Pastor Tom Johnson, October 30, 2011
Jesus is speaking to the Israelites. He tells them if they continue to believe his teaching, they are on the road toward freedom—a truer and deeper freedom. But their response is that they don't need freedom. They are already free. “We are descendents of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone,” they say. It's hard to understand how the people of God could be so confused—“never been slaves to anyone,” really? Even on the surface this seems hard to believe. “Descendents of Abraham,” you say? Abraham's great grandson, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. A generation later, all the daughters and sons of Abraham are slaves in Egypt. For four hundred years they suffered the injustice of slavery and bondage.
Every year, the Israelites celebrated Passover—the story of Exodus when God sent Moses down to Egypt to charge Pharaoh to let God's people go. Every Sabbath day, the Jews retold this story that began with slavery and ended in emancipation. And not only is slavery a reality in their history, it is a reality in their current circumstances The people Jesus is speaking with may not be making mud bricks under the Egyptian sun, but they are under the dominion of Rome—forced to serve and pay tribute to a foreign master. So, if they cannot acknowledge slavery in their past or need for freedom from tyranny in the present, imagine how difficult it will be for Jesus to convince them that their slavery runs even deeper than political and physical bondage.
Jesus says, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”. This type of slavery—bondage to sin—is not only the true condition of the Israelites, the descendents of Abraham. It is the true condition of every human being. You'll remember that long before Abraham, Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. In that very first generation of human beings, we were threatened with bondage to sin—the dominion of evil. God saw it coming even before anyone else. Cain was falling prey to temptation and sin. God warns him, “Sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you.” “Sin wants to hunt you down, Cain. Like a skillful predator, sin wants to catch you, dominate you, bind you, and eat you for breakfast.”
This very first mention of the word “sin” in the Bible speaks about it as something that wants to overcome us and maliciously take control of our lives. Sadly, Cain did not listen to God’s warning. And like a slave obedient to his own broken condition, Cain murders his brother Abel. “Very truly,” Jesus says, “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Not only are we perpetrators of evil when we sin, we are also victims as well. It certainly does not mean that we can wash our hands in innocence when we sin, but that we should understand that we have a deeper problem in our lives beyond just the outward act of sin.
It’s not an easy or comfortable thing—looking into the mirror of Jesus’ words and seeing just how vulnerable we are to sin. It takes a lot of courage to acknowledge that we are prone to wander and be overcome by the power of sin. It takes courage, but ultimately it is God himself who helps us break free. It is from this understanding of the depth of the fallen, human condition that Jesus is trying to speak. Jesus is not trying to drive us into further guilt and despair; he trying to help us see how deep and wide our need for grace is.
Jesus is speaking out of compassion for a people who need liberation—people who seem unable to recognize their own bondage and servitude to sin's tyranny in their lives. And here is the encouraging thing about facing our darker sides: once we understand how deep and wide sin can penetrate our lives, we will also be prepared to see how deep and wide our salvation is in Jesus Christ.
This is the great rediscovery of the Gospel that we celebrate today—the clarity and simplicity of the good news of Jesus Christ. If we are not clear on sin, we will not be clear on forgiveness, grace, and salvation. The bad news is that we are captive to sin and we cannot free ourselves. The good news is that we believe and trust in someone who is greater. And that someone is Jesus who died and rose again to defeat all our enemies and even sin itself.
It is only by the great Liberator and Savior Jesus—by grace through faith alone that we can live the God-pleasing lives he calls us to live. And along with this freedom from sin, we have the assurance of forgiveness and certainty of eternal life. “If you continue in my word,” Jesus says, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Today, Jesus promises to hold sin's power and dominion at bay by the power of his Word in the Scriptures. And the day is coming when he eliminate it once and for all.
With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.
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