Truth — Week 1 – Thursday
TODAY’S VERSE
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (ESV)
A few years ago, on Christmas Eve, my wife, kids, and I traveled to my grandparents’ house to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family. Due to the busyness of the day, I never checked the weather. I was more concerned about making sure we had all the gifts, food, and our kids ready than anything else.
When we got to my grandparents’ house at 5pm, there wasn’t a flake of snow on the road. But after eating and sitting down to read the Christmas story, the snow began to come down. Within half an hour, the roads were covered in snow. By the time we left, there was a significant amount of snow on the ground, but I had no fear since we were in a 4-wheel drive Jeep.
So we started off the hill, with my brother in front of me, a ditch to my right that led straight into a wall, and a massive drop-off to the left with no guardrails. Now, if you have ever driven in snow, you know the frustration of getting stuck, the fear of losing control, and, in our case, potentially driving off the side of a hill.
Anyways, we got stuck… in the ditch. I pressed the gas, but the wheels only spun faster. Instead of freeing the vehicle, I just sank a bit deeper. My brother realized what was going on and stopped to come back. Fortunately, we didn’t need a truck, just my brother's 6'6” frame pushing us out.
The truth is that I couldn’t free myself. I needed someone with more power to pull me out. That’s the picture Jesus was painting here in John 8:36 when He said: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
No matter how hard we try, we cannot free ourselves from sin. And no matter how “good” we think we are, the only hope of freedom we have is through unconditional surrender to Jesus. Bottom line: we need Him. Period.
When Jesus exposed the problem of sin, He also gave us one of the most hopeful promises in the entire chapter: freedom is possible. But it comes from a specific course: The Son. Jesus isn’t offering us self-improvement; He’s offering us rescue. The kind of freedom Jesus describes is deeper than behavioral change. It’s freedom from guilt, shame, condemnation, and the power of sin itself.
This freedom comes through what Jesus would ultimately accomplish on the cross. When He died, He absorbed the judgment sin deserves. When He rose, He broke the power sin holds over us. That means as followers of Jesus, we no longer have to live as slaves. Instead, we are invited to something entirely new: life as sons and daughters of God.
Just as I needed help out of that ditch, I also needed help out of sin. And Jesus was, still is, and always will be the only One who can provide that kind of freedom.
APPLICATION
If you are carrying guilt today, remember this promise: Jesus did not come to shame you; He came to free you. Take time today to thank Him for the truth He brings, and for the freedom He purchased through the cross. Then, listen to the song “Who You Say I Am” to reflect and pray.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for the freedom You offer. Thank You for the truth You bring. Help me to trust the work You’ve already done instead of trying to free myself. Teach me to live in the freedom You provide. Amen.