The Truth that Sets You Free

The Truth That Sets You Free

John 8:31-59

 

Illus. Which is it?

 

This morning we continue through John chapter 8, and in the section of Scripture we cover this morning, Jesus will speak of truth seven times. The section is set off by verses 31 and 32, and in verse 32, we get what is likely the most famous statement Jesus gave on truth, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:32 is a well-known, and often quoted verse; however, the verse is often misapplied and quoted out of context. Many universities use this verse as their school motto, their guiding principles, or beliefs…For example, it is the campus motto at schools like Johns Hopkins University and the University of Tennessee. At the University of Texas at Austin, you will find this verse engraved at the entrance of their main building, and at the University of Oregon, on the exterior over the two main entrances to Knight Library, you will see “You shall know the truth…” over the east entrance, and over the west entrance, “and the truth shall set you free.”

Though the statement is in fact truth when taken in context, without the context, you will miss the meaning of the text. Universities apply this text to their research, to their academic learning, and personal enlightenment…. But this is not what the verse means. Jesus was telling those who were beginning to believe Him that in order to be His true disciples, they were to believe His word, and they would know the truth, and the truth would set them free! Jesus was speaking of the freedom that comes personally when you believe His Word and He sets your soul free! Jesus is talking about freedom spiritually.

 

Read: John 8:31-32

 

From verse 31, Jesus was speaking to those who believed Him. In verse 30, we were told that many had come to believe IN Him, in Him. In the verses before that, we are told that there are people there who are against Him, and even some who want to kill Him. In other words, there are varying levels of belief amongst the crowd. And Jesus, in the midst of questions and conversations with those who are against Him, speaks to those who believe some things about Him, but were not yet true followers of Him. He wants them to know what it means to follow Him, what it means to be a true disciple of Him.  That is when Jesus gives the first step to being truly set free both for those listening and for you and me, “If you continue in my word, then you are truly my disciples…”

 

1. Select His Word as the Source for Your Course

 

• The word used for “continue” is the Greek word menō, which means to remain in, abide in, to hold onto, or not depart from.

 

• Jesus is pointing to those who are truly His disciples.

 

• He says “if” you continue in My Word, then you are truly my disciples…

 

• The word “if” is a conditional word, if you do this, then that.

 

• Disciples, true disciples, authentic followers, are found true, if they continue in His Word.

 

• Those who belong to Jesus, then, have His word as the source for their course.

 

• In Matthew 4:4, Jesus quoted the book of Deuteronomy and said “man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

 

1 John 2:24, As for you, see that what you heard from the beginning remains in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

 

• Jesus is looking at those in the crowd, some who were believing IN Him, some who were believing Him, some who were skeptical and other who were critical of Him.

 

• There were many postures toward Him, but Jesus states clearly posture of those who receive freedom and life from Him…Those who continue in His Word.

 

Illus. Parable of soils.

 

• As Jesus continues in verse 31, we know why it is so important that we continue in His word, and the reason is, it is how we will know the truth. If you continue in my word, then you will know the truth…

 

1. Know that it will tell you the truth…

 

• Truth is defined by an absolute standard by which reality is measured. Truth is God’s view on any subject.

 

• When it comes to the truth that sets you free, it is of foremost importance to know where the truth comes from.

 

Illus. The source of truth.

 

• The Bible tells us that our God is the God of truth (Psalm 31:5, Is. 65:16, Psalm 31:5).

 

James 1:17, Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

 

Numbers 23:19, God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

 

• In John 1:14 we are told that Jesus was full of grace and truth.

 

John 14:6, I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

 

• In John we are told that the Holy Spirit will teach us in all things and bring to remembrance what Jesus has said and guide us into all truth (John 14:26;16:13).

Psalm 119:89, Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. (NIV)

 

Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

 

Matthew 24:35, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

 

John 17:17, Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

 

• That word “sanctify” is to be set apart. And there is no question that continuing in God’s word and walking in His truth, will surely set you apart.

 

• Jesus says, it’s truth will not only set you apart, but it will set you free.

 

• Jesus’ words will guide you to the truth, that without Him we are bound up in Sin, but we have the opportunity to be set free by Him!

 

• This is where there is a shift in the conversation. Jesus give an incredible truth, that freedom can be found when we truly believe in and follow Him, but many who were listening to Him thought they had freedom apart from Him.

 

John 8:33-36, They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

1. Make sure that it is received by you…

 

• The response to Jesus’ offer of freedom for them was met with their believe that there weren’t and had never been enslaved, “We are Abraham’s descendants, how is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

 

• They are looking at their situation, as children of Israel, as Abraham’s descendants and saying, “we aren’t enslaved, we aren’t in bondage, we have never been bound up by anyone…

 

• One review of biblical history will tell you that they are forgetting some important history. They were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Throughout the book of Judges they were enslaved to seven different nations, they were taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., they spent 70 years in Babylonian captivity, and as they spoke these words to Jesus they were in submission to the power of Roman rule.

 

• They are looking at their situation with the belief that they were free, they were never enslaved…But they weren’t nationally free, and they surely weren’t spiritually free.

 

• When it comes to the truth setting people free in our world presently many, like those speaking to Jesus on that day, don’t believe they are in bondage or bound up.

 

Illus. Freedom?

 

Isaiah 53:6(a), All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…

 

• Jesus again turns to their spiritual reality, “those who commit sin are slaves to sin” (vs. 34)

 

Romans 3:23, all have sinned and fall short the glory…

 

1 John 1:8-9, If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

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

 

• When God’s word is our source, we not only understand our situation, but we understand that the only way out is found through Him.

 

Illus. Seeing clearly.

 

• The truth that sets us free is learned when God’s word is the source we select.

 

• Jesus didn’t just say the truth will set you free, He said “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

• In other words it is not simply the truth somewhere out there that will set you free, it is rather, the truth that you know that will set you free.

 

• In other words, if you don’t know the truth, you can’t be set free.

 

• “You will know” is one Greek word, ginōskō which means to learn to know, to come to know, to get knowledge of, or become acquainted with.

 

• As you continue in His Word, you continue to learn to, you continue to gain knowledge of, you turn to and come to know the truth.

 

John 8:37-41(a), I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.”

 

• In verse 37, Jesus makes it clear that His word has not place in them and that is clearly seen because of what they are seeking to do, which is kill Him.

 

• He then point to the things He speaks to, with are the things He has seen with God the Father.

 

• Then He says they are doing the things they heard from their father and directs the attention to the fact that if the truth that sets one free, when continued in and received, has an effect on one’s deeds.

 

1. Let it be your guide in all you do…

 

• As Jesus turns the attention to their deeds, He is going to circle not only their deeds, but their direction.

 

• First, Jesus says that their desire to kill Him was a pretty good indication that His word had not place in them.

 

• Then he says that the things they are doing are what they heard from their father.

 

• They respond by saying “Abraham is our father,” and Jesus makes clear, they are not doing the deeds of Abraham!

 

• In Genesis 15, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. In Genesis 18 when three messengers from heaven came to visit him, he welcome and received them.

 

• Here Jesus is saying, you might be Abraham’s descendants physically, but you are not his descendants spiritually.

 

To cherish murderous intentions against someone who has imparted the truth of God to them is not the mark of the children of Abraham.”

 

• Jesus says, I came and told you the truth and you are seeking to kill me, this Abraham did not do!

 

John 8:41(b)-47, They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; we have one Father: God.”

 

• They are point to Jesus’ parents. We looked last week at how Jesus was born of a virgin and the rumors had been swirling since that day.

 

• The conversation is centered on who belong to who, who is their father…They attack Jesus’ lineage and then say that God is their Father.

 

• And Jesus responds by giving them a spiritual paternity test of sorts…He tests their fruit by looking at the facts of their lives!

 

John 8:42-47, Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I say the truth, you do not believe Me. 4Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

 

• Jesus saw their murderous intent and made it clear, that is not from Abraham, and it is not of the Lord, rather, it is from their father the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning.

 

• If they belonged to God, they would love Him (42), they would listen to His word (43), they would believe Him (46).

 

•  But they were doing no such thing, and Jesus says, your desires are the desires of the devil. He is a murdered, and a liar, the father of all lies, and when he lies he speaks from his own nature.

 

• What is the opposite of truth, lies. The enemy wants to lead you into lies, the Lord wants to lead you into truth…As Jesus drills down, He drills down to two sides, the truth and lies.

 

• Add this to the list we referenced last week You are either standing in the truth, or lies, you are walking in the light, or your in darkness. Your either dying of thirst, or you have the living water, you are either working for food that perishes, or food that endured to eternal life. Jesus drills down to the most important question…

 

• The people can say whatever they want, but the truth about their lives is seen through their lives.

 

John 14:21, The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me…

 

Illus. Test the Fruit, Matthew 7:15-21.

 

John 8:48-59, The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. You have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.

 

• The accusations and wrong conclusions continued toward Jesus. They continue with name calling, but Jesus circles back to the truth He was presenting to them, even though they weren’t listening…

 

John 8:51-57, 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone follows My word, he will never taste of death.’ You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you; but I do know Him, and I follow His word. Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”

 

• As they continued the name calling, all the questioning, all the wrong conclusions, arguing, unwilling to listen.

 

• Jesus again tells them the name they need to know…

 

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

 

• “I am” is two Greek words put together “egō” and “eimi.”

 

• Those hearing Jesus say this would have understood Jesus’ words as declaring that He is God.

 

• The first time the phrase was introduced was in Exodus chapter 3. Moses was given mission to deliver the children of Israel. God spoke to him from a burning bush that was not burning up.

 

• The Lord told Moses that He had seen the oppression of His people and had hear their cries. He was going to send Moses to Pharaoh, and the Lord would use Moses to deliver them from Pharaoh’s hand.

 

• As Moses gets ready to go, asks the Lord His name so that he can tell the people… “What will I say when they ask who sent me?”

 

Exodus 3:14, And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

 

• In the Septuagint (when the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into ancient Greek), it is the same phrase “ego eimi,” used of God only that Jesus applies to Himself.

 

• Jesus was applying this as a title to Himself, unless you believe “I am.” In do so, without any other description to His title or name, He was attaching Himself to the name of God, known as the tetragrammaton, YHWH, often transliterated Yahweh, the name of God, that was so sacred the Jew refused to pronounce it.

 

• Jesus said, if you don’t believe that egō eimi, you will die in your sins.

 

• Jesus tells them who He is…But this was their response to Him.

 

 John 8:59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.

 

Illus. What will your response be to the truth that can set you free?

 

 

 

John 8:31-59