He Is The Truth That Sets Us Free Series

Who Is This Jesus?

8. He is the Truth that Sets Us Free

John 8:31-36

October 30/31, 2004

Don Jaques

MAIN IDEA: All people can be liberated from slavery to sin by following Jesus.

OBJECTIVES:

• People will understand that they are slaves to sin outside of Christ, and will feel a need for deliverance.

• People will desire the freedom that comes from placing themselves under Jesus’ discipline (becoming a disciple).

• People will understand the progression for deliverance from sin that Jesus teaches in John 8:31-36.

• People will feel new hope for overcoming sin in their lives, and will be inspired to follow Jesus more closely.

INTRO:

REALITY ACCORDING TO HOLLYWOOD:

• All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.

• The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place.

• Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.

• It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting.

• Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds—unless it’s the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside, in which case it can be opened by simply kicking it.

• All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they will go off.

• Medieval peasants had perfect teeth.

• It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts; your enemies will patiently wait to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

These are kind of funny – but we all know that what we see in the movies and on TV is not real. It’s a pretend reality.

What is dangerous, however, is when we live our lives as if a pretend reality were the real thing. When, either because of ignorance or simply not wanting to be reminded – we fool ourselves into thinking our lives are really different than they are. What we’re going to learn from the gospel of John today is that some of us think we’re free when we’re really slaves, and some of us think we’re slaves when we could really be free. What we need is the TRUTH about who we really are.

Who is this Jesus? He is the TRUTH that SETS US FREE.

In the beginning of this chapter, Jesus offers grace and forgiveness to the woman caught in adultery. Then the next time he teaches he gets into a very heated conversation with the Jewish leaders about his claims to be sent from God, and to be God’s Son. But not everyone was arguing with him, for as we pick up the story in verse 30:

30Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.

31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33They answered him, "We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Who is Jesus? He’s the truth who sets us free from sin! Great news – but what does it really mean, and how does it work? Lets pull apart these few verses to get to the bottom of these questions.

HOW TO BE SET FREE FROM SIN

1. Recognize you are a slave to sin. (v. 34)

In the middle of this teaching about how he can set them free, the Jews interrupt Jesus and say, "We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

In other words, they said, “We don’t need to be set free, Jesus! We’re already free!”

The Jews WERE in bondage – they were under Roman rule – only free to the limits that the Roman authorities had placed on them. They were in denial. But Jesus wasn’t talking about national independence or personal freedom. He was talking about the state of their souls. Without Him, he was teaching, they might think they are free, but really they are enslaved to sin – to thinking and behaving in ways that are against God’s perfect and good plan for our lives.

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.

Citation: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet and dramatist (1749-1832)

This is precisely the plan of our adversary the devil. He lures us into thinking that we are “FREE” when really we’re enslaved to the evil desires and our fallen nature. We think – “I’m free, I can do anything I want” – but really we’re in slavery to the results of that kind of freedom. Pain. Brokenness. Separation from others. Eternal separation from God.