The Truth Shall Make You Free

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you ^(A)abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the ^(B)truth, and ^(C)the truth shall make you free.”

^44 (A)You are of your father the devil, and the ^(B)desires of your father you want to ^(C)do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and ^(D)does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Jesus Warns and Comforts His Disciples

16 “These things I have spoken to you, that you ^(A)should not be made to stumble. ^2 (B)They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming ^(C)that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. ³ And ^(D)these things they will do ^[a]to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. ⁴ But these things I have told you, that when ^[b]the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Beware of Hypocrisy^(A)

12 In ^(B)the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, ^(C)“Beware of the ^[a]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ^2 (D)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Persecutions Are Coming^(A)

^16 (B)“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. ^(C)Therefore be wise as serpents and ^(D)harmless^[a] as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for ^(E)they will deliver you up to councils and ^(F)scourge you in their synagogues. ^18 (G)You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ^19 (H)But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For ^(I)it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; ^20 (J)for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

^21 (K)“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² And ^(L)you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. ^(M)But he who endures to the end will be saved. ^23 (N)When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have ^(O)gone through the cities of Israel ^(P)before the Son of Man comes.

^24 (Q)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If ^(R)they have called the master of the house ^[b]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! ²⁶ Therefore do not fear them. ^(S)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God^(T)

²⁷ “Whatever I tell you in the dark, ^(U)speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ^28 (V)And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather ^(W)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[c]hell. ²⁹ Are not two ^(X)sparrows sold for a ^[d]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ^30 (Y)But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men^(Z)

^32 (AA)“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, ^(AB)him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ^33 (AC)But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Christ Brings Division^(AD)

^34 (AE)“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ^(AF)‘set^[e] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ^(AG)‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ ^37 (AH)He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ^38 (AI)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ^39 (AJ)He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

A Cup of Cold Water^(AK)

^40 (AL)“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ^41 (AM)He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ^42 (AN)And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”