John 8:36

John 8:36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. It is manifestly a special freedom that is here thought of, freedom gained by becoming sons, and thus gaining all that belongs to the position of a son, retaining for ever a connection with the Father's house. One only can give this freedom, for One only can give this Sonship, He who is the Son (see chap. John 1:12). ‘Free indeed,' not in appearance only, as a favoured slave might seem for a time to hold the place of a son in the house: ‘free indeed,' because receiving the freedom and sonship from One who ‘remains in the house for ever,' and never loses the rights of the Son. John 8:33 speaks of the means (‘the truth'), this verse of the Giver of freedom (‘the Son'). The word here rendered ‘indeed' is a very remarkable one: it is used nowhere else in the writings of John. Closely connected with the verb ‘I am' of John 8:28, it is hardly possible to avoid the impression that it is designedly employed in order to bring out that closeness of relation between the sons of God and the Son which is so striking a part of the teaching of this chapter.