It's The Truth :: John 8:31-36

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There’s a reason that today’s text is the primary Gospel reading every time we celebrate Reformation Day. It’s timeless. It speaks to the problems in Jesus’ time. It speaks to the problems in Luther’s time. It speaks to the problems in our time. It speaks to the problems of all time. It speaks so that you will know the truth and the truth will Lutheranize you ... that is, it will set you free. 

So often we approach these words of Jesus from a purely philosophical standpoint, that the truth wil set you free. We like to think like Pilate asking, “What is truth?” And too often we understand truth only in the sense of its opposition to lies. We want others to tell us the truth and nothing but the truth. We demand truth in advertising. And when our politicians speak, the so-called fact-checkers scramble to dissect one-liners to discern the so-called truth, or at least their truth. 

These are noble tasks, but there is only one truth.


Our text for this Reformation service deals with this truth. 

The word truth in our passage from John does not simply signify the ordinary meaning of the word. Siri will tell you that truth means the quality or state of being true ... a fact. But Jesus isn’t merely talking about truth. He is speaking of THE truth ... the ultimate truth, the highest truth, the truth that is of greatest importance for every man, woman, and child. 

There is only one truth. And the Reformation was concerned with THIS truth. 

WE ALL NEED ‘THE TRUTH’ THAT SETS US FREE.

Culturally, we are living in what’s known as “post-modern” times. 

The Modern era, which ran from the turn of the 20th century to just after WWII, dealt in absolutes. It was really simple. Right was right, and wrong was wrong. Right was right, and everything in opposition to “right” was wrong. It was pretty cut and dry. Absolutes speak of a truth. Absolutes are offensive and oppressive.

Beginning with the Baby Boomers, we began progressing into the postmodern era. Post-moderns believe everyone is right, no one is wrong, nothing is wrong; we’re all just different. There is no absolute truth. Boys aren’t boys. Girls aren’t girls. Life isn’t life until we say it’s life. Postmodernism is an abomination in our world. Truth has become relative. The world has turned to make truth subjective. 

Now, we all have equally valid versions of personal truths. Your truth may not be my truth, but that doesn’t make my truth right and your truth wrong. We all have “truths” (plural) ... or at least that’s what the world around you wants to believe.

If you don’t think that this lunacy I speak of hasn’t trespassed into the confines of life in the Church, of your church, of my church ... well, think again! We see this in the prosperity gospel which is no gospel at all. And it pervades decision theology. 

Would it surprise you to learn that a majority of American Christians now say there is more than one path to heaven? And of those ... 80 percent will identify at least one non-Christian religion as being an acceptable alternative! What’s more, 20 percent of Christians don’t believe in the God of the Bible. 


The world around you has been bombarding you with its anti-Christian philosophy longer than you’ve been alive. And it is not the truth. As our epistle from Paul’s letter to the Romans, the world does not know God. No one seeks for God. No one does good. No, not one. There is no fear of God before their eyes. They don’t have the truth.

Why on earth would you Christians believe there is more than one way? 

The world demands that you accept what it says is true, that there are many gods ... that his name could be Yahweh, or Allah, or even Joseph Smith. That it could be that everything or everyone is god, or that everyone is part of god. Whoever god is, they say, he is unknowable. 

So you see, every single human being needs the truth that sets you free. 


As Lutherans you should know that “this is most certainly true.” And I pray you believe it, confess it as you nod your heads in agreement to it. 

What does all this mean? Truth is, in sin we are slaves. And it is indeed a most uncomfortable feeling when we actually face the truth of our sin, when we acknowledge the truth that sin permeates every facet of our lives, that we are sinners who sin. We know that whatever the law says it speaks ... so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God.


By embracing half-truths, the world continues to embrace the lies of the garden, thinking that Adam and Eve actually embraced goodness by ignoring the truth of God’s Word. Did God really say, they were asked. And honestly, they didn’t really know the answer. They refused to abide in God’s word, his truth.

But all of you who are baptized can. 


So in the name of Jesus, repent every one of you and hear the truth.

Jesus said, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. 

Discipleship means accepting all of the teachings of Christ and remaining faithful to it. Jesus is speaking the Truth to us. He isn’t playing armchair philosopher. Rather, He’s correcting some serious theological and philosophical errors among us.  He is the truth.

And this is the truth Luther found: You who have faith in Christ ... that he is who he says he is, and has done what he has said he has done and is doing ... you are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

This is the truth that makes you a Lutheran ... I mean the truth that sets you free.

I always enjoy reading this passage in its native Greek language. Because the word we translate as set free literally sounds like Lutheran ... It is ἐλευθερόω


God so loved the world that he has manifested this truth in the flesh for the sole purpose of redeeming this fallen and sinful world and setting you free. You have been saved by grace through faith and this is not of yourselves. You have been set free to continue hearing this truth about Jesus.

Our Lord Jesus became the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. He knew no sin so that he could become sin for you on the cross. He knew no sin so that by living a life of active righteousness ... that is in perfect harmony with God ... so that God could punish sin by pouring our his wrath upon Jesus, our Lamb of God. This is the truth that sets you free. Jesus appeased the wrath of God for you. 

Now all of us who fall short of the glory of God have been justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received in faith. 

Know the truth and believe it. Confess it and preach it. Join Luther in proclaiming it boldly and faithfully, taking your stand upon it, even as you stare into the face of the Father of Lies himself.  You can’t do anything to save yourselves. Instead, God has done everything to save you. This is the truth that sets you free. He has given you new life in this truth through baptism. 


Brothers and sisters, abide in this truth. Because of men like Luther you now have the word of truth in our hands that reveals to us who God is, and what he has done for us. Listen to it. Hear it every day. Through this word of truth, God feeds you with His own body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sin. He nourishes you faith. Through this word of truth, God refreshes you through the life-giving water of holy baptism. He absolves you of all your sins on account of Christ. This is the truth that sets you free. 

Rejoice in this Truth always! 

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