John 8:31-32 (NIV)
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Many had put their faith in Jesus as He taught at the temple. But they believed in Him for the wrong things. Some believed in Him as miracle worker, some as a prophet, and some even entertained the notion that he was the Messiah Himself.
But none yet understood Him to be the Savior and Lord of the world. They could, perhaps, be excused, because that kind of belief wasn’t something that people could arrive at quickly. But that was fine; Jesus was willing to go slowly.
Jesus began with two simple statements. First was that, in order to be His disciple, people had to hold to His teachings, believe what He was telling them, and adjust their lives to what He said. This should not have surprised anyone. From craftsmen to rabbis, it was standard practice between teachers and their disicples that the disciple had to unquestioningly obey the teacher’s commands.
Jesus had many followers, people who wanted to be near Him, to listen to His words, and to see His miracles. But He only had a few disciples, those who followed Him consistently, everywhere He led, and who had committed themselves to complete obedience. The only thing the followers could expect were fond memories of seeing Jesus perform some miracles and of hearing deliver some profound teaching.
But the true disicples of Jesus were promised more! Yes, they too would follow Jesus. They too would see miracles. They too would hear His teachings and learn about the kingdom of God. But the true disicples who actually followed His teachings, who not only gained head knowledge of Him and His ways, but who put His teachings into practice in their lives, would know the truth about God and His kingdom, truth that would set them free from the constraints placed on their lives by human frailty and a life that would only last until death.
This truth that Jesus was talking about revealing to His true disicples was not mere propositional truth, or even in-depth knowledge of the Scriptures. Instead, as He would later reveal to His disicples (John 14:6), He Himself was the truth that sets men free. He Himself is the only gateway into the kingdom of God (John 10:7). To be in relationship with Him, to have knowledge that can only come in relationship with Himself, and is to know the Truth experientially. And that relationship is the only source of true freedom.
Father, even today we have so many who are pursuing the truth, and so many who claim to know the deep truths that might even have potential to give people health, strength, and power. But there is only one who has credibly claimed to BE the truth Himself, and that is Jesus. In intimate relationship with Him, I need no other truth to be truly free. No other truth that is hawked by humans can add anything to what He reveals in Himself of the universe, the kingdom of God, and my place in both. Thank You for the truth that only exists in Jesus, real truth You have revealed to us. Amen.