John 8:31-33The Truth Shall Set You Free

One of my seminary professors mentioned in class that: "The Bible is like a pool of water. It is calm enough for the smallest water bug to live on and deep enough to drown an elephant." We never cease to learn from, or to be overwhelmed by, the Scripture. It is always and fully adequate for our circumstances. Some friends and I are reading through the Gospels together and I saw something in this text I had not seen before.

The phrase "The Jews" in Scripture (especially the Gospel of John) do not refer to the Jewish people as a nation or ethnic group. They were, after all, Jesus' primary audience. When the phrase "the Jews" is used Jesus has in mind a specific sect or group of people who seemed to practice those things which they felt made them more "pure" or more "completely Jewish" than their fellow Jews. It seems that some of these attended Jesus' teachings. Perhaps they were "checking Him out".

What struck me from the text is that some of this group "believed in Him". The Greek word used here is the common word for believe or faith (Pisteuo), the same word commonly used for all Christians who come to believe in Jesus. What struck me more was their reaction to Jesus comment about knowing the truth and being set free by it. They reverted. It seems this was too much from Christ. "We are children of Abraham and have never been slaves - how can you say we will be set free?" (People who believe they are "more pure" than others are always blind to the truth). Their conviction that they were "The Jews - descendants of Abraham" and pure in their Jewishness prohibited them from following the teaching of Christ and being set free from the truth.

The next part of the text is even more striking. Jesus says, to this group whom the Holy Spirit states believes in Him, that they are trying to kill Him. They defend themselves by laying claim to their heritage, then by using their own "reason" in an attempt to disprove Jesus' claims, about Himself and them. It is in this passage (John 8:58) that Jesus makes the amazing claim that "Before Abraham was, I AM". As Jesus takes upon Himself the divine name the Jews understand exactly what he is saying and take up stones to kill him.

It is amazing. Here are people who started out "believing" in Jesus who end up with stones to kill Him. What was it that prevented them from learning the truth from Him and being set free to fully follow Him? There are many factors involved but it all boils down to their pride in who they were. This group of Jewish people were so proud of being "sons of Abraham", better sons than others, that they could not accept that they were wrong. They could not accept the truth Jesus taught and be set free.

What a lesson also for us. We often become confident in our own "rightness". We belong to the right denomination, have the right doctrine, know more about social responsibility than others, or have the right worship practice. Whenever we put our confidence in those things Jesus will challenge them. He cannot let those things stand. Just as he pressed "The Jews" about their willingness to learn the truth from Him and be set free by it, so He will also press us.

I am persuaded that the Holy Spirit was available to "The Jews" to help them repent of their pride and dependence upon their own beliefs and practices. They chose to reject the truth and the consequence was a horrible rejection of the very Messiah they claimed to be seeking.

"Lord, grant that we never be so preoccupied with ourselves that we cannot be corrected. Cause us to quickly repent when you deal with us and grant that your grace will enable us to know the truth and be set free by it. Empower us to fully serve You according to Your plan and purpose and not our own. Amen."

Shalom

Bob Goldsby

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City Harvest Church Vancouver, WA