“30 As Jesus was saying these things, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ 33 They 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’? 34 Jesus answered them, 'Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill Me, because there is no place in you for My word. 38 I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.
39 They answered him, 'Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, 40 but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are indeed doing what your father does.’ They said to him, ‘We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.’ 42 Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. 44 You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.’
48 The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ 49 Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and He is the judge. 51 Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps My word will never see death.’ 52 The Jews said to Him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps My word will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ 54 Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, He of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ 55 though you do not know Him. But I know Him; if I would say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him and I keep His word. 56 Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that He would see My day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ 58 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I Am.' 59 So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple’” John 8:30-59.
So after Jesus just finished a masterful teaching about who He truly is, He then speaks to the “Jews who believed in Him”, Jews who will soon try to kill Him for what He is teaching. What irony! And yet these words of Jesus are also meant for all of us, for we sometimes separate ourselves from the teachings and the person of Jesus because we don’t like them or Him. We saw this already in John 6: “61 But Jesus, being aware that His disciples were complaining about His teaching about the Bread of Life, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65 And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’
66 Because of this many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him’” John 6:61-66. And yet in this teaching Jesus claims that what He is teaching is true and will free people from sin: “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” John 8:31-32. But “the Jews” misunderstood Jesus, believing He was speaking to them about political freedom, which is why they responded to Jesus in these words: “33 They answered Jesus, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do You mean by saying, ‘You will make us free’” John 8:33?
Dear friends, Jesus is speaking to them about the spiritual nature of freedom. Because He is the only real Son of God He alone can free them by freeing them from sin. “34 Jesus answered them, 'Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the Son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed’” John 34-36. But Jesus reserves His most severe remarks when he tells them that they are not of God. And Jesus should know because He is the only One who has come from God! So Jesus tells them they are from the devil who infiltrated the Garden of Eden and introduced death into the world through sin. The devil is the father of sin and death and he is their reason for not knowing God and recognizing the truth. Jesus told them: “You cannot accept My word…(for) 44 you are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me” John 8:43-45.
Dear friends, this is a stunning teaching of Jesus reported by John. But I am struck so powerfully by these words of Jesus: “If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” John 8:31-32. To continue in the Word of God is to continue to live each day in prayerful reading and meditating on God’s Word — and continuing to LIVE each day in humble obedience to God’s Word. Make that Your prayer today, and ask the Lord to bring you to quiet prayer and reflection. Pray that you will spend the remaining days and hours of your life obeying Jesus.
Oh dear Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner. Oh how I wish to continue in Your Word for the remainder of my life. I repent and pray that You will bring me back to You. For I love You and wish only to be your humble and faithful disciple. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
From the Bible:
“And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” 1 Samuel 15:22.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” James 1:22.
“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” John 14:23.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7.
“And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it” 2 John 1:6.
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