Verse-by-Verse Comments
31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;
1. As mentioned earlier, there are various ways in which the phrase, the Jews who had believed in him, might be interpreted.
Some believe that it's a polemic on the Gospel writer's part against some in the post-resurrection church of which he was a part.
Others see it as a judgment not only against those with whom Jesus had this conversation, but against those in John's church whose faith he deems inadequate.
Even if either or both of those interpretations are accurate, I see no reason not to view this as an actual historical conversation between Jesus and those of His fellow Jews who had believed in Him. Throughout the Gospel of John, we encounter people who believe in Jesus at some level. But often, they're so scandalized by Jesus' claims to be the Savior, Messiah, Lord, and God that they turn away from Him. The verses in John 8 that follow our lesson will find Jesus making among the most emphatic claims about His deity that He ever made. His point is plain: Unless we believe in Him as Savior, Messiah, Lord, and God, we really don't believe in Him.
2. continue in my word: That word continue translates the Greek term, menein. It could also be rendered as remain or abide. In fact, this is the word that Jesus used when He said:
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love... [John 15:4-9]Faith, then is more than intellectual assent. It's about an ongoing connection to the God we meet in Christ, Who fills us with new life and forgiveness, a connection that we can break or maintain.
Jesus uses this term elsewhere to talk about how He physically infuses us with life through the Sacrament of Holy Communion in which He is present and thereby maintains the connection between Him and believers:
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. (John 6:56)3. my disciples: The term translated disciples is mathetes in the singular form from the original New Testament Greek. It literally means students. (The term rabbi means teacher.) As used in Biblical culture, a student wasn't just someone who sat and took notes. He or she followed the rabbi, learning not only from the teacher's words, but also the teacher's life. Since God's ultimate aim for us is to be like Christ, being a disciple means attempting to live our life as though Christ was living it. This is only possible when we remain (abide, continue) in Christ.
32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
1. Probably no passage of Scripture is more misused than this one. It's not about telling the truth in everyday life, although God certainly wants us to do that. Nor is it about political freedom.
2. In fact, to get a handle on what Jesus means here, slip down to verse 36 for a virtually parallel statement. Jesus Himself and the word about Jesus--His life, death, and resurrection which brings new life to repentant sinners who trust in Him--is the truth He's talking about. Build your life on Him and the truth about Him and you will be forever free of sin and death.
3. But you will only know this truth when you believe in Jesus. I really identify with C.S. Lewis, writing in Mere Christianity, where he said that when he was an atheist (as I once was), he said nice, patronizing things about Jesus. He called Jesus a great moral teacher or some such rubbish. (So did I.) But, from the perspective of heaven such talk is, as Lewis rightly claims, "damned nonsense." (You can take that phrase quite literally in this case.)
Why? Because great moral teachers are a dime a dozen. You can receive all sorts of good moral teaching and you may even be able, by force of will, adhere to many laudable moral standards, but it won't make you any closer to God. You won't be free. You won't have life. You won't have a relationship with God. Those things only happen, Jesus says, through a faith connection with the God Who has authoritatively revealed Himself in Jesus Himself. As Jesus put it to a teacher of His felow Jews, Nicodemus, who had tried to laud Jesus as good while refusing to follow Him:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:16-18)To build your life on anyone or anything other than Jesus is a lie, it's spiritual and eternal suicide. Jesus is the truth that will set you free!
33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
1. Denial, as they say, is not just a river in Egypt. Almost the entire history of God's people found them enslaved, often because of their refusal to follow Him and their penchant for chasing after other gods--the deities of other peoples, wealth, conquest, power.
Click on this map to see five-thousand years of Middle East history, including Israel's constant enslavement, in 90-seconds. (I don't equate modern Israel with Biblical Israel, by the way.) (Also: Thanks to Andrew Jackson for leading me to this informative map.)
34Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
1. Very truly: Older translations of the Bible would have rendered Jesus's words here as, Verily. Literally, He says, "Amen, Amen!" We might say, "Truly, Truly!" Jesus always used these words when He was about to impart a centrally important truth. It was His way of saying, "Listen up! Your life depends on knowing this!"
2. everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin: When we commit sin, we declare our independence from God. But we also transfer ourselves into enslavement to the dominion of sin. In Genesis, God told Cain that sin is constantly crouching at the door. When we let it in, it takes control of us completely. God also told Cain that he had to master sin. That only happens when, connected to Jesus, we're set free to be the people God made us all to be: connected by love to God and neighbor.
35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever.
1. In Christ, we're made sons and daughters of the Father. We're no longer slaves, but free heirs of the One Who made us!
36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
1. Amen!
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