John 8:33-38 ESV
33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
33 Sumagot sila sa kanya, “Kami'y mula sa binhi ni Abraham, at kailanma'y hindi pa naging alipin ng sinuman. Bakit mo sinasabing, ‘Kayo'y magiging malaya’?” 34 Sinagot sila ni Jesus, “Katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo, ang bawat nagkakasala ay alipin ng kasalanan. 35 Ang alipin ay walang palagiang lugar sa sambahayan. Ang anak ay may lugar doon magpakailanman. 36 Kaya't kung kayo'y palayain ng Anak, kayo'y magiging tunay na malaya. 37 Nalalaman ko na kayo'y binhi ni Abraham; subalit pinagsisikapan ninyong ako'y patayin, sapagkat ang salita ko'y walang paglagyan sa inyo. 38 Sinasabi ko ang mga bagay na aking nakita sa aking Ama, at kayo, ginagawa naman ninyo ang mga bagay na narinig ninyo mula sa inyong ama.”
DECEIVED
The Jews were slighted upon the implications to what Jesus had said. That, by not believeing Jesus they were not free. They claimed that are free always and has never been enslaved since they were children of Abraham. It's mind-boggling that they could claim to have ‘never been enslaved to anyone.’ Have they ignored or forgotten their history? Besides, were they not aware that they were under the Romans during this time? Clearly, it is their inability to recognize their enslavement to sin.
Thus, Jesus had to explain to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.” Jesus did not deny that they were sons of Abraham by lineage but not by faith. They were deceived. They did not think that killing Jesus is murder, did they? Interestingly, Jesus used the phrase translated as "truly, truly," or "very truly." This is from a doubled use of the Aramaic word amēn. In many cultures today, it is usedin prayer to suggest a hope that the words will be fulfilled, or that they are true.
Only the true sons of Abraham are not practicing sins. As John in his epistle has explained, “ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” [1 John 3:4-10]
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