You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free

Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’ They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’

- John 8:21-32

Jesus has continued to teach in the temple throughout the Feast of Tabernacles. See the readings and commentary of the past several days for more information on the feast and his teaching as it has led up to this point (My time has not yet fully come, The glory of God, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, Go your way, and I am the light of the world). The nature of the festival with its many commemorations of the events of ancient Israel, and this tremendously important sermon with so much to teach, and its memorable quotations which are a central part of our understanding of who Jesus was, is well worth reading over carefully!

In yesterday's reading, we learned that Jesus has continued to express his relationship with the Father to the crowds, while the leadership is testing him and seeking grounds upon which to arrest him. So far, the attempts to arrest him have failed, we are repeatedly told, because Jesus' "time has not yet fully come." His identity, which he asserts in relation to the Father, is repeatedly rejected by the leadership as he speaks, and yet he continues to proclaim himself to the crowds. He continues in today's reading. We recall that in John's gospel, the term "the Jews" refers to the leadership which is rejecting Jesus' message. By the time of the writing of the gospel, those who accepted Jesus as Messiah or Christ ("Anointed One" in Greek) were highly persecuted, and had begun to call themselves Christians. The value of Jewish spirituality is always validated throughout the gospel, written by the Apostle John who was himself a devout Jew. The events of the festival commemorate the spiritual history of ancient Israel - Jesus' words and teachings are intended to shed new light, give new meaning and fulfillment, to that history.

Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”? The leadership continues to deny and doubt him. Earlier in John's gospel - as will be repeated later - we are given to understand that this is due to envy and other factors stemming from the desire to protect their position as guardians of the Law, above all else. Jesus has said that a heart that puts first the desire to do the will of the Father will recognize who he himself is. Obviously, many in the crowd do not understand what Jesus is talking about. He has already repeatedly proclaimed his origin with the Father, and those to whom he is speaking are witnesses to his miracles, especially the healing of the paralytic for which they have accused him of breaking the law of the Sabbath.

He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’ They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. The redemption, Jesus is saying, is in the ability to recognize who he is. Jesus has proclaimed in these recent days of teaching that those who know the Father know him, and vice versa. For the heart truly dedicated to the will of God, and not self-glorification, recognition, awareness of the truth of his words given by the Father, will come. "The one who sent me is true" tells us of his relationship to the Father - he is giving the people the Father's words as they are given to him. Therefore, this "true aim" and the reality of these words penetrate through relationship - through Jesus and through all whose hearts are open to hear it. This is his teaching, but they do not understand that Jesus is speaking about the Father.

So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. Jesus equates himself with the Son of Man, a title that all understand - especially the leadership which is responsible for the knowledge of Scripture. He is also validating that what he has done, and what he proclaims, is not for self-glorification, but that he speaks as the Father has instructed him to speak. Over and over again, in these teachings at the temple during the festival, Jesus has emphasized the priority of the Father's will. Do we seek self-glorification or worship the praise of men - or do we seek the glory of God? This is an important distinction we must continue to understand today as his followers. It is every bit as important for us as his audience as it was for the audience to which he was speaking that we read about in the gospels.

And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Regardless of rejection, Jesus is never alone, because he has continually been true to the Father. The Father is with him. And, we are told, many in the crowd believe what he is saying. His words have an effect to hearts that are open to them. Earlier in this series of readings from the festival teachings of Jesus, we read that the temple police, sent to arrest him, could not do so because of the powerful effect of his sermon. Throughout these readings, the Evangelist tells us that many believed and understood, even if the leadership did not.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. My study bible says in a note: "Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples (learners). Abiding in his word is not something reserved for an elite class of zealots." My study bible also notes that "freedom" here refers to freedom from bondage to sin, granted by the Redeemer through his death and Resurrection. This freedom is a spiritual freedom, and it is all concerned with relationship. How do we continue in his word? How do we continue to be truly his disciples? It is the freedom of the Son, not the slave, that Jesus teaches us. (We'll read about this in tomorrow's reading.) We are to abide in him, in relation to him and his truth in our hearts, and through this bond of love we learn spiritual freedom. These are his words that he gives us - gives to those who can receive him in their hearts. How do you receive this word? How does this truth make you free? Today these words are still with us as given in our "present time." Do we continue in his word? Do we listen in our hearts? Are we disciples with spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear? Do we put the love of God first? Think about what it means to live in that kind of freedom. All other attachments are secondary, we can live in that love and openness in the heart, and learn, and be spiritually nurtured, and grow in that light.