John 8:31-32 English Standard Version
The Truth Will Set You Free
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
We left off yesterday understanding that the Jews of the day were being manipulated by Herod and their own religious leaders. If we can understand that this is the pre-cross Jesus then the issues of truth and freedom is directed at the manipulation and control. Truth combats lies.
The secondary concerns of the Jews of the time is these manipulations. There first concern is Roman rule. They desire the Messiah to come and reign over them.
John 18:36 English Standard Version (ESV) Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
The people’s expectations were not based on truth but rather in a poor understanding of the scriptures. Jesus spoke the truth but the people replaced His intentions with their own desires. This is why it is so important to have a proper understanding of the Word being spoke. We must never allow our own personal desires to replace true meaning.
The Jews of the day needed to have the lies they were telling themselves to be combatted first before they could come to a better understanding of the lies and manipulation of others.
The reason this was important for the people of that time was in coming to a proper understanding of what was about to happen at the Cross of Christ. If they could not see that Jesus was about to be sacrifice as their atoning sacrifice, His resurrection would be tainted by the lies that still abided in the minds and hearts of those that heard His pre-cross truth.
That being true, then the third characteristic of abide would not have its intended affect. The character of the believers would not change.