When folks engage in a debate, it is generally understood by unbiased listeners which of the participants is acting appropriately and who is not. Moreover, as long as the debate is conducted about matters that are generally understood by the bystanders, they who stand by and listen will also realize who has the better argument, and who does not. As Jesus and the Jewish authorities engaged in their debate over the identity of the Messiah, the people were able to understand that the Pharisees were being obnoxious in how they treated Jesus. They, not Jesus, engaged in slurs and didn’t conduct themselves in a serious manner. Jesus, on the other hand was always serious, and even replied to their slurs without descending into similar speech. He also had the better argument, using scripture correctly, and these folks, remember, were religious folk, pilgrims who took their faith seriously. Therefore, many of them who were paying attention to the proceedings began to trust in Jesus (John 8:30).
In the preceding series of debates, the general public, who witnessed it all, oscillated between belief and unbelief. It all began with them supporting the Jewish authorities, mimicking them by saying Jesus had a demon. Moreover, those who came from the Diaspora wouldn’t believe the authorities sought to slay Jesus (John 7:20), but the locals knew better (John 7:25). The tide of belief went one way (John 7:31, 40-41a) and then the other (John 7:41b -42) among the multitude. Nevertheless, the trend toward unbelief was probably due to the murmuring and prodding of the Jewish authorities within the crowd (cp. Matthew 27:20; Mark 15:11). Therefore, when the people once again expressed belief (John 8:30), but among them were seen some of the Jewish authorities (Jews in the text; John 8:31a), Jesus confronted them, vis-à-vis the authorities, saying: “If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine” (John 8:31), where both you and my are emphatic. However, if they did continue to believe him, they would know the truth, (John 6:44-45) and the truth would set them free (John 8:32). So, even though their belief was somewhat suspect, Jesus treated them as though they did actually believe.
Once confronted, these same authorities claimed Abraham as their father and denied they had ever been in bondage to any man, so how could Jesus set them free (John 8:33; cp. verse-37). Obviously, the nation was in bondage in Egypt and once more in Babylon and even at this very time, the Romans ruled over them with a heavy hand. So, either these men were really ignorant or they referred to something else as bondage. In other words, they must have had spiritual bondage in mind, meaning they believed as Abraham believed and no one was ever able to take their faith from them. Many had tried to cause them to embrace foreign customs, but no one had ever succeeded, which on the face was true, but a deeper investigation would yield another opinion.
Once again Jesus took their reply seriously, and, since he didn’t correct their idea of bondage, we can assume they weren’t referring to physical bondage. Therefore, Jesus addressed their true intent, spiritual bondage, saying “whoever practices sinful behavior is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Up to this moment, they had been persecuting him (John 5:16) and seeking his life (cp. John 5:18; 7:25; 8:37). Would they continue in this behavior?
As the debate continued to take a spiritual turn, Jesus reminded the Jewish authorities who trusted they enjoyed a secure spiritual position, in that Abraham was their father, that Abraham had two sons, one free and the other of the bondwoman (Genesis 21:10; cp. Galatians 4:30). The son abides in the family forever, the servant does not. Abraham sent Ishmael and his mother away, for he would not inherit with Isaac, and Jesus applied these events to himself and the Jewish nation in the first century AD (John 8:35). Moreover, we could also point to Moses, the founder of the nation who was really only a faithful servant, but Christ, vis-à-vis the Messiah, is the Son who is the real Ruler of the house (Hebrews 3:5-6). Therefore, only if the Son (Jesus, the Messiah) set them free, free of their bondage to sin (John 8:34), could they be truly free (John 8:36).
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