What was the meaning of liberty in this verse; “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”?

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” (John 8:32-33). How could the Jews say they had never been enslaved? They did not understand Jesus Christ’s discourse on “freedom.” They perceived His invitation to enjoy freedom as a great insult since they were the children of Abraham, who is called the “friend of God” (Isaiah 41:8). The Jews took pride in being descendants of this great patriarch. Rabbi Akiba, who died around 135 AD, said: “Even the poorest person in Israel is regarded as free, those who have lost their possessions, because they are the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The whole nation boasts of this special honor of being related to these great patriarchs, not because of their wealth.” This was the sentiment among Jews during Christ’s time. They believed that their physical descent from Abraham guaranteed their freedom. How could they dare say, “We have never been in bondage to anyone”? Were they not enslaved by the Egyptians, from whom Moses liberated them? Were they not subjected several times to neighboring nations during the days of the Judges? Were they not held captive in Babylon for seventy years? And even now, they pay tribute to Caesar, the Roman emperor. At this very moment, while they might not be slaves in the literal sense, they are not entirely free either! Why did they need to seek permission from Herod and Pilate to crucify Jesus if they were not under Roman rule? Thus, the Jews boasted, “We are Abraham’s descendants,” “We are Israelites.” They never pointed to their righteous deeds. This is why John the Baptist cried out to them, saying: “Do not say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’” (Matthew 3:9). And why didn’t Christ refute them by pointing out their many times of enslavement to Egyptians, Babylonians, and other nations? Because His words were not meant to seek personal honor but to lead them to salvation for their benefit. He aimed to show them they were not slaves to people but to sin, which is a far more dangerous form of slavery, from which only God can free them. They argued that since they are Abraham’s descendants, they could never become slaves, and since they cannot become slaves, they were never slaves to anyone at any time! With this supposed “logic,” they refer to the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). As St. John Chrysostom said: “Every person: Jew or Greek, rich or poor, one in authority or in a public position, the emperor or the beggar, ‘whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.’ When people recognize their bondage, they will understand how to attain freedom.” In both aspects, they were not free! Neither in the body nor in spirit! “As for freedom in this life, where is the truth when you say, ‘We have never been in bondage to anyone’? Wasn’t Joseph sold (Genesis 37:28)? Didn’t the holy prophets go into captivity (2 Kings 24; Exodus 1:1)? Again, wasn’t this nation, when making bricks in Egypt, serving cruel rulers, not in gold and silver, but in making bricks (Exodus 1:14)? If you have never been enslaved, as you claim, why does God continually remind you that He delivered you from the house of bondage (Exodus 13:3; Deuteronomy 6:5)?… How do you pay taxes to the Romans, through which you laid a trap to ensnare the truth when you asked, ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?’ So that if He said yes, you could quickly accuse Him of infringing on the freedom of Abraham’s descendants, and if He said no, you would complain to the rulers that He forbids paying taxes to such people?” (St. Augustine).