175 Anniversary – Christ With Us is the final in our series. This Sunday also lands on the celebration of the Reformation. This Sunday we looked at the freedom Jesus won for us. John 8 is the account of Jesus sparring with the Jews.
Touchy Subject
Talk about touchy, 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants a and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Does it strike you as terribly naive to think that your ancestry, your job, your gifts and abilities – that all these things give you freedom? The Jews had a very noble ancestry. They were descendants of kings. They were God’s chosen people. They worshiped at God’s temple. They were to receive the messiah. Their Father was Abraham – they’ve never been slaves. What could they be freed from?
Memory Lane
We don’t have to think too long to remember a time when the Jews were enslaved, held captive, and oppressed. Does Egypt, Moses and the parting of the red sea jog the memory? Does 70 years in Babylon ring a bell? How about the hated Roman legion overlooking the temple mount? The children of Israel have a humbling history of oppression and slavery. How could they be so blind, we wonder?
Slaves to Sin
Jesus’ response to their puzzling claim shows that he is more concerned with a different kind of captivity. It was time for the Jew to hear the truth and it would hurt. 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you Anytime you see the phrase, Verily, verily or I tell you the truth, what come next is very important. everyone who sins is a slave to sin. The statement is so simple we might miss the scope of Jesus words. Jesus is condemning the whole human race. Earlier in chapter 3, just before Jesus tells Nicodemus John 3:16 – God so loved the world – he said the flesh gives birth to flesh. Back in Genesis God created Adam in his own image – that is Adam was perfect, but after he fell into sin, he had children in his own sinful image. Every child born since that time has been born sinful. Everyone is a slave to sin. A Roman philosopher Seneca challenged people like these Jews Show me anyone who is not a slave. One is a slave to lust, another to greed, a third to violence, all alike to fear.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s message taken from our series, 175 Anniversary – Christ With Us.
Book(s): John
Series: Christ Through Us
Tag(s): End Times
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg