"If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
John 8:36
Happy Liberation Day, Guam! Biba!
In John 8, Jesus and the Jews are having one of their many disputes. This time Jesus wants them to understand the source of absolute freedom. Jesus speaks of freedom of the soul, while the Jews want to hide behind their ancestry (John 8:31-37).
“Jesus debates His Jewish audience over the value of their ancestry in bringing them into right standing with God. Initially, the audience is depicted as Jews who had believed Jesus; by the end of the passage, they are prepared to stone Him for blasphemy (which suggests that their faith was superficial)” [1] (FSB).
Jesus understood the pride they took in their lineage (John 8:33). God had made Israel a unique nation.
“For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
Isaiah, speaking for Jehovah, said this to God’s chosen people –
“But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend” (Isaiah 41:8).
They believed that they had an automatic in with God because of their relationship by blood to Abraham and their “special people” status. If anyone could be saved, they thought they had to be. They felt this made them better than all the Gentiles. But Jesus warned them –
“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).
When Jesus said to the Jews that day –
“… If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31b-32).
They responded to Him with these words –
“We be Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” (John 8:33b).
“The Jewish people had been in bondage under Egypt and the Philistines; under Babylon, Persia, Syria, and Rome. “Was there not a Roman garrison looking down from the castle into the very Temple courts where this boastful falsehood was uttered?” [2] (Maclaren).
Interestingly, the actual issue wasn’t being under the tyranny of Rome. Jesus pointed out the real problem, their bondage to sin.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34b).
“There is another kind of slavery than social or economic slavery. Sin is a slave-master, and it is possible even for people who think of themselves as free to be enslaved in sin” [3] (Bruce).
“And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever” (John 8:35).
Jesus showed them that only the true Son will abide in the house forever. And He is that Son.
“Slavery to sin is the worst kind of slavery because there is no escape from our self [sic.]. A Son must set us free, and the Son of God sets us free and brings us into the household of God” [4] (EWC).
“If the Son, therefore.”
Anyone in bondage to sin cannot change his own condition. There is only one way to have sin forgiven, be removed from under its bondage, and become kin with God: having a genuine salvation experience by faith in the Son.
“Jesus is the true Son and seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16).
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16).
“He remains in the house and is over it (Hebrews 3:6).
“But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:6).
“People can become truly free by becoming sons of God by faith in Christ, the Son (Galatians 3:26)” [5] (BKC).
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).
“Shall make you free.”
Genuine freedom comes not from talking about “freedom” but only through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone can make you free!
“Shall make you free – Shall deliver you from the bondage and dominion of sin” [6] (Barnes).
“If The Son Therefore Shall Make You Free”
Jesus Christ is the only one with the power to free you from sin and bondage! And if He does set you free, then –
“Ye shall be free indeed.”
He will make you truly and genuinely free from your sin and bondage to it!
“If you would be free indeed, you must have the freedom that the Son bestows and become children” [7] (Johnson).
Quote: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Amen!
[1] FSB, John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 8:31–37.
[2] McClaren’s quote is borrowed from EWC – David Guzik. Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] Bruce’s quote is from EWC, ibid.
[4] EWC, ibid.
[5] BKC, Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 305. I’ve borrowed the original paragraph and added the suggested scripture texts to it.
[6] BNB – Albert Barnes. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[7] TPNT – B. W. Johnson. The People’s New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.