The Truth Will Make You Free

Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’ They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ John 8:21-32

We find Jesus struggling to explain who he is and where he is going. He tried to explain his relationship to the Father but they would not understand. I have spent much of my ministry teaching people that church leadership is all about relationship. Many have quoted me as saying, "relationship, relationship, relationship!" We love structures and programs, but the truth is in relationship. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are the foundation of all creation and all relationships. If we build strong relationships, as Jesus had with the Father and Holy Spirit, all manner of things and people can be healed, transformed and understand the truth. God is love, the basis of all relationships, our beginning, our end, and our home.

Wondrous Creator, you plant us in relationships

which we often take for granted and neglect

and you give us the strength to renew and mend them.

Too often, when we are hurting, we cut folks off

believing that they were to blame for failure

when the truth is we did not care for them well.

Help us Lord, today, to know your love and truth

make us able to always mend and heal our brokenness

so we might be able to reach our in the truth of your love. Amen.