John 8:31-36 | Reformation Day

Reformation Day 10/31/21 | Sermon on John 8:31-36 | By Brad Everett |

Today in the Lutheran church calendar is Reformation Day. That festival where we commemorate Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, which many mark as the beginning of the Reformation. It was never Luther’s intention to start a new church, and in fact he’d probably be horrified to know there are Christians who identify themselves as “Lutherans”.

The reason he’d be horrified is that this all wasn’t about him but about Jesus, and the good news of the gospel. Luther’s 95 theses weren’t terribly radical e.g. he wasn’t calling for the abolition of the pope. Rather the theses were questions he proposed for debate. And not debate in the sense of “I’m going to prove the correctness of my particular position” but debate in terms of discussion to try and come to a greater and better understanding. Luther had questions about some teachings and practices going on in the church—that from his perspective seemed to get in the way of the message of the gospel and the power of Jesus Christ.

But as we see from today’s gospel this isn’t anything new, Jesus was dealing with something similar. And if we look carefully at our own circumstances, we’ll find that not much has changed i.e. while the specifics in each situation are not identical, the basic issue remains constant. Something is getting in the way of the gospel. Something is hindering people from receiving and being transformed by the power of Christ.

In the gospel, Jesus is talking with those individuals who had believed in him. He’s not necessarily telling them anything terribly new or controversial—if anything it’s simply a fuller explanation of what it means to be his disciple.

But the terms he uses upsets his listeners. He tells them if they continue in his word they will know the truth and the truth will make them free. At first glance this would seem like great, good news—who wouldn’t want to know truth, as opposed to lies; to be free as opposed to being enslaved?

Well, to individuals who already think they know the truth, and believe themselves free, Jesus’ words, which promise change from what they know and where they are, this is anything but good news.  They’d created and fiercely held to a story that said they already knew the truth, that they were already free.

Up to this point nothing Jesus had said or done contradicted their particular world view. They understood the Lord to be confirming what they already believed. But when Jesus says something that conflicts with their story, rather than admit they were mistaken, or even stop to give thought to possibility they could might not have it all as nailed down as they suspected, they doubled down on their particular story and refused Jesus.

Even when Jesus explains what he means by slavery, that whoever sins is a slave to sin (and who hasn’t sinned, if there was no sin there would be no need for the sacrifices and offerings in the Temple) they balk. Abraham is their father, they’ve never been slaves to anyone (not even the Romans who are currently occupying their land) or anything (not even sin).

In effect Jesus is showing them their chains, he’s pointing out the dungeon they’ve stuck themselves in and offering them a better way. He’s showing them the way to a new life, he’s offering the promise of God to transform them, their lives, from ignorance to truth, from slavery to freedom.

But rather than let him take the chains, to lead them out of their imprisonment, they’re loudly proclaiming they are already free, clutching the chains tighter, backing themselves further into their cell. Rather than receive what Jesus is offering, they refuse—they refuse not just a different perspective or point of view. They refuse truth and freedom, which is sad enough, but they do so, firmly convinced of the delusion they already possess these gifts apart from Jesus. They refuse the power and purpose of the gospel, to save and set them free, convinced their delusion has already done so, when in reality they are only further entrapped, awaiting the lies to inevitably execute them.

Their protests may strike us as absurd—but they are by no means the first or the last to prefer the slavery of sin and lies, to the forgiveness, freedom and truth offered by Christ. We are guilty of the same—preferring the illusion that we can save ourselves, that we really aren’t that bad, that we can dictate the terms of salvation to suite our wishes and whims rather than simply receive it as the gift it is, trusting the one who won it for us through the cross and resurrection, will in his love work in us the transformation we need—leaving us changed more into the image of Christ.

Why would anyone refuse this gift described in today’s lesson? I suppose the excuses are as varied as the people offering them up, but suspect that at the bottom it comes down to pride and fear—pride which won’t allow one to admit they don’t know as much as they’d like to think or they’d like others to think, and fear which would rather remain in in familiar misery than risk the unknown even if it’s God Almighty who promises it will be better.

Well, maybe it just comes down to fear, because an aspect of unhealthy pride is the fear of being seen for who you are, rather than the image you’ve created for yourself and others.

It says in 1 John 4:18 perfect love casts out fear—God offers his love, he doesn’t impose it.

But to those who would receive and live in it, he offers forgiveness, freedom and truth. Yet we remain tempted to place our faith and hope in things other than Jesus. Maybe it’s in our own strength, in our successes, even perhaps in having the right theology or holding to the correct doctrine—in short to trust in anything other than Christ to deliver us from death. This is what reformation truly is about—a call to keep us focused on Christ and call us back to place our hope only in him and the promises his gospel makes to us in love.

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Pr. Brad Everett

Calgary, AB, Canada

e-mail: everettsts@gmail.com