If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
36. If then the Son shall make you free. By these words he means that the right of freedom belongs to himself alone, and that all others, being born slaves, cannot be delivered but by his grace. For what he possesses as his own by nature he imparts to us by adoption, when we are ingrafted by faith into his body, and become his members.
Christ turns from the hardened Pharisees to address those few weak believers with comfort, because He gathers lambs in His arms and will not cast off faith in its infancy. The rule He sets down is settled: He owns none for His true disciples but those who continue in His Word, though many profess themselves His disciples only in show and name.
AI summary
Commenting on John 8:31-37
They answered and said unto him,.... On account of his making mention of a father, whose works they did, and whom they imitated: Abraham is our father; meaning their only one, nor had they any other: Jesus saith unto them, if ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham; for who should children imitate but their parents?