JOHN 8:31-59 Lesson # 18
BEING WRONG AND BEING FREE
I.? Introduction:
Note:? The Bible speaks constantly of the truth.? Jesus will later claim He Himself is the truth (14:6).? Tonight we are going to look at two words:? truth and freedom.?
Q? Does saying the truth sometimes get you into trouble?? Can you give me examples?
Q? If that is true, then what does the statement, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”, mean?
Let us look at this famous statement and the context of where Jesus spoke it.
II.? Dialogue About Freedom:? With Those Who Believe.? John 8:31-38.
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:31-32.
Q? To whom is Jesus speaking according to the introductory formula in verse 31?
An = To those Jews or leaders who believed in Him.? These are folks positively disposed towards Jesus.? Now let us watch what He does with this positively oriented audience….
Q? What makes us disciples of Jesus?
An = When we abide in His Word.
Q? What does it mean to abide in His Word?
Note:? Jesus then makes the famous promise, “…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”? Lets see how they react to such a promise….
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:33.
Q? How do they understand His promise in verse 32?? How do respond to it?
An = Defensively.? They are from a “heritage of freedom”.? They have not always controlled their political destiny (in fact they were controlled at this time by the Romans), but they always believed their faith made them free men.
Q? Did they want freedom?? Were they excited by Jesus’ promise?
Q? Do good church goers believe they really need Christ?
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:34.
Q? Do most believers really understand that sin enslaves?? How does it, can you give examples?
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:35-36.
Q? What type of son is being spoken of here, the sons of God or the sons of Satan?
An = In this case, being a son of Satan.? Jesus is coming close to saying some very offensive things here.? To stop being a “son of sin” one must become freed by the son of God.
Q? What is the source or way to becoming free?
An = Through the operation of the son.? I have met folks who will not remain in His presence and so they remain slaves.
Note:? Several years ago, we used to use a church for our youth outreach meetings.? This church was a remarkable building.? The top was were the pastor lived and the bottom was where the church met.? The kitchen on the bottom floor was used by the pastor and his wife during the week and by the church on Sunday and Wednesday night.? The front room was the pastor’s during the week and the church used it Wednesday and Sunday.? Well, we were at the church on a Thursday night and we let some of our kids go into the kitchen.? They surprised the pastor’s wife who was not expecting us to come into that part of the building on a week night.? SHE GOT MAD, and rightly so.? She lost her temper and drove us out.? As staff we saw our mistake, and so we apologized (and the kids quickly forgot about the matter, adults yelled at kids all the time).? However, the pastor’s wife felt we had exposed her weaknesses as a Christian.? Her anger so embarrassed her that she never warmed up to us again.? She was cold to us the rest of the time we knew her.? Actions, sadly remind me of myself, if I am not careful….
People, especially religious people, do not like to be exposed as having any weaknesses.
Q? Has someone or some circumstance ever showed you how really deep sin lives in you?? Did you resent them?
Note:? Watch what happens to Jesus….
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:37-38.
Q? Why are they so mad at Jesus that they seek to kill Him according to verse 37?
An = His Word has no place in them.
Q? If we abide in Jesus, what will it start to expose?
An = Can we be free, if we are not exposed?? Are their not a lot of church people that are so bound by sin that if you expose them they will hate you?
RQ? Is not a sign of our enslavement our anger at those who expose our weaknesses?
III.?? Dialogue About Fatherhood:? John 39-59.
Note:? Jesus wants them free and so He will begin to press them.? Jesus is not seeking popularity but their freedom.? So many in ministry today seek popularity and sacrifice the freedom of their people.? Lets watch Jesus go to work for them, for their best interests….
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:39-42.
Q? What do they mean when they say, “Abraham is our father”?
An = They have religious heritage.? Their origin was in the godly Abraham.? The source of their being was this man of God.? They believed they were like Abraham, they were his sons.
Q? Does Jesus believe their religious claims?
An = He does not.? Abraham sought the truth of God.? The truth of God was right in front of them and they want to silence it. ?Jesus says they have another father, another origin.
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:43-47.
Q? Is Jesus rather direct here??
Q? Who does Jesus say their source and origin is?
An = the devil, Jesus is no longer being subtle, but extremely straight forward.
Q? Why are these religious (church going) people sons of the devil, what makes them such?
An = Their own lies (about their own need of truth and need of freedom) and their refusal to hear the Word of God right in front of them proves who they are and where they are from.
A person is what a person does, not what he or she says they believe.
>>>> Have someone read John 8:48.
Q? What is their response to Jesus’ accusations about their being the “sons of the devil”?
An = They counter with bitter accusations of their own.? They call Him racial slur and call Him demon possessed.
Note:? Jesus has given logical reasons for His accusations.? Their actions have created who they are.? Their argument is not to counter His reasons, but to attack Him personally….
Q? What do we call this?
An = They commit in logic what is termed:? “Adhommenon”.? They have attacked the person because they cannot attack the logic of the argument.? Notice Jesus’ response….
>>>> Have someone read John 8:49-50.
Q? How does Jesus answer their accusations?
An = He does not even respond to the racial slur, but does open with denial of being demon possessed.? He then counters in verse 49 with His goal of honoring the Father and pointing out that they have dishonored Him.
Q? When we are attacked is it easy to seek our own honor and to give a defense of all the good things we have done?
Q? What is Jesus not seeking and why is He able to do it?
An = He is not seeking His own glory but rather the glory of God.? He is free to do this because He knows God will seek His glory and God will judge their false accusations.
Q? What therefore gives us hope when we slandered?? What can keep us free and not tied up in knots?
An = We know that like Jesus God will seek out and bring about our justification and bring justice to our situation.? This is a truth we know and it sets us free.? If we abide in this truth, we will be free from the anxiety of slander.
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:51.
Q? What is Jesus seeking here?
An = He is seeking their well being.? He is offering them the way of salvation.? When we are attacked, we cannot forget about the salvation of our attackers.? We need to be like our Lord.? Jesus does not want them to die.
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:52-56.
Q? What are they asking in verse 53?
An = Who are you?? How can you escape death and help others do so when both the prophets and Abraham died?
Q? What is the answer in verse 56?
An = Abraham was actually looking forward to Jesus’ day.? In other words, Jesus was greater than Abraham.?? Note:? This is a huge claim!
>>>>? Have someone read John 8:57-59.
Q? What is Jesus claiming in verse 58?
An = That He is preexistent to Abraham and that He is God.? Here and verse 12 Jesus is claiming to be God by use of the divine name.? In Hebrew, God is the One who is.? I am that I am or I will be what I will be.? Jesus rocked them by using the verb to be in such a way with Himself and that is why they reached for stones.? Jesus, in their estimation, had committed blasphemy.