Biblical Expressions 7

Introduction

July 4th - Independence Day - Sound of Freedom movie

But what does that mean, to be free or independent?

In ancient eastern culture, it was the freedom from enemy nations

Israel

Context - 7:1

Feast of tabernacles/booths - Sukkot

last of the fall festivals

4 or 5 days after Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

Celebration of Gods provision in the harvest

Also to remember God’s salvation and provision in the Exodus and the desert wanderings

Leviticus 23:42–43 ESV

You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Build tents or Sukkahs and live in them for 8 days

This is what is going on in John 7-8

Jesus begins teaching in the midst of this time

2 Point of interest: 2nd temple period

7:37+ Living water

Priest would go down to the pool of Siloam and get water to pour on the altar 6 days and then walk around the altar, 7th day walk seven times around altar

2. 8:12 - Light of the World

first day of the festival young levite boys would climb up large candelabras filled with oil in the court of the women and light them

the light was so bright that it was said that it lit up every courtyard in Jerusalem

Also around this time that Jesus says the truth will set you free

Read John 8:31-38

I. Slavery

Israel’s slavery - Egypt, Judges(different nations), Assyria, Babylon...

So it’s interesting in verse 33 that these Jews reply, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we will be set free?”

Forgetful?

Here is the belief it seems: is that being a descendant of Abraham undoes all wrong or real slavery

But he turns it away from physical decendancy and slavery to a deeper reality

vs 34 “Everyone who committs sin is a slave to sin.”

Romans 6:15–16 ESV

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Some thing is holding all of us captive - sin

But as human beings we don’t see we’re enslaved, unless maybe it’s severe

Most people would say the same as these Jews

Freedom as living my “truth”

II. Truth

What is the truth that sets free then?

Relative truth -

So is there one truth that can set free?

The Jews of Jesus day had the Scriptures but believed Abrahamic descendancy to be their saviour - the fall of cultural Christianity

Time and again they turned to other gods and so found themselves enslaved in both ways

So when they double down on their security and freedom because of being descendants of Abraham Jesus goes further

Their rejection of him was not only a display of their enslavement but of their true father, the devil

In other words, their rejection of Jesus as Messiah was in line with the devils character as a liar.

vs 39-47

He was/is the embodiment of anti-truth and true enslavement and they were in the same boat

They rejected Jesus - the way, truth and the life

Today: It’s all about my pleasure/happiness

These if followed through will lead to slavery

III. Freedom

Are we as humans truly free when we live our own truth?

The Jews (as a whole) lived their own lives, went their own way .

Were their lives better?

No- why else were they wanting the Messiah to come

Was freedom to be found in the breaking of Roman rule?

No because they were still steeped in hearts far from God

And so to put our freedom that of choice or rights will never set a person free

We all need Jesus

And for a true follower of Christ, it shouldn’t matter whether we have freedom of choice or rights, we are already free

Acts, Peter, James etc all give us this picture in the midst of suffering and persecution

The show and call us to live as truly free people in a sin enslaved world.

Christ sets us free:

Forgiveness

Guilt and shame

True life - faith, hope and love

Conclusion

Point: Jesus

Tabernacle was setup at that time as the place of God being with his people

John 1:14 (ESV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2. Points to the marriage feast of the lamb when Jesus will return again

Israel sages tied the sukkah to the hoopa(wedding canopy)

Revelation 21:9–10 ESV

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,

8 days long - beyond perfection - point to eternity