Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- from John 8:31-32

Will the truth really set you free?

True freedom seems so elusive. We may experience brief unselfconscious moments, heartbeats of liberty and blue sky, bright horizons full of hope; but then reality comes crashing down on us. In the heat of the day our hopes seem naïve, our skies empty, and our freedom false. Whatever happened to freedom?

Followers of Jesus walk a hard road at times. We walk the road he walked, we walk with him, and “servants are not greater than their master.” The One who promised to set his disciples free found himself arrested, executed and bound in grave clothes. Does Jesus offer something to us that he himself didn’t possess?

The freedom of Christ is freedom in the truth. He frees us to be loved and accepted by God even while we struggle and stumble with sinful, human brokenness. He frees us participate in the fiercely contested advance of his kingdom; and though we may receive wounds as we advance, not a one of them will prove fatal. He frees us to know God intimately.

The hard truth about the freedom Christ gives to those who follow him is that life remains hard. Freedom is not the same as comfort. It’s not the same as relief. It’s not the same as peace. Later in John’s Gospel Jesus says: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). There’s no trouble-free option for navigating life. But we don’t need to face life’s troubles alone.

You need the freedom Jesus offers. We need the freedom Jesus offers. Following Jesus isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.

Where in your life are you finding it difficult to follow Jesus? Where are you tempted to face your troubles and seek freedom on your own? What does it look like for you to hold to Jesus’ teaching in this situation?