The Difficulty of Faith: At the end of his public ministry, people were still divided over who Jesus was. Some believed in him, while others did not. Even some of the people who saw Jesus do things that only God could do struggled to believe. How could this be? Because faith is a battle. But Jesus didn't punish or shame people who struggled with their faith. He continued to invite them into the life, light, and love of a relationship with him. Recorded on Jan 21, 2024, on John 12:37-50 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

Well, today, we’re continuing to work through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. We’ll be finishing John chapter 12, considering the end of the public ministry of Jesus and the difficulty of faith. If you’re new to the Christian faith, you might assume that having faith in God is easy because you (what?) just believe. That doesn’t sound hard, right? It’s not what you do that saves you; salvation is a gift of God’s grace we receive by faith in Jesus Christ. But if you’ve been a Christian for a little longer, if you’ve really tried to follow the way of Jesus, then you probably quickly saw how difficult faith can be — faith is a battle. I’ve been a pastor for almost 13 years now, but I’ve been a Christian pretty much my whole life. But for years now, do you know what has had to stay at the top of my daily to-do list? It just says, “Pray.” Do you know why? Because otherwise, I forget to pray! I’ve had some incredibly powerful times in prayer. I’ve had God dramatically answer my prayers. I’m definitely the best version of myself when I consistently spend time with God in prayer. So why on earth would I forget to do something that is so helpful and powerful for me? Because of the difficulty of faith. It doesn’t come easy. Even after all these years, even with everything I know about who God is, I still get distracted, tempted, confused, anxious, or afraid. What’s going on? Have you ever wondered why faith is a battle? In our passage for today, we see the difficulty of faith, but we also see the beautiful and gracious response of Jesus. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 12:37. Let’s work through this together.

John 12:37–41 (NIV), “37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.” Ok, let’s pause here. If you’ve been with us for the past few weeks, you’ll know that we are in the week leading up to the cross. Jesus was anointed in Bethany by his friend and follower, Mary. Then, we had the triumphal entry of Jesus when he was welcomed as a king coming into the city of Jerusalem. Then last week, Justun preached on Jesus’ favorite title for himself, Son of Man. And we saw that the Son of Man title pointed to both the kingship of Jesus as the promised king of the kingdom of God and also his identity as the suffering servant of Isaiah. Next week, with the start of John chapter 13,

Jesus, the Son of Man: Self-sacrifice (not self-serving) is the way of Jesus — who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. But let's face it: a life of sacrifice sounds hard, painful even. How can we joyfully follow this difficult path? By surrendering to God and submitting to all his ways. Recorded on Jan 14, 2024, on John 12:20-36 by Justun Hart.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Jesus, the King: At the Triumphal Entry, Jesus, riding the colt of a donkey, was welcomed into Jerusalem as a king by people waving palm branches and praising God. This fulfilled numerous prophecies about the promised King of the Kingdom of God. But if Jesus is the true King — then he not only deserves our total allegiance but he changes the way we understand and use any sort of power or authority. Recorded on Jan 7, 2024, on John 12:12-19 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

Well, today, we’re continuing to work through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. We’ll be in John chapter 11 12, considering the triumphal entry of Jesus when he was welcomed as a king into the city of Jerusalem. Most Christians would be quick to say Jesus is our Lord and Savior. But what does it mean for Jesus to be our King? This question is really at the heart of the Christian life. So if you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 12:12. We’ll read through it first and then we’ll go back and unpack it.

John 12:12–19 (NIV), “12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. 17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” This is God’s word. The Apostle John starts this passage by saying it took place “the next day.” The next day after what? Well, last week, we saw the interaction between Jesus and Mary of Bethany at a dinner held in Jesus’ honor for raising Mary’s brother, Lazarus, from the dead. And Mary demonstrated extravagant honor by anointing Jesus with a very costly perfume. Jesus was really touched by what she had done. But we also saw that chapter 12 marks the start of the week leading up to the cross. Again, time slows way down for John as we get closer to the cross. The first half of John’s gospel covers about 2.5 years of time, while the second half only covers about a week. But if this is all true, then this week would be the most important week in human history. So here, the next day, six days before the cross, on Sunday morning, the great crowd that had come for the Passover festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. Let’s look at that again (v. 12).

John 12:12–13 (NIV), “12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see,

Jesus and Mary: What comes into your mind when you think of worship? Going to church? Singing worship music? In the story of Jesus and Mary of Bethany, Mary gives a beautiful picture of what true and proper worship is. When Mary anoints Jesus, it's a picture of extravagant honor with an audience of one. Recorded on Dec 31, 2023, on John 11:45 - 12:11 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

 Well, today, we’re back from a little Christmas break last week to continue working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. We’ll be working from John chapter 11 into chapter 12, considering a beautiful picture of true and proper worship in the story of Jesus and Mary of Bethany. As we begin, let me ask you a question. What comes into your mind when you think of worship? When I was a kid, I think if you asked me that question, I would’ve thought of going to church. And this makes some sense as we call this a worship service. But is worship limited to Sunday morning or whenever there’s a worship service? I think when many people think of worship, they think of worship music. And certainly, Biblical worship includes singing songs of praise to God. The book of Psalms in the Bible is a hymnal, a whole songbook used by God’s people for thousands of years in worship. But worship isn’t limited to music any more than it’s limited to a particular place/time. So, what is worship? Well, the answer is so clearly seen in our story today when Mary responds to Jesus with extravagant honor. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 11:45. We’ll read through it and unpack it as we go.

John 11:45–54 (NIV), “45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.” Ok, let’s pause here. If you’ve been with us for the past few months, we’ve seen a similar reaction throughout this middle section of John’s gospel. People are divided over who Jesus is. Some respond in faith, as it says in v. 45, “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.” At the same time, others oppose him, including those in positions of power like Caiaphas, the chief priest. Now, it’s interesting that Caiaphas made this prophecy about Jesus: That Jesus would die for the Jewish nation and also for the...

Everybody Needs Christmas: In the Christmas story, we see faithful men and women, young and old, looking forward to the birth of the One God had promised to send. One who would be the Savior of the world. But even good and faithful people needed Christmas. Why? Everybody needs Christmas because everybody needs Jesus. Recorded on Dec 24, 2023, on Luke 2:1-40 by Pastor David Parks.

Raising Lazarus from the Dead (A Sign of Life): Modern people really struggle with the reality of death. But when Jesus' close friend Lazarus died, his response has the power to change our perspective on life and death — and life after death. No longer must we mourn without hope. Why? Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Recorded on Dec 17, 2023, on John 11:1-44 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

We’re working through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re in John chapter 11, considering the seventh of the seven miraculous signs and the fifth of the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus in John’s gospel. With both a sign and a statement reflecting the divinity of Jesus, John is presenting this story as a culmination of all the evidence he’s presented so far as to the person and work of Jesus. But in this story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, we see both a sign and statement of the power of Jesus over life and death. As modern Western people, we really struggle with the reality of death. Even though we know death is real — and so much of our entertainment is obsessed with death — still, almost everyone seems to functionally live their life as if they’ll live forever. As a result, when some people get a bad diagnosis, or they hear of someone getting sick or dying, it’s not just sad or difficult; it’s like a traumatic shock they never expected in life. So, as followers of Jesus, how might we be more prepared to face the reality of death in our own lives or in the lives of our friends and family members? In our story today, Jesus faces the illness and death of a close friend. And how he responds not only reveals more about who he is, but has the power to change our perspective on life and death and life after death, forever. It really doesn’t get bigger than this. So if you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 11. We have a long passage, but it’s all one story, and we’ll unpack it as we go. 

John 11:1–16 (NIV), “1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there,

Jesus, the Son of God: The claim of Jesus to be the Son of God is a wild claim. If it were not true, Jesus would've been a fraud, and Christianity would have fallen apart. But if it is true, then it changes everything. If Jesus really was set apart by his Father and sent from heaven, he could be the rescuer and redeemer the world needs. Recorded on Dec 10, 2023, on John 10:22-42 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

We’re working through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re in John chapter 10, considering a claim of Jesus that is either crazy or a great evil if it isn’t true, but would be amazing and would be the great hope of the world if it is. And that claim is that Jesus is not just a human being but is, in fact, the Son of God, sanctified and sent from heaven. What does it mean for Jesus to be the Son of God? If you grew up in church, you might take this aspect of Jesus’ identity for granted and lose sight of how radical this claim truly is. If you didn’t grow up in church, you need to know that this is one of the most significant things Jesus says about himself. If it’s not true, the Christian faith falls apart. But if it is true, then it changes everything. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 10:22.

John 10:22–28 (NIV), “22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Let’s pause here. So, John says our passage takes place during the Festival of Dedication, known today as the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. And Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jewish people against the Greek empire about 200 years before the time of Jesus here in our passage. Hanukkah means dedication in Hebrew and refers to when a rebellion led by Judah Maccabee drove the Greek army out of Jerusalem and allowed them to remove the pagan alter the Greeks had set up in their temple and dedicate (rededicate) their temple for the worship of the one true God. Hanukkah is celebrated for 8 days with the lighting of the menorah and other traditions. And I really couldn’t have planned it this way, but just as Jesus was all those years ago, so today, we’re actually in the middle of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. Isn’t that amazing? Happy Hanukkah! Anyways, this is the setting of our story, there in the temple courts of Jerusalem during Hanukkah. And it was then and there when the people confronted Jesus about whether or not he was the Messiah. Back at the end of October, when we were working through John 7, we considered this claim that Jesus was the Messiah or the Chosen One. And back then, and really throughout this whole middle section of John, we see that people are divided over this claim. Some believe in Jesus, that he is the Messiah that God promised to send, while others do not. Some recognize the signs he was doing as proof of this claim,

Jesus, the Good Shepherd: In the third and fourth of the "I AM" statements in John's gospel, Jesus says he is the gate or entry point into the flock of God's people, and he is the Good Shepherd over the flock. These statements reveal much about pastoral ministry (shepherding) and God's great heart to shepherd his people. Recorded on Dec 3, 2023, on John 10:1-21 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

We’re working through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re in John chapter 10, considering two more of the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus. Jesus says, “I am the gate,” and “I am the Good Shepherd.” But for today, what does it mean for Jesus to be the gate and the Good Shepherd? But this teaching is such good news because it gets at the heart of God for us, his people. How do you think God feels about you? Have you ever thought about that? How you answer that question says a lot about who you think God is and probably how you feel about yourself. Do you think that God is pleased with you? Or is ashamed or embarrassed by you? Do you believe that God is near to you and wants to be involved in your life, or that he’s far away because he doesn’t care? Well, friends, you don’t have to wonder how God feels about you. Because God has revealed exactly how he feels about you in his word. And the dual images we have of Jesus being both the entry point into a relationship with God and of Jesus watching over us like a shepherd watching over their flock are two beautiful pictures of the heart of God for you. This passage also gives us a window into pastoral ministry. So, if you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 10:1. There is so much for us here.

John 10:1–6 (NIV), “1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.” Ok, let’s pause here. So last week, we saw Jesus had healed a man who was born blind. And this was a picture of our need for spiritual sight, to see what is true/real about God, ourselves, and the world around us. This healing was subsequently investigated by the religious leaders who thought Jesus was a false teacher or had done some sort of trick. They sought to disprove or discredit this miraculous sign and even started throwing people out of the synagogue for saying that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. So we ended our passage last week with the ironic situation where a blind man could see, while the Pharisees who could see were actually blind to the truth, and Jesus said as much. Here, Jesus continues this line of thought by making a serious statement condemning their leadership. This teaching starts with “Very truly I tell you…” which in John means pay attention, this is important. If you do not enter the sheep pen by the gate, you’re a thief or robber,

Healing the Blind Man (A Sign of Truth): How do we know what is true? In the sixth of seven miraculous signs of John's gospel, Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth. The gift of physical sight provides the ability to see what is true about who you are, where you've come from, what to avoid, where you are going, and so on. But physical sight points to our greater need for spiritual sight: Jesus reveals what is true. Recorded on Nov 26, 2023, on John 9:1-41 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re working our way through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re in John chapter 9 (in fact, we’re going to cover the whole chapter today which is challenging for the preacher). But today, we’re considering the sixth out of seven miraculous signs of Jesus in John’s gospel. If you’ve been with us, you’ll know that each one of these signs reveals a little something different about the person and work of Jesus. But in this story of the healing of the man who was blind from birth, we’ll see a man literally go from darkness to light; we’ll see a sign of truth because Jesus reveals what is true. Now, this lesson is more important today than ever before because we live in a world where it’s increasingly difficult to see what is true and what is not. And it’s a complicated problem. We have politicians on both sides of the aisle, desperately trying to control the narrative of reality or spin what is true for their own power or political gain. So it’s very difficult to tell if any official statement is really what happened or what’s true. There always seems to be a conflict of interest. Also, most of us live on a steady diet of social media content, where everyone shares their opinions about everything all the time, and it’s very difficult to tell if any part of this blizzard of opinions is actually true. In fact, studies have shown that lies spread up to 6x’s faster on social media than the truth because the algorithms are designed to keep people engaged on these platforms, not informed with the truth. But also, as we learned last week, the devil is a liar and the father of lies. And when he lies, he speaks his native language. And we live in a world where there’s a spiritual battle for/against the truth. As a result of these factors and many more, there’s more chaos and confusion (more darkness) today than ever before. We don’t know what’s true or who we can trust. But this truth problem has huge consequences for us. Because how are we supposed to know who we are, where we’ve come from, where we’re going, or how we ought to live? But here’s one thing I know is true: we don’t live in a universe of mere opinion; we live in a universe of facts. We don’t live in a make-believe reality; this isn’t a simulation. We live in a reality that has real substance. So, how can we know what is true? How can we know what is real? This is exactly what our passage is all about today. So, if you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 9:1.

John 9:1–12 (NIV), “1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.

Jesus, the I AM: Jesus taught that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. But the truth of his teaching brings freedom. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Authentic disciples remain in the truth of Jesus' teaching and are set free by the truth of Jesus' identity — the great I AM. Recorded on Nov 19, 2023, on John 8:31-59 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re working our way through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re finishing John chapter 8. And we’re considering the root of all the “I AM” statements of Jesus in John’s gospel. If you’ve been with us so far, you might realize we’ve covered several of the “I AM” statements of Jesus. There are actually seven metaphorical “I AM” statements in John’s gospel. So far, we’ve seen Jesus claim, “I am the bread of life.” and “I am the light of the world.” Well, today, Jesus claims to be “I AM.” What does that mean? Why is that so significant? It’s actually one of the most significant claims of Jesus in all of the Bible. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 8:31.

John 8:31–36 (NIV), “31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to [remains/abides in] it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Ok, let’s pause here. So last week, we saw the interaction between Jesus and a large crowd of people who were in the temple in Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles as well as the Pharisees and religious leaders there. And Jesus made the big claim to be the light of the world. And we saw the division his teaching was causing as some believed him while others didn’t understand his teaching or flat-out rejected it. In a similar way, our passage for today starts out with another big claim: that if you hold to (or remain in or abide in) his teaching, you are not only truly his disciples, but then you’ll know the truth, and the truth will set you free. This is a very positive statement, right? Who doesn’t want to be free? But instead of taking Jesus at his word, the people need some clarification. What do you mean, Jesus, that we will be set free? Do we need to be set free? Now, on one level, the Jewish people did indeed need to be set free. They needed political and social freedom from the Roman Empire. And the Romans were just the latest in a long line of foreign rulers. So, the people here must not be referring to political freedom. More likely, they mean moral or spiritual freedom. “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” And it is here that Jesus articulates the main problem with the world and with every one of us: “Very truly I tell you [meaning, pay attention,