A group hunters from the lower 48 hire a float plane and fly out into the Alaska bush to go caribou hunting, just as they did the year before. During their hunt, they are successful, and take 6 large caribou. As the pilot returns to pick them up, he tells the men that only 4 caribou can come on the plane, due to weight restrictions. The men argue that they were allowed six last year, (who would have guessed these guys were from the lower 48) and eventually the pilot wanting to get going, gives in. They take off, and a few minutes later….the plane goes down, and they crash! As they climb out, one hunter asked “ Hey Bubba, do you know where we are?”. Bubba replies, “ Yeah, I think so…looks like the same place we crashed last year!
First I want to note as we get into our passage today is this: Sin is much more pervasive in our life than we want to let on. And I mean, as believers, we are held captive by sin – much more than we would like to admit. And worse we return to our sin, and are constantly surprised by the outcome.
Underneath everything that Jesus is saying this morning, lurks the sin in our lives and this sin holds us back. Jesus is very clear about this: 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And then in verse 34, 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Let’s take a poll: When you hear the words of Jesus - Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” How many think of this in the context of being said to unbelievers?
(I bet ya there will be a lot of hands up)
But did you notice, Jesus is speaking , not to unbelievers ---But to believers.
Open you bibles and look – verse 31, 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him…did you catch that? Why do we miss that? Jesus is talking to those who believe, not pagans, heathen. But church going, upright, trying to live for God believers, you know, just like us.
Here is a curious thing to note: If Jesus is speaking to believers than why does he say in verse 46, If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?
They are believers, who Jesus accuses of not believing. How can that be? And even more curious, he tells these believers that their father is the devil. And they sure don’t take that well…What in the world is Jesus trying to get across to these people? What is Jesus message for you and me this morning?
Last week we talked about how we get all wrapped up in the endless problems of life. How we, through our faith in Jesus, work with God to address life’s issues and by doing so we never get where Jesus wants us to be, because the next problem to be addressed comes up, and we need to deal with it.
Remember we asked – what are you hungry for? Spiritually that is. Jesus told us in chapter 6 of John, the work of God isn’t doing stuff. No, its Believing, just believe in me, says Jesus. But you know, you have to admit – Jesus was a little vague. Did you feel that way after the service last week? I hope so, because there is more to it.
What, in a practical way does Jesus mean, believe in me? I think today, in John 8 he addresses that question. Let’s look at what our Lord Jesus says about this….
Believers who are not free...again, we see in verse 31 that Jesus is speaking to believers. People who are following him as rabbi, teacher, even the Christ. Yet though they believe, these believer’s are enslaved. This is quite curious, because if we believe in Jesus we are set free…Well what does verse 32 say? 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus is saying that we need to believe in the truth here, but didn’t he say in John 6, believe in me? Which is it Jesus, do we believe in you, or in truth?
Sounds contradictory doesn’t it? But it is not. Why? Jesus is the Truth.
When Pilot asks the famous question what is truth? Remember Jesus stands before him and they have this conversation, John 18:37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 38 “What is truth?”
Pilot asks in a philosophical way, essentially saying that truth is slippery, and men will make up whatever definition suits their current agenda. I think he has a valid point We see this in every political ad produced. I loved it last week, watching TV, and the political ads come on, one after the other - All contradicting each other. Isn’t this what Pilot is speaking of?
But that is not where Jesus is going. He is not talking philosophy. He is saying – either it is, or it isn’t
So in this context – either you have truth or you do not. Not variations of the truth, or your own personal definition of the truth, but – it is true, or it is not – no middle ground, or slippery stuff.
So what about Pilot’s question, what is truth? Well Jesus gives us a definition….sort of...Actually, he give us the consequences of Truth.
Verse 35b – the believer’s ask: How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
So he tells us the truth. What is the truth? – well if you don’t have it you are a slave.
Notice in verse 33 they don’t get it. They immediately think Jesus is speaking of human enslavement, and they claim they have never been slaves. Because in the Roman World they are free, but technically – as a people – they were slaves, they don’t realize they are still enslaved. Jesus is paralleling the exodus of the Hebrews from slavery to freedom to the exodus from the bondage of sin to freedom. In both cases we see this: God makes it happen; There is belief and paired with that belief is the action of following.
In Egypt God clearly makes the Exodus happen. The Hebrews believe – for they see miracles around them. They take action – they follow Moses. But then….We see that though they were free from Egypt
They spent 40 years in the desert – why?Because of their sin – remember the whole golden calf thing. Sure they believed in God...among other things. Our actions have consequences.
The accident ----
A woman and a man are involved in a car accident. _It’s a bad one. Both of their cars are demolished but _amazingly neither of them is hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, Wow, just look at our cars! There’s nothing left, but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days." The man replied, "I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God!" The woman continued, "And look at this, here’s another miracle... My car is completely demolished, but this bottle of Jack Daniels didn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this whisky and celebrate our good fortune." Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, throws his head back and takes a couple of good swigs and then hands it back to he woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man. The man said, "Aren’t you having any?" She replies, "Nah. I think I’ll just wait for the police..."...
So is it - they believe, but they really do not believe? The Hebrews in Moses day, like the believing Jew in Jesus day, are free, in a physical sense, but are enslaved in a spiritual sense and Jesus tells us this is because of our sin.
Here in America we have the same confusion. Of anyone on the planet earth – who are more free than Americans? Of anyone in the USA – who is more free than us here in Alaska? This weekend is Veteran’s day weekend and being in the middle of a war makes veteran’s day even more poignant. We again realize how free we are. We again see the tremendous cost of our freedom, but the freedom we celebrate on veteran’s day – as wonderful as it is…is not the freedom that Jesus is talking about – is he?
Faith based upon heritage.
In verse 33 we see the believer’s make an odd claim in response to Jesus accusation that they are free – not slaves because of their parents. They have a Godly heritage, they come from a long line of believer’s - Their thinking is this: We have lived our lives as believers,
And so have our parents, And our grandparents – as far back as we can remember, give us a break – what else could God want?
2Pet. 2:19b ….for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
Jesus wants their actions to verify their belief. We verify our belief with actions everyday without thinking of it. Everyday we cross bridges all over town – most fairly small. Because we have faith in the integrity of the bridges. We act on our belief by crossing them. Jesus is essence is telling the believers here: Yes you believe in me, but you are not acting upon that belief, but are relying on your heritage to verify your belief.
Father of Lies.
Jesus goes on to tell them, in fairly stark terms, that they cannot depend upon their history of family belief, hat in fact they have fooled themselves, Jesus know this because, as he says in verse 41, 41 You are doing the things your own father does.”
Now he calls their father the father of lies, but the action they that reveals then for who they really are, is sin. Jesus is arguing against not good enough to voice your allegiance to Jesus. Jesus wants disciples. These people who Jesus is addressing are not his 12 disciples. The believe Jesus, but they don’t follow. Furthermore, their sin holds them back from following. Their sin enslaves them – so they cannot follow.
We as modern day Americans have the same tendencies in two ways.
1. Christian upbringing
2. Empty promises
As pastor, over the years
I have seen a number of folks claim all kinds of rights & privileges in the church because they are from a long line of Christians or that their family have been members for generations, their relatives were elders, founding members, pastors, very generous donors; heir family has given a lot, served Christ in many ways, so they deserve to reap the benefits. Well, the fact is the Scriptures speak about sons and daughters of God - They never speak of grandchildren of God.It doesn’t matter who you are related to, or what they have done for Jesus, even if it is Billy Graham. Because God judges each of us on our faith separately irrelevant of who we are related to, and for many of us, with the relatives we have – that is a God send.
If your family has followed Jesus Christ for one hundred years – well thank the Lord! What a tremendous mercy he has had upon you. Listen carefully to the words of Jesus here – When it comes to your faith – it is you and only you. So the question isn’t how was your relative’s faith? It is how is your faith?
Finally empty promises – and this, I think brings us back to what Jesus is trying to get across to us in this Scripture. The great eighteenth century theologian Jonathan Edwards dealt heavily with this issue
In the context of true revival. The church in his day was seeing tremendous growth, but the lives of many of the new people had not changed at all. With many it was as if there was no conversion.
Jonathan wrote - The convert does not merely rationally believe that God is glorious, but has a sense of the gloriousness of God in his heart … there is a sense of the loveliness of God’s holiness.’’ He defined faith in these terms: total response to Christ, of one being in Christ. The people who Jesus is speaking to are people who confess Jesus with their lips but not with their hearts. The results are easily seen by Jesus, who can see into people’s hearts– they are enslaved by sin, and though they believe they do not follow and their faith is empty.
Now we will continue to sin, but that is not the same as being enslaved by sin
Jonathan Edwards spoke of this a consistent emergence of the fruits of the spirit. Not constant but consistent, over a period of time, Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, Gal. 5:23 Meekness, temperance.
The consistent emergence of these in our lives is an indicator of the kind of believe that Jesus is speaking of here when Jesus says believe in me. He doesn’t mean just say so. He means say so, and following up with actions that show a changed life.
My the mercy of the Lord Jesus be upon us all today - Amen
