John 8:37-38 - Lesson #89

The conversation between Jesus and the Jews turned to the topics of freedom, truth, sonship, and the word. Jesus tied all these together as He stated that those who would abide in His word would know the truth and be made free (John 8:31-32). Apart from the declarative testimony of the life of Christ as recorded in His word, we have no ability to know the truth about God which leads to eternal life. Without God revealing Himself through His Son, we would forever remain "a slave of sin" (John 8:34).

But God did not leave us as a hopeless slave, He sent His Son; "if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to be set free. There is nothing we can ever do to free ourselves. But what does this actually mean? Set free from what?

The first freedom we have been granted is the freedom from condemnation; "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). This is freedom from the condemnation of sin which is an eternal death; "life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). This freedom grants us eternal life. But we have also been made free from the daily slavery of sin.

Before Jesus makes us free, sin has mastery over our life. We are a slave of sin and routinely present our body in obedience to sin. But when we are made free we are given to a new master; "having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:18). Jesus made us free to live each day in holy worship; "so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness" (Romans 6:19). But the Jews believed they were already free because of their heritage from the line of Abraham.

John 8:37-38
"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."

Jesus acknowledged their ancestry but made it clear that this does not yield freedom. They had not abided in His word, did not know the truth, and had not been set free. And the validation of what Jesus said was demonstrated in their desire to put Him to death. The words of Christ came directly from God, but the deeds of these Jews came from "your father the devil" (John 8:44).

We have been set free because of Christ. Our eternal as well as our daily freedom is because of Him. Let's praise the One who has made us free. Let's allow His word to fill our heart and freely give Him every moment of our life as a sacrifice of holy worship.