Title: Jesus sets us free!
Text: John 8:31-36
Facebook live: Jesus sets us free!
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
I’d like to highlight 5 words that Jesus speaks at the beginning of our gospel reading for today, as we observe the Reformation of our church.
Abide, Word, Disciples, Truth, and Free,
Jesus tells the believing Jews in our Gospel today who had been following Him that:
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.”
To be a disciple is to be a follower of Christ. One who is connected to God’s very words and who abides in them. Who hears the word with the intention of following or obeying which is one, who accepts and acts in accordance with the word of God.
In our Gospel reading for today Jesus tells the Jews and you and me as well:
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Today truth can be anything you want it to be.
Truth can be defined in the world today according to our feelings.
Truth is no longer objective, but subjective and defined as “My Truth.”
Many blindly follow the edict of subjective truth or fear getting cancelled.
Whether it’s the redefinition of marriage, multiple genders of identification, or other societal norms that are being challenged against Natural Law and reason, the victim of this culture shift is truth and free speech has become hate-speech for many if My Truth is violated.
In the 1950’s a favorite TV show was “Father Knows Best”
Today, Father knows nothing, isn’t needed, and has been canceled.
In the 1960’s Time Magazine asked the question “Is God Dead?”
Today’s answer, “God isn’t dead - because God is me!”
But in the time of the Reformation, the freedom and liberty of the gospel is what Luther craved. It is what he searched for and why he became a monk – thinking that being locked inside the walls of a monastery, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimages, and frequent confessions would keep him away from sin, the world and of the devil.
But sin is who we are.
Sin is the cause of a perfect creation being corrupted.
Sin askes the question, “Did God really say?”
And then Sin answer’s that question “No!”
God’s word says: 4 … “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female.” Matt 19:4
Sin answers: No!
God’s word says: 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.” Ex 20:3
Sin answers: No!
God’s word says: 13 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.” Psalm 139:13
Sin answers: No!
In Luther’s day the church took money for the forgiveness of sins. It was called buying an indulgence. Luther was tormented by sin. How could he a sinner stand before God how could he find peace?
His reformation came in the word of truth in Jesus Christ the son of God when he read in Romans 5:1:
5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We need a new reformation today.
We need a return to objective truth.
We need to honor and value life at all stages.
We need repentance and forgiveness.
We need Jesus, who came to pay the price for sins of the world and set us free from this bondage of death.
33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Martin Luther writes:
“Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend--it must transcend all comprehension.”
He continues:
Thus Abraham went forth from his father and not knowing (where he was going). He trusted himself to (God’s) knowledge, and cared not for his own, and thus he took the right road and came to his journey's end.
Behold, that end is the way of the cross.
That end is the way of truth.
That end is a new reformation.
Luther writes:
You cannot find it yourself, so you must let (God) lead you as though you were a blind man. (So), it is not you, no man, [no woman, no living creature, no “My Truth” no feelings] but (Christ) Himself, who instructs you by Word and Spirit in the way you should go.
Not the work which you choose, not the suffering you devise, but the road which is contrary to all that you choose to contrive or desire--that is the road you must take. To that, (Christ) calls you and me and in that - you must be my disciple.”
― Martin Luther
Saying in essence: Hear me! Listen to me! Abide in me! Follow me!
Friends, the Reformation is now! It’s the time to Abide in God’s Word, as Disciples of Truth, who follow and proclaim that truth and are set Free by it!
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
The objective truth is that we are all bound to sin and its cravings.
We desire to do the will of our sinful nature which is in opposition to God’s will and as a result you and I fall short daily.
The world says, “Listen to me, deep down you are a really a good person!” when the truth is: deep down we are sinful.
The more you get to the core of who we are in our fallen human condition the more you see the sinfulness of man, corrupted to the core from the beginning by our first parents Adam and Eve.
But Jesus reminds His hearers: To Listen to him! Hear his word!
35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
The freedom for the sinner is found only in Jesus.
That was the joy that Luther found and what we celebrate in the Reformation. In Christ, true freedom from sin is possible and true liberty for we who are bound with the chains of guilt and despair is broken.
Christ has set free those who could not free themselves by his own binding.
The binding of His flesh to the cross in your place
The shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of your sin
A death worthy of a criminal for you and I who are guilty and the burial in a tomb meant for another …
In Jesus’ case … Joseph of Arimathea, for it was his tomb where Jesus was laid.
But, that tomb and that death WAS meant for you!
Jesus took your place,
He took your cross,
He took your death,
And He took your tomb and He made them what you couldn't …
Life, freedom, liberty, salvation and forgiveness
Hear the truth!
Salvation is all of God and not of man.
That is the message of the Reformation.
Luther restored the gospel truths about Christ and His merits that had been lost, covered by sin in the church and the focus on earthly rulers, once again by shinning the light of the gospel on Christ’s work, for you.
Because Jesus came to live, suffer, die and rise again for you … because of Christ and His merits … because the Son has set you free … you are free indeed!
We need to hear it again. We need it daily. We need Jesus!
May the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be and abide with you now and forever.
In the name of the Father and of the Son+ and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
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