John 8:36 kjv
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 8:36 nkjv
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36 niv
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36 esv
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36 nlt
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
John 8 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 6:18 | And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. | Freedom from sin results in service to God. |
| Rom 6:22 | But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God.. | Delivered from sin's tyranny, now God's own. |
| 2 Cor 3:17 | Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | The Spirit's presence brings true liberty. |
| Gal 5:1 | For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. | Christ's work grants freedom, so guard it. |
| Rom 8:2 | For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. | Spirit's power liberates from sin and death. |
| Gal 3:26-29 | For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith... | Through faith in Christ, we gain sonship. |
| Jn 8:32 | And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. | Knowledge of divine truth leads to liberation. |
| Lk 4:18-19 | The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news... to proclaim liberty to the captives... | Christ's mission includes setting captives free. |
| Isa 61:1 | The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor... to proclaim liberty to the captives... | Prophetic foretelling of Christ's liberating work. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise participated... to deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. | Christ freed us from fear of death and its bondage. |
| 1 Pet 2:16 | Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. | Freedom in Christ calls for righteous living. |
| Rom 7:24-25 | Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! | Deliverance from sin's power is through Christ. |
| Col 1:13-14 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. | Christ's rescue from spiritual darkness. |
| Eph 2:4-5 | But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ... | God's grace gives new life, freedom from death. |
| Acts 13:38-39 | Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. | Christ provides complete justification from sin. |
| Titus 3:5 | he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit... | Salvation and new life are by grace, not works. |
| Ps 119:45 | I will walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. | Obeying God's commands brings freedom of movement. |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." | Christ is the only path to ultimate freedom and God. |
| Mt 11:28-30 | Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. | Jesus offers relief from burdens and true rest. |
| Rev 1:5-6 | To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood... | Christ's sacrifice is the basis for our freedom. |
| Eph 1:7 | In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace... | Redemption and forgiveness found in His blood. |
| 1 Cor 7:22 | For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. | Social status is irrelevant; we are freedmen of the Lord. |
| Rom 8:15 | For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” | Believers receive the Spirit of adoption, not fear. |
| Heb 12:8 | If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. | True sons endure loving discipline. |
| Phl 3:20-21 | But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body... | Our ultimate identity and freedom are heavenly. |
John 8 verses
John 8 36 Meaning
John 8:36 declares that genuine freedom is attained only through the work of Jesus Christ, the Son. This verse culminates a discourse in which Jesus exposes the spiritual slavery of those who claim physical descent from Abraham but are enslaved by sin. He presents Himself as the sole authority and means by which one can be truly liberated from sin's bondage, transitioning from a slave to an adopted child of God, thus receiving profound, enduring freedom.
John 8 36 Context
John 8:36 is found within a lengthy discourse where Jesus confronts a group of Jews in Jerusalem about their true spiritual condition. Prior to this verse, Jesus states that those who abide in His word are truly His disciples, and they will "know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (Jn 8:31-32). The Jews, interpreting freedom in a political or ethnic sense, protested, asserting their heritage as descendants of Abraham and their claim of never being enslaved. Jesus challenges this, revealing their deeper enslavement to sin. He explains that "everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin" (Jn 8:34). Slaves, unlike a son, have no permanent place in a household. The "son," Jesus clarifies in verse 36, is the one who truly grants permanent freedom and a lasting place in God's household. Historically, these Jews, though under Roman occupation and having experienced periods of foreign dominion (like in Egypt or Babylon), vehemently maintained their ethnic freedom due to their lineage. Jesus shifts the focus from national identity and political status to spiritual identity and moral liberation.
John 8 36 Word analysis
If (Gk. ean, ἐὰν): This particle introduces a third-class condition, meaning "if, and it may be so." It posits a real or likely condition for genuine freedom. It doesn't imply uncertainty about the Son's ability, but rather presents the necessary condition for an individual to experience this freedom.
The Son (Gk. ho huios, ὁ υἱός): Refers specifically to Jesus Christ, the unique, pre-existent Son of God, not just any son. This title emphasizes His divine authority, nature, and inherent right to act as the ultimate Emancipator. Unlike any slave, or even an adopted servant, the Son has permanent access and authority within the "house" of God.
Sets you free (Gk. eleutheroō, ἐλευθερόω): To set at liberty, to release from bondage. This word denotes emancipation, a deep and thorough deliverance, not merely an external change of status but an inner transformation. It's a complete legal and existential release from slavery. In this context, it is from the power and penalty of sin.
You will be free (Gk. eleutheroi esesthe, ἐλεύθεροι ἔσεσθε): A future tense, emphasizing a guaranteed outcome. The freedom granted by the Son is an established reality for those He liberates. It signifies not just a release, but a new state of being.
Indeed (Gk. ontōs, ὄντως): This adverb means "truly," "certainly," "really." It provides a strong emphasis on the authenticity and genuineness of the freedom. It contrasts sharply with the superficial or self-proclaimed freedom the Jewish leaders imagined they possessed.
"If the Son sets you free": This phrase highlights that the source and agent of true freedom is Christ alone. It is not self-achieved, nor is it based on heritage, ritual, or works of the law, but on a personal encounter with and reception of the Son. His authority supersedes human traditions and understandings of liberation.
"you will be free indeed": This phrase underscores the profundity and certainty of this freedom. It signifies absolute freedom from the dominion and power of sin, leading to true peace, joy, and adoption into God's family. It contrasts with temporal, conditional, or partial freedoms; this is total and eternally real.
John 8 36 Bonus section
The concept of "freedom" in John 8:36 is fundamentally spiritual, distinct from political, economic, or social freedoms. While those are important, Jesus's teaching emphasizes an inner bondage to sin that no human effort or external condition can rectify. The Jewish listeners struggled with this, clinging to their Abrahamic lineage as a guarantor of freedom, a pride Jesus systematically dismantled by revealing their adherence to sinful practices (e.g., trying to kill Him). True freedom is therefore a matter of internal disposition and relationship with God through the Son, not external circumstance. It is freedom from sin's dominion and freedom for righteous living and intimate fellowship with God.
John 8 36 Commentary
John 8:36 stands as a powerful declaration of Christ's emancipating power. The preceding verses set the stage: Jesus exposes the Jewish leaders' spiritual blindness and their claim of freedom as descendants of Abraham, when in reality, they are slaves to sin. He then presents a stark truth: a slave has no permanent place in a household, but a son does. Here, "the Son" is unmistakably Jesus Himself. His authority to "set free" is not like that of a reformer or a liberator from external oppressions, but as the Divine Son who can break the fundamental chains of sin, transforming a person's very being and status before God. The phrase "free indeed" underscores that this is not a partial, temporary, or illusory freedom, but a radical, internal, and permanent liberation from sin's tyranny and its accompanying consequences—guilt, condemnation, and eventual spiritual death. It is a transition from slavery to sonship, from alienation to intimate relationship with God, establishing a secure and permanent place in His spiritual household. This freedom allows one to serve God not out of compulsion, but out of love and a spirit of adoption.