John 8:12 Yeshua spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life.” 13 So the P’rushim said to him, “Now you’re testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Yeshua answered them, “Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony is indeed valid; because I know where I came from and where I’m going; but you do not know where I came from or where I’m going. 15 You judge by merely human standards. As for me, I pass judgment on no one; 16 but if I were indeed to pass judgment, my judgment would be valid; because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the One who sent me. 17 And even in your Torah it is written that the testimony of two people is valid. 18 I myself testify on my own behalf, and so does the Father who sent me.”
19 They said to him, “Where is this ‘father’ of yours?” Yeshua answered, “You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father too.” 20 He said these things when he was teaching in the Temple treasury room; yet no one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.
21 Again he told them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin — where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 The Judeans said, “Is he going to commit suicide? Is that what he means when he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 Yeshua said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 This is why I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not trust that I AM [who I say I am], you will die in your sins.”
25 At this, they said to him, “You? Who are you?” Yeshua answered, “Just what I’ve been telling you from the start. 26 There are many things I could say about you, and many judgments I could make. However, the One who sent me is true; so I say in the world only what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he was talking to them about the Father. 28 So Yeshua said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM [who I say I am], and that of myself I do nothing, but say only what the Father has taught me. 29 Also, the One who sent me is still with me; he did not leave me to myself, because I always do what pleases him.”
30 Many people who heard him say these things trusted in him. 31 So Yeshua said to the Judeans who had trusted him, “If you obey what I say, then you are really my talmidim, 32 you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered, “We are the seed of Avraham and have never been slaves to anyone; so what do you mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Yeshua answered them, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. 35 Now a slave does not remain with a family forever, but a son does remain with it forever. 36 So if the Son frees you, you will really be free! 37 I know you are the seed of Avraham. Yet you are out to kill me, because what I am saying makes no headway in you. 38 I say what my Father has shown me; you do what your father has told you!”
39 They answered him, “Our father is Avraham.” Yeshua replied, “If you are children of Avraham, then do the things Avraham did! 40 As it is, you are out to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Avraham did nothing like that! 41 You are doing the things your father does.” “We’re not illegitimate children!” they said to him. “We have only one Father — God!” 42 Yeshua replied to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me; because I came out from God; and now I have arrived here. I did not come on my own; he sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I’m saying? Because you can’t bear to listen to my message. 44 You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar — indeed, the inventor of the lie! 45 But as for me, because I tell the truth you don’t believe me. 46 Which one of you can show me where I’m wrong? If I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God listens to what God says; the reason you don’t listen is that you don’t belong to God.”
48 The Judeans answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying you are from Shomron and have a demon?” 49 Yeshua replied, “Me? I have no demon. I am honoring my Father. But you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking praise for myself. There is One who is seeking it, and he is the judge. 51 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever obeys my teaching will never see death.”
52 The Judeans said to him, “Now we know for sure that you have a demon! Avraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever obeys my teaching will never taste death.’ 53 Avraham avinu died; you aren’t greater than he, are you? And the prophets also died. Who do you think you are?” 54 Yeshua answered, “If I praise myself, my praise counts for nothing. The One who is praising me is my Father, the very one about whom you keep saying, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Now you have not known him, but I do know him; indeed, if I were to say that I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you! But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56 Avraham, your father, was glad that he would see my day; then he saw it and was overjoyed.”
57 “Why, you’re not yet fifty years old,” the Judeans replied, “and you have seen Avraham?” 58 Yeshua said to them, “Yes, indeed! Before Avraham came into being, I AM!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at him; but Yeshua was hidden and left the Temple grounds.
Notice what happens here: Truth comes, people believe, then hard truth comes. Then they want to kill Him.
Sinners hearing the truth is liberating. Believers hearing hard truth fuels hate. And hate is murder.
Anyone that sins should crave understanding that leads to repentance. But we double-down instead.
Why is that?
Think of the mentality of a slave. A slave has no authority and is always worried they will be exposed as a fraud. There is a perpetual fear that lives within them. Especially, if they have squandered what they have been tasked with overseeing.
This is even more true for a slave that has been with his master for a while. He should know better and he knows it.
A slave will convince themselves (and everyone around them) that everything is ok even when they know they have messed up.
An interesting statement is made that is a bit perplexing: They answered, “We are the seed of Avraham and have never been slaves to anyone; so what do you mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?”
Why would this statement of slavery to sin cause them to turn from salvation to murder?
“We are the seed of Avraham and have never been slaves to anyone;”
Really?
Was it a lie that they were never slaves?
No. Avraham was told directly in that his descendants would be slaves for 400 years:
Genesis 15:13 Adonai said to Avram, “Know this for certain: your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs. They will be slaves and held in oppression there four hundred years.
Throughout their existence, these people were slaves in Egypt, Babylon, and are currently under an oppressive Roman rule. Yet they claim to have never been slaves due to their bloodline.
What was it these people actually believed?
Had deception creeped into their belief structure?
Did they esteem themselves in such a way as to delude themselves into thinking they were ok when it comes to sin?
At the beginning of John 8, we see the woman caught in adultery brought before Yeshua to see what He would do with her. He then asked that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. And no one did.
So they knew they had sin within themselves but when it was brought into the open they fought it. Their pride spiked and they sought murder over humility and repentance.
This was a hard truth and they could not receive it.
Are you a son of Sarah and hence an heir of the promise?
Or are you a son of the slave woman?
Both are sons of Avraham, but only one is deemed legitimate.
John 8:34 Yeshua answered them, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. 35 Now a slave does not remain with a family forever, but a son does remain with it forever. 36 So if the Son frees you, you will really be free!
It seems that if we are to be sons, we must remove slavery. And that slavery is bondage to sin.
When painted into a corner, we can acknowledge we are with sin. But when we are told that sin has us in bondage, we fight it.
How can you be both a sinner and a son?
You can’t.
The sinner has the Adversary as their father, and the son has Abba as their Father.
And that is exactly what the Messiah is telling these Judeans.
In your life, you have likely heard the truth and you believed.
But has the hard truth come to you yet?
Can you receive correction? Do you repent openly for your transgressions?
Or had you rather lean on the status you have named for yourself?
Perhaps you have been a follower for a very long time and someone along the way has lifted you up and convinced you that you are in a good spot. Maybe that person is even you.
“Oh, of course I was a sinner. And I am super-humble about it. I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn’t overcome the really bad sin in my life. But today? Well, sure, I’m a sinner. But I’m only human, right? There is only One Man that lived without sin. I try my best and He knows that. I’ve been a believer for a long time and have dealt with my fair share of trials. I have been purified more times that I care to recount and I am thankful I won’t have to go through those things again!”
This is the reasoning of a slave that is convinced they are a son.
It isn’t about being in a good spot. These Judeans believed they were in a good spot based on their lineage.
Were they better than the pagan, oppressive, hateful Romans around them? Perhaps.
But someone that is a worse sinner than you is not evidence you are good.
Sure, you are in a better spot, but if sin is still active in your life you are in a terrible position. Period. You are a slave.
Yeshua knew this about these new believers and He wanted them to actually be free. But they couldn’t handle the hard truth.
Can you?
Can you lay down all of the “progress” you’ve made and turn mightily into the Messiah? Everyday. Every hour. Every minute.
Why are you afraid to humble yourself? Do you possess the spirit of bondage again to fear? Or is it the spirit of adoption you possess?
This is critical for you to examine.
How you answer this carries a very sobering reality.
When you cry out, “Father!”, who will hear you?
The Father of Lies? Or the Father of the One that saved you?
Forfeit your position as a slave and receive your position as a son.
We all need it.