John 8:31–36—Sunday’s Gospel speaks of the freedom we find in the Truth
of Jesus Christ. All of us were born into slavery—the slavery of sin. But
Christ has set us free from our bondage by His atoning sacrifice. The One who
declares, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life tells us here that the Truth
shall set us free. The Truth has set us free: the Truth which embodied in
Christ Jesus and the Truth which He declares to us in His Word. We are free,
indeed!
Jesus offers
discipleship and freedom to those believing 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.”
The previous verse tells us that many believed in Him (John
8:30). Jesus spoke to those who had that beginning of belief, telling them what
they needed to continue in belief.
If you abide in My
word, you are My disciples indeed: If we will be Jesus’ disciples, we must abide in His word.
There is no other way. To be a follower of Jesus – the Word made flesh – is to
abide (to live in, to dwell in, to make your home in) His word.
This too is another statement reflecting the unity between
the Father and the Son. Jesus called men to abide in His word. In the mouth of
anyone other than Jesus, these words would be absurd.
You shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free: This is the result of abiding in the word of Jesus. We
prove ourselves to be His disciples and we know the truth, and God works His
freedom in our life through His truth. The freedom Jesus spoke of doesn’t come
from just an academic pursuit of truth in general; but from abiding in His word
and being His disciple.
There is nothing like the freedom we can have in Jesus. No money can buy it, no status can obtain it, no works can earn it, and nothing can match it. It is tragic that not every Christian experiences this freedom, which can never be found except by abiding in God’s word and being Jesus’ disciple.[2]
Collect for Friday of the week of Pentecost 19: Thou hast brought us to this place, O God, by al our several ways, ever keeping faith with us, for all our unfaithfulness. God before us still, we beseech Thee, by Thy Word and Spirit, leading us from this day forth where it shal please thee. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen [3] -28 October, 2022[1] Luther’s Seal © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[3] Collect for Friday of the week of Pentecost 19, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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