the distinction lies in whether one holds on to Jesus’ teachings.

Reflection: How long have I believed in Chris? Have I sought to understand the Lord’s teachings through reading the Bible and prayer on a daily basis? Moreover, once I have understood the Lord’s teachings, have I acquired it purely as knowledge or have I taken the knowledge into action. According to Jesus’ teachings and this logic, could I be called Jesus’ real disciple?

2. Truth will set people free

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (v.32)

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (v.36)

Jesus once told the Jews who did not believe in him, “You will die in your sins.” However, to those who did believe, he gave a rather encouraging teaching, which is that simply believing is not sufficient, and that they should take a further step to hold his commands, in order to be called real disciples. Once one has become a real disciple, they would understand the truth (Jesus Christ), and the truth (Jesus Christ) will set them free.

Reflection: Do I constantly hold on to Jesus’ teachings and hence become a real disciple? Do I really know Christ (the truth), and am set free because of him (the truth)?

3. The bondage and snares of sin

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (v.35)

When discussing about “[knowing] the truth, and the truth will set you free”, the Jews who believed in Jesus felt troubled. They only considered what was physically apparent and so questioned Jesus why they would have to be set free if they have always been free as Abraham’s descendents, never having been slaves to anyone. Jesus then answered that all people who sin are slaves of sin. Clearly, sin is a snare and a bondage to people’s lives.

Reflection: Am I cleansed by the blood of Christ, set apart from the snares and bondage of sin, and am set free in the light of God’s truth? Or, am I rather burdened by the bondage and snares of sin, and am still living in darkness and suffering, losing control over myself?

4. The precious status of the son

“Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.” (v.35)

Although both live in one household, a slave’s status and that of a son are greatly different. The son is eligible for receiving inheritances whereas the slave may not. The son has an unchangeable, solid place in the family whereas the slave holds a temporary position. It follows that one may receive this “right of a son” solely through believing in Christ.

Reflection: Do I really believe in Jesus? Do I possess this precious and eternal status as God’s child?

5. Two fathers, two bases

“I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.” (v.37-38)

Jesus affirms them that he knew they were the descendants of Abraham. However, they still wanted to kill him because they couldn’t accept his words and teachings. He continues by saying that what he sees is from “His Father’s House”, but the way they conduct themselves is from “their father”.

According to Jesus’ reasoning, there are clearly two fathers and two bases. One father is God, the other is the devil. Hence, there are two bases in the world, one belonging to God, the other belonging to the devil.

Reflection: Are my words and actions consistent with God’s will? If Jesus came amongst us today, would he tell me that what he says is from his Father, and what we do is from our father?

6. Proof of one’s belonging through one’s action

“If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would^[c] do the things Abraham did. ⁴⁰As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹You are doing the things your own father does.” (v.39b-41a)

The Jews place much emphasis on them being the sons of Abraham and that God is their father. However, a problem arises. They were planning to kill Jesus Christ, clearly an action that Abraham would not do. Christ hence clarifies that they are not acting according to God’s will but rather following the devil’s plans. Hence, they are not a part of God, but rather of the devil.

Reflection: One’s actions determine one’s belonging. How do my actions define whom I belong to? To God? Or to the devil?







Translated by Aaron Tsay