In our politically charged culture, it is not unusual to hear the words sound bite, deep fake, fact check, misinformation, disinformation, or even fake news altogether. There is so much going on in our country and world, it is hard to follow up on everything we hear, even for those who are intentional about it. Unfortunately, many Americans, on either side of the aisle, are comfortably reliant on their favored news source to keep them abreast of the most important issues of our times, giving very little thought to the fact that what they are hearing has likely been filtered through a certain agenda or perspective, and what is ultimately reported is some editorialized version of the truth. For those of us trying to be more careful about what we embrace as the truth, we will search for the original source and listen to what was said in the broader context—only by doing this can we be confident about what we are hearing, having gotten our news “straight from the horse’s mouth,” so to speak.
This is true regarding biblical information as well—what we believe about the Bible, however, is far more important than contemporary political issues. Far too many Christians are content accepting what they are told about the Bible or a biblical teaching without ever reading the relevant passages for themselves. Few of us follow up on the information presented to us or consider the context from which the passage or verse was taken in the first place. I find it quite chilling how many Christians are more apt to watch a five-minute YouTube video about a biblical issue rather than reading the Bible itself. Many of us are convinced that the Bible is too hard to understand and consequently acquiesce to someone telling us what we ought to believe, without doing the work necessary to confirm that what we are being told is actually the truth. The Church in our culture is suffering because of the lack of knowledge among those who identify as followers of Jesus.
To demonstrate this, I have chosen three passages from the New Testament, all of them the words of Jesus—these verses are very often misunderstood and misrepresented. This misunderstanding is not limited to lay people either, many times I have heard these passages taught or referenced by Christian leaders who have misunderstood them as well. Certainly, all of us who follow Jesus, can agree that understanding his words contextually and accurately should be our highest priority. This is not to say that guidance, direction, and explanation from learned pastors, Christian leaders, and Bible teachers is not necessary—indeed, it is! If it wasn’t, this blog would be entirely pointless! Certainly, there are passages in the Bible that are quite difficult and the help of a trusted leader to shed light on these complexities is priceless. However, the passages we look at here, are not complicated passages, they are simply sayings of Jesus that have been so frequently misrepresented, that very few Christians question whether what is being said is accurate. This blog simply serves as a reminder that we must be careful and diligent when it comes to the things we embrace as biblical truth.
1. The Truth Will Set You Free
This is one of the most quoted statements of Jesus, by Christian and non-Christian alike, and is often used, I believe, by people who do not know they are actually quoting Jesus Christ. I have heard these words in many different contexts, as if the truth Jesus is referring to is any kind of truth at all. Though I am sure we can all agree that truth is always better than “not truth,” any truth is not what Jesus is referring to here. This statement, unfortunately, is typically quoted without the first half of what Jesus actually said. It is the first half of the statement that clarifies the truth that Jesus is referring to. Here is the entire statement,
John 8:31-32 – 31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Contextually (John 8:12ff.), Jesus is speaking in the temple in Jerusalem during the feast of Hanukkah. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greeks in 164 BC and the rededication of the Jewish Temple to God—a dedication that was crowned by the lighting of the Temple’s menorah (the word Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew). Hanukkah is also known as the “Festival of Lights.” As the Jewish winter festival, this celebration brings light to the darkness of the cold season with warm and beautiful flames being lit throughout the city. It is in this setting that Jesus stands in the temple and declares himself to be “the Light of the World.” You can see how these words would have a powerful impact, for better or worse, in the context of a festival celebrating lights. It turns out that, “As he was saying these things, many believed in him” (John 8:30). It is here, as Jesus was speaking directly to a group of Jewish people who had come to believe that he is indeed the Messiah, that he speaks the powerful words about truth and freedom.
Jesus’ words not only have a context, they have a contingency, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” Jesus wastes no time making sure those who have placed their faith in him understand two things: they must be intentional about abiding in, remaining in, persevering in his word, and that they must be his disciples, not mere followers of a well-known rabbi. He then says, if these two things are true, they will know the truth, and that truth will bring them freedom. Later in John, Jesus openly declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). When Jesus declares that there is a truth that brings freedom, the truth that he speaks of is ultimately himself. This is why the contingency exists—it is not some ethereal truth the Jesus refers to, but the truth that can be found only in a devoted relationship to him, characterized by knowing his word (that is, being his student, i.e., his disciple) and living intentionally by the truth that he speaks.
Next time you hear the phrase, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free,” remember that the truth being spoken of, whether the person saying it realizes it or not, is the fact that Jesus Christ says freedom is found in the truth that he alone is the only way to be reconciled to God. That truth can only be realized, as we embrace and obey the words of the Lord. It is not merely those who believe in Jesus who find this freedom, it is those who abide in his word and make the choice to live as his disciples.
2. Come to Me, All Who Are Weary and Burdened
Matthew 11:28-30 is one of the most frequently quoted passages from the New Testament for the purpose of bringing comfort and solace to the hearer. Often, these verses are quoted with the intention of representing Jesus as a tender shepherd, meek and mild, calling people from a complicated world into a haven of rest. I sometimes wonder if people get the impression that Jesus is inviting us to come and sit on his lap. The irony of this perception is the fact that these verses come in the context of Jesus denouncing the inhabitants of several major cities for refusing to repent from their sins and turn to him (see Matthew 11:20-24). Far from being mere words of comfort, these words are a call to repentance. In verse 27, Jesus declares, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Essentially, Jesus is calling out to his hearers to not be like the unrepentant people of the cities he has denounced, but rather to come to him, and learn from him, that he may reveal his Father to them. Listen to his words,
Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
In this powerful appeal, we hear these wonderful promises: I will give you rest, you will find rest for your souls, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. But with these promises there are three commands: Come to me, take my yoke, and learn from me. The first command is so much more than an invitation, it is a burning appeal! The Greek word “come” used here is an exclamatory word and should be understood as, “Come!” In the Greek of the New Testament, this phrase is in the imperative mood—the mood of command. This is less like a parent inviting a child to “come and sit beside me,” and more like a parent saying, “You come here right now!” Jesus has just denounced people who would not repent, he is now calling his listeners to not make the same fatal mistake!
Secondly, Jesus commands that his listeners “take his yoke upon them.” This statement is in the imperative mood, as well. A yoke is for the sole purpose of controlling a team of oxen or other beasts of burden. This would have been a very common sight for the listeners of Jesus. All of them would have immediately recognized the metaphor Jesus is using—taking his yoke would have implied a surrender to his control, his leadership, it is in doing this that they would find rest for their souls. The unrepentant people Jesus has identified are those who refuse to submit to his yoke, to their own peril.
The third imperative in this statement is “learn from me.” Jesus is once again announcing to his listeners that they are to become his students, his disciples. He is not merely seeking those who will follow him at a distance, but those who will sit at his feet, regularly, and learn from him. To what end? To be like him. As in John 8:31-32 above, to abide in his word is evidence of discipleship, and in this is freedom and rest. In the New Testament, rest goes beyond physical respite to include spiritual peace and refreshment found in Christ. The Greek word often translated as “easy” in this passage is far richer than this simple word—it is often used to describe qualities that are gentle, pleasant, and morally good. Jesus describes his burden as “light,” as opposed to the heavy burdens of legalistic practices.
Responding to this remarkable call means choosing to become a disciple—these are not simply comforting words for stressed out people. To come to Jesus means to surrender our lives to him, to take his yoke means to submit ourselves to his will, and to learn from him means to become like him. This invitation is a call to leave the wide path of the world that leads to destruction and join Jesus on the narrow path that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:14); it is an invitation sent out across time with the whole world in mind—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, all the way to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
3. Behold, I stand at the Door and Knock
Throughout the New Testament, Christians are commanded to go into all the world preaching the gospel. As Jesus states in the “Great Commission,” his intention for us is that we go throughout the world making disciples and teaching them to obey all that he has commanded. It is important to note, as we have discussed in numbers 1and 2 above, that the intent of preaching the gospel is to make disciples and not merely converts. As Christians go about doing this, there are many favored verses in the New Testament used to communicate the Good News. However, one that is frequently used actually has nothing to do with evangelism at all. In the Book of the Revelation we find these words,
Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
I would imagine that many reading this blog, have seen the painting from the 1940s by Warner Sallman of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus, standing at the door of a small cabin in a garden knocking. Whether correctly or not, much ado has been made of the fact that the artist did not put a doorknob on the outside of the door, apparently intending to imply that Jesus will not open the door and invite himself in, but will patiently stand waiting for the inhabitant to open the door and invite him in. I would imagine that millions of prints of this painting have been sold over the decades. Unfortunately, this verse has nothing to do with evangelism, nor does it have anything to do with a gentle Jesus standing and knocking at the door of the hearts of lost people.
Once again, when we look at the context of this verse, we will see that it is found after a scathing rebuke of Christians failing to live out the faith they claim. This rebuke comes with some of the gravest warnings in the New Testament. Because this is so important, I will quote the entire passage below.
Revelation 3:14-22 – 14“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
In context, we see that Jesus’ statement is about knocking at the door of Christians on the verge of apostasy. He is promising them, if they are willing to repent, he will once again restore fellowship with them, by entering their home and sharing a meal. This was a common image in 1st century Judaism regarding restoration of relationship. We should all take to heart the rebuke and the warnings given to the Christians of Laodicea—this should stand as a reminder to all of us that we must be attentive to our relationship with the Lord Jesus and intentional about the way we live out our faith.
In one sense, understanding this verse in the context of this passage is quite beautiful, maybe even more so than seeing it in the context of evangelism. It is precious to know that the Lord Jesus loves his own. In this passage he states clearly that he reproves and disciplines those that he loves. Then these beautiful words come, as we repent and get right with the one who loves us most, he stands at the door, ready to enter in and restore us to relationship with himself. This, indeed, is a beautiful image of his love for us.
In conclusion, there are many, many more passages of the Bible that are very often misrepresented by those who misunderstand the original context and purpose. I give this sampling only because these passages are so well known and so commonly misrepresented. I pray that these will serve as examples to us who follow Christ, that we must give due diligence to the study of his word, never neglecting our need to fully understand him to the best of our ability, and, certainly, never wanting to misrepresent him to someone else.
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(C) 2025 D. Edwin Cohea/Coheasive Christianity.
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