The Sword of the Messiah 53 they were enslaved to Rome — Jesus points out their greater enslavement, namely, to sin and to the devil (8,34.44), but from this spiritual oppression the truth in Jesus’ word can liberate (8,31- 32.36.51). This coheres with the cleansing dimension of Jesus’ word in 15,3 and 17,8.17. Jesus’ word is also life-giving in that it provides participation in the divine life (zwhv) that is shared by the Father and the Son (17,2-3.8.20-21). The “living water” in 4,10.14 refers to Jesus’ life-giving word, and in 6,63 Jesus states that his Spirit-imbued words are (i.e., produce) life. Thus, the picture that emerges is that Jesus’ Spirit-imbued word of truth can provide people with liberation from sin, cleansing and partaking in the divine life. The reverse side of the “sword”, however, is that this same Spirit-imbued word can bring judgment if it is rejected (3,18; 5,24; 8,45-47; 12,48-49). Although the purpose of Jesus’ coming was not to judge the world, in the sense of condemning it (3,17; 8,15; 12,47), judgment is the inevitable, immediate consequence of rejecting Jesus and his word (though the eschatological dimension is also retained [5,28-29; 12,48]). To give some examples of how Jesus liberates the oppressed by his Spirit-imbued word. Jesus’ life-giving Spirit-imbued word or “living water” offered to the Samaritan woman provides spiritual liberation for her and many other Samaritans (4,41-42), and Jesus also offers religious liberation by proposing a new locus and mode of worship (4,21-24). The liberating word offered for his son in 4,50 also effects spiritual liberation for the Herodian collaborator and his household (4,53) (58). To the ill man at the pool, Jesus spoke a liberating word (5,8-9), which was not only a physical liberation but also a social-religious one — he could enter the temple again (5,14) — and even a spiritual one if one recognizes that Jesus links the man’s illness and (his) sin in 5,14. Jesus’ words have liberated the disciples from the world and given them life (6,68; 17,8.14). In case of the man born blind, Jesus’ word in 9,7 provides physical liberation from blindness and social liberation from economic dependency (9,8), and, again by a revelatory word, spiritual/religious liberation from a condemning Judaism (9,34-38) (59). Even Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus and the heated debates with “the Jews” show his concern (58) ÔO basilikov" probably refers to a Jewish official in Herod’s court and hence was considered a collaborator (cf. KARRIS, Jesus, 58-61). (59) Motyer’s essay “Jesus” is an excellent treatise of the socially marginalized, and KARRIS, Jesus, 73-95 draws attention to the socially oppressed group of women.