And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  

 

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

 

- John 8:21-32 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn festival.  It is now the final year of His earthly life.  He has been disputing with the religious leaders in the temple, who have unsuccessfully sought to have Him arrested.  Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Jesus tells them, "I am going away."  My study Bible comments that going away refers to Christ's death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.   The expression lift up has a double meaning here.  It includes both Christ being nailed to the Cross, and also of being exalted by the Father upon completion of His work.

 

 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  My study Bible comments that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples; in other words, learners.  (The Greek word translated as "disciple" is μαθητής/mathetes, literally meaning "learner.") To abide in His word is the responsibility of all believers, it says, not only of the clergy or an elite class of zealots.

 

 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  My study Bible tells us that the truth refers both to the virtue of truth and, more importantly to Christ Himself (John 14:6).  To be free is a reference to the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies, as well as the freedom from the bondage of sin and death.  

Jesus says, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   An interesting observation regarding this verse comes in the study of the word for truth here.  It is the Greek word ἀλήθεια/aletheia.  In studying the etymology of this Greek word, one comes to understand that it is rooted in the concept of being unconcealed, unhidden -- meaning something that cannot be hidden.  In other words, this truth is reality itself.  When applied to the concept of God, it is synchronous with an understanding of the name of God, I AM, as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, and used by Jesus a little further along in this chapter, at John 8:58.  This name of God, I AM, is the foundational nature of God we're given to understand, that indicating pure being, true ultimate reality -- against which all else must be tested.  This is reality as contrasted with illusion, with lies and deception.  In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus declared, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  In other words, so true is He to the Father's will and direction, that He represents the Father to us; if we know Him, we know the Father.  This, of course, is also deeply rooted in concepts of absolute truth, for the ultimate reality -- the I AM -- is the being of God.  In the nimbus surrounding Christ in Orthodox iconography, we see in Greek Ο ΩΝ, meaning "the One that is."  This is the Hebrew Tetragrammaton (meaning "four letters" in Greek), from which we derive "Yahweh."  In John 1:18, we read, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."  The "only begotten" is Ο ΩΝ in the Greek.  Therefore, the truth that makes us truly free is coming to know Christ, and thereby also the Father and the Spirit.  To come to know true being, the pillar and ground of reality, is to become freed from illusion, deception, darkness, falsehoods, things that keep us in the dark and from seeing our way in life.  We want to be firmly grounded in reality, and in order to get there, we must know Christ and His word.  This takes faithfulness, and growth in that faithfulness, in discipleship.  It reminds us of the words with which this Gospel so clearly and carefully begins, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5).  A light shining into the darkness banishes darkness and shadow, revealing what is.  Therefore let us endeavor to align with what is, the light that shines in the darkness.

 

 

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  

 

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

 

- John 8:21–32 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, and it is the final year of His earthly life.  The religious leaders have tried and failed to have Him arrested, and He teaches the people and disputes in the temple with the religious leaders.  Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  

 

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.   My study Bible comments here that going away refers to Christ's death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.   My study Bible says that lift up has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross and also Christ being exalted by the Father upon the completion of His work.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  Here my study Bible concludes that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples.  That is, "learners" as the Greek word is directly translated.  To abide in His word is the responsibility of all faithful believers, not simply of the clergy or an elite class of zealots.  

 

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  My study Bible says that the truth refers both to the virtue of truth, and even more importantly, to Christ Himself (John 14:6).  To be free is a reference to the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies, as well as the freedom from the bondage of sin and death.  

Today's reading almost begs us to ask the question, "What is truth?"  It is a precise question which will be asked by Pilate at Christ's trial before him (John 18:38).  It's a question that many theologians, philosophers, and others have asked since the Gospels were written, and likely before even in pre-Christian societies such as the ancient Greek and Roman.  It's a modern question, too, with all kinds of answers from psychologists and philosophers to scientists and scholars of language and so many other focuses.  And it remains a question intensely scrutinized today.  There is a famous film by the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, titled "Rashomon," which focuses very much on this question.  It's the story of a violent incident, as told in three different perspectives by the characters who participated in the original act, each with their own version of what exactly happened.  Today, as battles rage around the world, the question also plagues us, especially when we ask -- if we do -- how peace is possible.  But in this conflagration of worldly problems, let us go back to Christ and His answer.  Why does He say to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  First of all, we know that the term "the Jews" is most often used in John's Gospel to denote the religious leaders.  As Jesus is disputing and teaching in the temple in Jerusalem, this seems quite possible that it refers to those among the leadership who believe in the words of Christ.   So, if this assumption is correct, Christ is directly addressing those who will be conflicted in their loyalties to the chief priests and Pharisees who by now seek to have Him arrested and plot to kill Him.  What He is telling them is to take confidence in His word, and His teaching.  For to abide in His word is to come to know the truth.  That is, the truth of who He is, the truth of what He teaches, the truth of what we find in communion with God.  He explains the integrity of His word this way:  ". . . He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him. . . I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  This is the spiritual reality of the Kingdom, the salvation which Christ seeks to open for each one of us, and for His own community as Savior.  The truth that makes free, then, is the truth from this communion that sets us apart from all else so that we have one highest and deepest and most profound priority, and that comes from the grace of God which works through faith.  This truth will set Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both members of the Sanhedrin, free enough to participate in Christ's burial, and to follow Him after the Resurrection.  It will set free the centurion who will preside over His Crucifixion, and who will come to know that He is truly the Son of God (Matthew 27:54).  It will free one of the soldiers with Him, whom we know in the Church as St. Longinus, who pierced Christ's side with a spear (John 19:38).  It will set free the feared persecutor of the Church, Saul, the one who was "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord," to become the great apostle we know as St. Paul (Acts 9).  St. Paul will write of Christ's word in which we are to abide, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  Jesus Himself will say of His word and His truth, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. . . . He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:34-39).  To find and abide in Christ's word, then, is to find something to take root in at the deepest sense of ourselves; it is to find a truth that sets us free from every other tie, settling our lives into a loyalty and love that gives us a depth within which to ground ourselves, a plumb line to His truth which marks out for us where we belong and don't belong.  Christ's word and truth give us something we can trust in, a light for ourselves and which we can share with others, so that we all might find our way through a confusing world, and one in which truth is deliberately obscured for all kinds of reasons.  Let us find the depth of what we need, in Him. 

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 

 

- John 8:21-32 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), an eight-day festival commemorating the time Israel wandered toward the Promised Land, dwelling in tabernacles (or tents).  He has been in dispute with the religious leaders, and in front of the crowds.  Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.   My study Bible comments here that going away refers to Jesus' death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  It is now Christ's final year on earth (Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, is an autumn festival).  The following Passover, in spring, will be the occasion for Holy Week.  Let us note that Christ's efforts here are not simply about "convincing" the religious authorities about Himself, but express His attempts to save them.  

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  To lift up, according to my study Bible, has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross and also of being exalted by His Father upon completion of Christ's work.  Let us note the effect of His words upon those who listen to Him.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  My study Bible comments here that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples, that is, learners.   It says that to abide in His word is the responsibility of all believers -- and not simply the clergy, or an elite class of zealots.  Let us note here that later on in John's Gospel we will be told that even among the rulers, there were many who believed in Him (John 12:42-43).  

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  My study Bible comments that the truth refers both to the virtue of truth and, more importantly, to Christ Himself (see John 14:6).  To be free, it adds, means freedom from darkness, confusion, lies, and also freedom from the bondage of sin and death.  

What is freedom?  Let us consider what that means to us.  There are many ways in which we hear the word freedom used in a modern world.  So often it has to do with wanting something, or wanting to do something.  This is the freedom to pursue whatever it is that takes our fancy, whatever it is that we think might make us happier, or change our lives in some positive direction, or give us some sort of pleasure or well-being.  In the past, it seems like there has been great struggle for the freedom to pursue one's faith, or to follow one's conscience as one feels one must do.  Of course, those two things are closely linked.  And then there is also something we must consider, especially in a modern age when so many of our resources for communication and modern media dominate and inform us in so many ways, and that is freedom of thought.  What about freedom to debate, or freedom to consider things that are outside of the box or the framework of a modern way of life?  We have guidance for fashion and what we wear, there are fashions in what to think, there are fashions and pressures in what we might say and might not say.  Freedom can be a tricky thing, because what one is not free to say or do today might be turned upon another fashion or prohibition tomorrow.  And this is where truth comes in, because, without truth, how do we know that what we follow is essential to us, or helpful?  There are so many things that demand our attention, even slavish obedience that amounts to a kind of worship.  What we need first in our lives is a sense of truth, a rootedness in what is true, and meaningful, and good.  When Christ offers us truth and freedom, He is teaching us once again about what comes first in our lives, what is central, where to begin.  When we begin with God, and with the discipleship that follows, we rest ourselves in a kind of personal struggle for what is good and true and beautiful, and we rest ourselves in that place where we may grow in love, for this is what we learn from God.  If we begin there, we root ourselves in what frees if only because delusion, darkness, and distractions are thrown into relief against the light we pursue and where that leads us.  Jesus will go to the Cross because He persists in proclaiming the truth of who He is and who God is; but His freedom is full and complete. 

 

 

 

 

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you  that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  

 

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 

 

- John 8:21-32 

 

In our present readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem in the final year of His earthly life; it is the last and great day of that eight-day feast.  This is a day on which great lamps were lit that illumined the city of Jerusalem.  Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees yet again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."   These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you  that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  My study Bible comments that going away is a reference to Jesus' death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  As Jesus has been making so many references to justice and judgment, we are presented with this clear note of what is to come, and the shadow of the Cross.  Let us note that He is still trying to save them; He warns them about where they are headed and what His mission is.  And once again, Jesus returns to His relationship to the Father, which is the source of all He does, what He teaches, and His identity as Son.

 

 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.   Here is Jesus' clear reference to the Cross; my study Bible explains that lift up has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross and of being exalted by His Father upon the completion of His work.  Let us note also that John tells us at this juncture that many believed in Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."   My study Bible comments on this verse that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples, that is, learners (this is the literal meaning of the word for disciples in Greek).  To abide in His word is the responsibility of all believers, not only of the clergy or of an elite class of zealots.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  My study Bible tells us that the truth is a reference both to the virtue of truth and, even more importantly, to Christ Himself (see John 14:6).  To be free refers to the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies, as well as the freedom from the bondage of sin and death.

"What is truth?" is the question that Pontius Pilate will ask Jesus in John's reporting of events (see John 18:28-40).  So the theme of justice, judgment, and truth is one that profoundly influences this Gospel, one upon which its events and the reporting of Christ's life continuously hover.  Jesus says to Pilate, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice," to which Pilate replies with his question.  So truth takes on different shapes and fills different "places" here in John's Gospel and in the words of Jesus.  In yesterday's reading, focused specifically on the symbolism and quality of "light," we read of the different meanings of light fulfilled in Christ that we read in the Scriptures:  the Father is light (John 1:4-9), light also may be reflected and shone to others through Christ's followers and those who love God (Matthew 5:14).  Here, we may also begin to ask Pilate's question, "What is truth?" as Jesus teaches, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  We can infer that to abide in Christ's word and teachings is to come to know the truth.  In our own experience of our faith, the deeper we come to rest in Christ's words and teachings, the longer we proceed through our lives, working out our salvation with fear and trembling, so to speak, we may find that the more we come to know Christ more deeply, so we also come to discover ourselves more deeply.  All of this covers the understanding of truth:  the things we learn about Christ and from Christ, the things we learn about ourselves, the ways in which spiritual experience in this tradition can inform and teach us about life, especially through a deepening of our prayer lives.  Truth applies directly to Christ Himself, as He teaches, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), and as He is also our way, or road, to the Father.  Moreover, this concept of truth seems to apply to the Kingdom itself, when Jesus says to Pilate, "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice."  It implies that participation in this Kingdom means entry into, and a kind of birth from, this truth which He brings to the world, manifest in Himself and in His word, and which operates as a kind of gateway to freedom.  It is not a freedom in some conventional or political sense that implies an open space without rule or order.  Rather, it is, as my study Bible explains it, freedom from the darkness of chaos and confusion, the evil that looks good but does us harm.  It is the freedom to declare oneself not a slave to the crowds, to judgment merely by appearance, to the conventional hatreds and prejudices we might find around ourselves.  It is freedom from merely seeking the "praise of men" and freedom to seek the praise of God (John 12:43).  It is the truth  of the early martyrs which enabled young women to declare they had the freedom not to marry if it endangered their souls, and loyal and decorated Roman soldiers to chose not to worship Caesar.  It is the faith that moved those who were slaves even in the ancient world to know that, nevertheless, their soul belonged to God.  It is the freedom that gives us courage to live our lives as best we can.  It is the freedom to choose the allegiance of our hearts and souls to love what is truly good, and to love the God who loves us.   This is the journey of faith, and the journey of truth.  It is the salvation we work out by working the work of God, the work of faith (John 6:28-29).  He is the truth that leads us along the way, and sets us free from that which would keep us bound to whatever gets in the way.  And that is freedom indeed.

 

 

 

 

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, but I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

 

- John 8:21–32 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is in the final year of His life and ministry.  He is at the autumn Festival of Tabernacles.  Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  Going away, according to my study bible, refers to Christ's death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.

 

 So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, but I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.    Let us remember once again that the term the Jews refers to the leadership.  My study bible comments that lift up has the double meaning both of being nailed to the Cross and also being exalted by His Father upon the completion of His work.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  The Greek word for disciples literally means "learners."   It is also a word for "students."  My study bible notes that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples, learners.  To abide in His word is the responsibility of all believers, it says, not only of the clergy or of an elite class of zealots.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  My study bible says that the truth refers both to the virtue of truth, and, more importantly, to Christ Himself (14:6).  To be free is a reference to the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies, as well as freedom from the bondage of sin and death.  

Jesus tells those who believed Him, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  It seems from the text that He is directing these words at members of the leadership.  We've already been told that there were many people among the general crowds at the festival who believed in Him, as well.  But what leads Him to make this statement?  What is the truth?  What does it mean to be made free?   Jesus' statement connecting truth and freedom is predicated upon this teaching:  "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."   So it is first of all abiding in Christ's word, becoming His disciples -- those who learn from Him --  that leads us to know the truth, and from there the truth makes us free.  What is this truth He offers?  Is it freedom from the law?  Certainly that is a part of it, although Christ specifically calls Himself the fulfillment of the Law, and that as disciples our righteousness should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:17-20).  As is so often the case, a great clue is given us by His earlier statements regarding Himself.  He tells them they will die in their sins without this faith, because where He goes they cannot follow.  So one freedom, as stated by my study bible, is surely freedom from sins.  That is, the freedom of a life where mercy and forgiveness rule.  This is only possible through a deep and close relationship with God; purely human rituals and rites cannot free us in this sense to a closeness of communion with God in which to find the kind of truth and freedom that Jesus is talking about.  Jesus emphasizes the communion of wills between Himself and the Father:  "I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  So truth is directly connected to this closeness to the Father, the One who sent Christ.  Jesus later says, "He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, but I always do those things that please Him."   So here is a key to truth.  Christ presents Himself as a disciple to God the Father, as one who will "always do those things that please Him."  To abide in Christ's word, therefore, is to do the same, and to draw closer to the Father as Christ shares communion with the Father.  This is both our truth and our freedom.  The communion of this relationship enables us to know who we are, and sets us free to be -- and to more deeply become -- the persons our Creator knows us to be.  This is the homecoming of truth and freedom,  to the place where we are deeply loved, deeply accepted, and also where we can find the correction that frees us from our illusions about ourselves, the world, and our place in the cosmos.  The light that illumines our own darkness makes us free from that darkness.  To my mind, and in my own experience, this is how we are set free.  We find that rather than pleasing the crowd, we seek to please God.  We compare the hostility of going against the groove of the world to the love we find -- even in our mistakes -- with God.  We compare that place of homecoming with the world that will penalize us for being different.  We are free to forego the praise of men and seek the praise of God instead.  In chapter 12, John writes, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (12:43).  How will those rulers who believed in Him, the ones He addresses in today's reading, come to truth that liberates and frees?  How do we get there?  

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

- John 8:21-32

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  The events at this Feast begin with this reading.  Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to the religious leaders in the temple again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.   When Jesus says He is going away, He is referring to His death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  He speaks of the mysterious relationship between Father and Son, as He did in the reading from yesterday (see above), and which they -- the religious leaders -- cannot understand.  It is important to understand in this context that He is speaking of salvation through faith in His testimony.  They will not be able to follow Him (into His Ascension), and therefore will die in their sins -- meaning with the worldly mindset they retain which refuses His testimony.  They are unable to grasp the truth given to Christ to speak to the world which He heard from the Father.  If we listen carefully, we understand Christ's attempts here are for the salvation of all, and especially for those to whom He speaks which include the leadership and also those others who listen in the temple treasury.  At His trials in the Sanhedrin and before Pilate, He will say next to nothing, except to confirm His identity as Son, for which testimony He will be put to death (Matthew 26:62-65, Mark 14:61-63, Luke 22:67-71).

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  My study bible says that lift up has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross and also of being exalted by His Father upon the completion of His work.  Jesus continually returns to the unity of the relationship between Father and Son, emphasizing that He is in His Incarnation a revelation of the Father to the world.  Note that John tells us that many believed in Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  My study bible comments that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples; this word in Greek (μαθηταί/mathetai) means "learners."    To abide in Christ's word is the responsibility of all believers, my study bible adds, and not simply of the clergy or an elite class of zealots.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   A note tells us that the truth refers both to the virtue of truth, and even more importantly, to Christ Himself (14:6).  To be free is to have freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies, my study bible says, as well as the freedom from the bondage of sin and death.

Because of Christ's words, notions and truth and freedom remain to us inextricably linked.  It's impossible to say how much influence this final statement of Jesus as He taught in the treasury has had on culture -- and remains so today.  Perhaps there are those who really don't know where such an idea became linked, and certainly within the Jewish tradition of law this understanding is also embedded.  Ironically, in Jesus' case, the whole discussion at the Feast of Tabernacles has centered around witnessing and Jesus' testimony as to His own identity and authority.  Indeed, the Gospels attach great importance to the idea that at Jesus' trial, false witnesses were called who contradicted one another (Mark 14:55-59).  But if we get into the deeper personal issues of Christ's statement about the link between truth and freedom, things sometimes get a little trickier.  On a grand scale, the notion that we can manipulate events through media and publicity -- even for a good cause -- always seems to come up.  Inevitably, lies and half-truths damage a noble purpose.  Manipulation is a tool of the "evil one."  Christ makes this perfectly clear by His own conduct, and particularly in His testimony in today's reading.  Whatever the Father gives Him to speak to the world, He speaks, and He will face the consequences.  When Jesus speaks of the "pure in heart" in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:8), He is speaking of those for whom purity is the fullness of who they are.  In other words, to use a popular expression, "what you see is what you get."  Another way this notion of purity is translated is by the word "simple," meaning unadulterated, without contradictory purpose of intention, not double-minded.  This is the term used when Jesus directs His apostles to be "wise as serpents and simple as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  Jesus' greatest criticism and condemnation of the leadership is their hypocrisy (Matthew 23:13-39).   His praise is high indeed for Nathanael, the man of great directness, when He calls him, "An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit" (also translated as "no guile"; see 1:45-47).   For the truth to set us free, it must act against ignorance -- what John's Gospel calls the darkness of spiritual lies and deceit, that which masks something to which we are entitled as human beings, and for which Christ comes into the world as Liberator and Deliverer.  It is His truth that sets us free; and moreover, as my study bible says, He is the Person who is Truth, and through Him is revealed to us the truth of God the Father and our own place in the universe.  That place is in relation and communion.  Throughout the Gospels, we are given spiritual battle as that which is waged against the one who would blind us, oppress us in slavery, grinding onerous labor, and pain.  Those who are liberated through exorcism are oppressed by demons who torment them and seek to destroy them.  The truth of Christ that sets us free is the understanding that God loves us so much that He sent His Son who will die for us, in order that we may have life, and that life in abundance.  But when we embrace this truth, it is not the promise of an easy or simple life.  Rather, we enter into a battleground and take up sides through our choices.  To follow Him may require tribulation, but also gives us freedom, peace, and joy.  The question really is whether we are prepared to take up that discipleship, to work the works of faith.  How do we do that?  As He abides in the Father and gives us the word given to Him by the Father,  so we are to abide in His word.  We are to live and cherish the truth He gives us, for it is the key to our own freedom.  Are we ready?  Lent is the time when we get down to basics, and learn who we are.  We seek to face our own darkness, and cast it off for His truth.  In the Gospels, there is one story of particular cruelty through demonic possession, of a young boy who's often cast into fire.  When the disciples struggle to cast it out, Jesus finally explains, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29).  These practices of prayer and fasting are designed to do one thing, to shore up and build our faith.  They are the traditional practices of Lent throughout the historical Church.  Let us remember at this time what these tools are for:  there are to help to make us free, to set us down where we focus on truth and cut out all the extraneous business of life that takes up our time, clogs our thinking, keeps us distracted.  Let us get down to that truth and the business of our freedom, as we seek to more fully abide in Him.

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

- John 8:21-32

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  It is the final year of His life.  In yesterday's reading, He said, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.   When Jesus says that He is going away, He refers to His death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  He refers here to His role as Judge, as Son, as the One who reflects the Father in the world and will return to the Father when His time has come.  In all ways, we can understand Jesus' attempt to save even those who do not want to hear Him.

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  My study bible notes that lift up as Jesus uses it here has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross and of being exalted by His Father upon the completion of His work.  Jesus always returns to the basic source of all of His ministry:  His union with the Father.  It is important that the Gospel tells us that as He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  We are all expected to be disciples.  In the Greek, that's a word that means "learners."  We are to be learners of His life and His way, to imitate Him in our own lives, to "follow Him."  To abide in His word, my study bible tells us, is the responsibility of all believers, not only of the clergy or an elite class of zealots.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  We note how to know the truth follows upon discipleship.  This is the truth that makes us free.  My study bible says that the truth refers both to the virtue of truth and -- even more importantly -- to Christ Himself (14:6).   Being free, it says, refers to the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies, as well as the freedom from the bondage of sin and death. 

What is truth, and what is freedom?  Jesus' truth is more than a set of teachings, as He will say in chapter 14:  "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."  This is an absolute, a way of understanding that He is the Person who is Truth.  It implies not mere relationship, but communion and participation.   At this place in His ministry, He preaches, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."   He's already using the language of participation and communion.  To abide in His word implies more than simply doing what He says and teaches.  It is the language of dwelling within a particular place, His word.  Living within it.  The word in Greek is linked to the meaning "to wait."  We are to stay in this place, to continue in it.  All of these meanings are suggested by the text.  Jesus says, a little further above, ". . . as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  If we abide in His word, then, we abide not only in Christ, but also in the Father.  This communion and participation isn't separable.  What that means is that His truth and His freedom are at once for those who are willing to dwell in that word so that it illuminates our way.  The freedom that is offered here, my study bible says, is freedom from "darkness, confusion, and lies, as well as the freedom from the bondage of sin and death."  I recently heard a video of Oprah Winfrey giving a commencement speech at Harvard.  She frequently speaks of the authenticity of being truly oneself.  But in this speech, she gave us a hint about where that authenticity really comes from; she said that in the midst of what was for her a shocking and embarrassing failure, the words of hymns came to her:  "By and by, when the morning comes" and "Trouble don't last always."  She spoke of the necessity of each person developing an internal compass, in her words, a "moral, emotional G.P.S."  Of course, she didn't suggest that the connection to the inspiration in the words of the hymns nor that internal "G.P.S." had to come from somewhere that was in communion with us, within which we abide, so that it is in that truth that we have the true freedom to find ourselves.  Neither did she mention the faith of countless people that forms the substance of how hymns come to us and have meaning for us.  Oprah spoke of reaching out in kindness to others, but there was no mention of grace, nor the thanks to the source and origin of our understanding of the depth of significance of kindness to one another.  In fairness to Oprah, she may have a strong faith life that I don't know about, but that wasn't given in the context of the speech.  To live in His truth and to have the freedom that He names is precisely the freedom to rise above whatever circumstances the world offers to us, and to say that we are not merely victims of those circumstances.  Neither are we simply people who have no choices in life but the options for "success" offered by popular culture -- or else we are merely losing out.  We have something more, in addition, in which we may live and move and have our being, and that is meant as the G.P.S. that we need.    We know that Christ will go to the Cross, and He will teach us that each must take up his or her own cross who wish to follow Him.  His wisdom teaches us that to find ourselves, we lose ourselves.   The freedom He offers is freedom from the obligation to set for ourselves the limited goals the world offers us, and to know the transcendence of His word, His meanings, His truth, and His love, and to dwell in that place, to abide in Him and in His word.  He offers us to seek first the Kingdom, whether in midst of abundance or not, and all things shall be added.  We will hear all kinds of things that sound great in this world, and be led in many directions that sound good but may be missing something important, not giving us the full picture.  His is the truth that sets us absolutely free.