Lesson 39: John 8:31-38
John 8:31-38
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on
him, If ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in
bondage to any man: how sayest
thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not
in the house for ever: but the Son
abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall
make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but
ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I
have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Background Information
This lesson continues an
important narrative from John 8. In previous lessons we’ve seen how Jesus has
stated that He came from God and people must either believe in Him or die in
their sins. In verse 30, just before this lesson, we read:
“As he spake these words, many believed on him.” Now, Jesus
addresses at least some of those who have begun to believe on Him. Their
reaction isn’t exactly what we might expect. Apparently their belief
never became the deep faith of the heart.
We do well to consider the
freedom Jesus offers to each of us. It isn’t a wild freedom to do whatever we
wish. Rather, it is freedom from the sinful nature that drives the unbeliever to
separate himself or herself from God. This freedom from sin is also a freedom
from the rigid laws of the Old Testament that sought to control people whose
sinful natures were still intact. That isn’t to say that the principles found in
those laws are no longer valid. Rather, it shows that we now have a new nature
that seeks to please God rather than the law-controlled nature that obeys God
out of fear. That new nature enables us to please God in ways that the law never
could.
Related Scriptures
Romans 6:20-23
Romans 7:1-6
Romans 8:1-4
Galatians 5:13-18
Galatians 5:25
Philippians 3:4-9
Questions
1.
What did Jesus say was the mark of one
who was truly His disciple (follower)?
2. What did Jesus say His followers would
know?
3. What would the truth make them?
4. What did Jesus say they would they be
free from?
5. How does freedom from sin relate to the
Old Testament laws that taught us the meaning of sin?
6. Did those to whom Jesus spoke appreciate
what Jesus said?
7. What claim did they have toward spiritual
freedom?
8. In spite of their heritage, were they
truly free?
9. What did their rebellious attitude say
about the sincerity of their faith in Jesus?
10. It is common for Christian people to struggle between the desires of their flesh and
the new
life/freedom they have in Christ. What
solution do the verses from Galatians
5 offer to
those facing this struggle?
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