John 8 - Life Application Bible Commentary (NT)

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.NIV Scribes (the teachers of the law) often gathered in the outer court of the temple to teach the crowds of worshipers, so it was natural for Jesus to be there. The religious leaders did not bring this woman to Jesus to promote justice; they used her to try to trap Jesus. (The others involved in this attempt simply mingled with the crowd; see a similar trap in Mark 12:13-17.) Though indignant toward this woman’s sin, the religious leaders brought her to Jesus with political, not spiritual, motives in mind. They forgot the obvious fact that catching someone in the very act of adultery involves catching two people. Their devaluation of the woman (while ignoring the man’s sin) made her no more than a pawn in their efforts to trap Jesus.

How unfortunate that they were so quick to point out the sins of another and so blind to their own sins —especially the sin of not recognizing and accepting their own Messiah. But Jesus was about to teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget.

DOUBLE STANDARD

The details of this event are painfully common. Traditionally, women have borne an undue burden of blame for sins in which men participated equally. Today, radical feminism shifts the balance of blame to men. However, placing more blame on one person than the other covers a hidden motive: blaming others shifts the load of our own guilt. God stands against double or separate standards for women and men. He rejects the hypocrisy that holds others to a different standard than we hold for ourselves. When we accept our own blame, we take the first step toward experiencing forgiveness.

JESUS FORGIVES AN ADULTEROUS WOMAN / 7:53–8:11 / 125

The earliest manuscripts of John’s gospel do not include the story of the adulterous woman. It does not appear in any Greek manuscript until the fifth century, and no Greek church father comments on the passage prior to the twelfth century. Even then, the comments state that the accurate manuscripts do not contain this story. When it was inserted in later manuscripts, the story of the adulterous woman appeared in different places: after John 7:52, after Luke 21:38, at the end of John; and when it does appear it is often marked off by asterisks to signal doubt about where it belongs. The story is part of an oral tradition that was circulated in the Western church, eventually finding its way into the Latin Vulgate, and from there into later Greek manuscripts.

The evidence against John having included this particular story in his gospel is conclusive. First, many scholars point out that the vocabulary used in this passage does not match the rest of John. Second, although the setting is plausible (other similar confrontations between Jewish leaders and Jesus occurred in Jerusalem), the insertion of the story at this point in John (after 7:52 and before 8:12) disrupts the narrative flow. Third, since the account does not appear in writing until later manuscripts, its “orphan” status is evidenced by it being in several locations.

Thus, this story was not originally part of this section of John. Consequently, it is not even included in the text of some Bible versions (for example, see the first edition of the RSV). However, even though the passage was not written by John, it still may be regarded as a true story. It is unlikely that a later scribe would have made up such a story, given the strict views of the church regarding sexual immorality. The actions and words of Jesus are consistent with what we know of him from the rest of the Gospels. There is no new or unusual information in the passage that adds evidence against its inclusion. The encounter appears as an added snapshot of Jesus in John's collection, though we can tell that someone else probably took the picture. The event deserves at least consideration in teaching and preaching as an act that Jesus did at some point in his ministry, for it illustrates Jesus’ compassion for sinful people (which includes us all) and his willingness to forgive any sinner; but the story should not be given the same authority as Scripture.

7:53–8:3

8:4-6 They said to him, “. . . the law . . . commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.NRSV The Jewish leaders had already disregarded the law by arresting the woman without the man. The law required that both parties to adultery be put to death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22) and specified stoning in the case of a betrothed virgin (Deuteronomy 22:23, but see 22:24 for an important condition). But the proceedings before Jesus had little to do with justice. The leaders were using the woman’s sin as an opportunity to trick Jesus and destroy his credibility with the people. If Jesus were to say that the woman should not be stoned, they could accuse him of violating Moses’ law. If he were to urge them to execute her, they would report him to the Romans, who did not permit the Jews to carry out their own executions (18:31). But Jesus was aware of their intentions and did not give either of the expected responses to the dilemma they placed before him.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.NRSV What was Jesus writing in the dirt on the ground? Many have speculated: maybe he was listing the names of those present who had committed adultery (and scaring them to death that he knew it); he might have been listing names and various sins that each person had committed; maybe he was writing out the Ten Commandments to point out that no one could claim to be without sin. In any case, Jesus made the accusers uncomfortable.

8:7-8 “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”NRSV The religious leaders could have handled this case without Jesus’ opinion. Jesus was fully aware that the woman was only brought to him so the Pharisees could test him. They thought they had him in a no-win situation: no matter what he said, he would offend someone and thus give them a crime of which to accuse him. But Jesus’ calm words caught them completely off guard. They never anticipated his turning the tables on them.

Jesus’ statement of permission balanced several crucial points of truth. He upheld the legal penalty for adultery (stoning), so he could not be accused of being against the law. But by requiring that only a sinless person could throw the first stone, Jesus exposed what was in the accusers’ hearts. Without condoning the woman’s actions, he highlighted the importance of compassion and forgiveness and broadened the spotlight of judgment until every accuser felt himself included. Jesus knew the execution could not be carried out.

How are we to apply Jesus’ statement about only sinless persons rendering judgment? Jesus was not saying that only perfect, sinless people can make accurate accusations, pass judgment, or exact a death penalty. Nor was he excusing adultery or any other sin by saying that everyone sins. This event illustrates that wise judgment flows out of honest motives. Jesus resolved an injustice about to be committed by exposing the hypocrisy of the witnesses against the woman. By making the accusers examine themselves, he exposed their real motives.

Jesus did confront the woman’s sin, but he exercised compassion alongside confrontation. As with the woman at the well (chapter 4), Jesus demonstrated to this woman that she was of greater importance than what she had done wrong.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The religious leaders who tried to trap Jesus were treating neither the sin nor the sinner with the necessary respect. The same blindness that caused them to not see their own sins made them unable to recognize who Jesus was. Behind their diligence to “keep the law” lay hidden the drive to protect their power. Their conflict of interest made them inept judges.

Sin calls for compassion as well as judgment. But final judgment is God’s prerogative alone. Sins may be abhorrent, but sinners have been offered forgiveness in Christ. When we must confront sin, we ought not condemn, but rather present the need and opportunity for forgiveness.

After Jesus made his statement, once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.NRSV Jesus allowed the blunt truth to sink in and have an effect. There was no further need for argument; the sides had been clearly drawn. The trap snapped shut, and those who set it found themselves caught!

8:9-11 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders.NRSV When Jesus invited someone who had not sinned to throw the first stone, the leaders slipped quietly away, from oldest to youngest. Evidently the older men were more aware of their sins than the younger. Age and experience often temper youthful self-righteousness. Each person, no matter what age, should take an honest look at his or her life. We all have a sinful nature and are desperately in need of forgiveness and transformation. None of us would have been able to throw the first stone; none of us can claim sinlessness. We, too, would have had to walk away.

The accusers slinked away until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.NIV After everyone had left, Jesus stood and spoke to the accused woman, “Has no one condemned you?”NIV Apparently no one could claim sinlessness so as to stone this woman. Imagine the scene: anyone who tried would immediately be condemned by someone who knew of a sin that person had committed. Even those pious religious leaders —“the teachers of the law and the Pharisees” (8:3 NIV) who brought this woman to Jesus —could not save face. Jesus had exposed their hypocrisy and embarrassed them, and there was nothing for them to do but go back and try to think of some other way to trap Jesus.

HYPOCRISY

How quickly and self-righteously we bring before Jesus the sins of others while overlooking and denying our own sins. These hypocrites were guilty of sin in their own lives and were unwilling to face it. They claimed concern for truth and justice, but were arrogantly using the woman who had fallen into their hands. In their anger at Jesus they made her life cheap.

When you find yourself enraged at others, you may be on the verge of a healthy discovery. You should examine what is behind the rage. Are you covering sins or excusing faults that have made you unusually sensitive to the faults in others? What wrong motives are you masking by your anger?

No one had accused the woman, and Jesus kindly said, “Neither do I condemn you.”NRSV But there was more —she was not simply free to go her way. Jesus didn’t just free her from the Pharisees, he wanted to free her from her sin, so he added, “Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”NRSV Jesus didn’t condemn the woman accused of adultery, but neither did he ignore or condone her behavior. Jesus told the woman to leave her life of sin.

TRUE LOVE AND GOOD INTENTIONS

God hates sin; we must make no mistake about that. But he loves sinners —and that includes each of us. In fact, he loves us so much he sent his Son to die —to take the penalty our sins deserved. Jesus stands ready to forgive any person, but confession, repentance, and a change of heart are the properly prepared ground for forgiveness.

Our intention must be to not sin again. This does not mean that God expects us to never sin again, but he does expect that our lifestyles are no longer sinful. Our desire should be no longer to live for ourselves and our pleasures, but to live for God. With God’s help we can accept Christ’s forgiveness and stop making a practice of wrongdoing. Only then will we be really free to not sin again.

JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD / 8:12-20 / 126

This section ties in closely with the previous section (7:45-52) —minus the story of the woman caught in adultery, which John didn’t write. In 7:45-52, Nicodemus had recommended that the religious leaders first hear Jesus before passing judgment on him. In this section Jesus is heard, and he affirms the validity of his testimony based on his divine identity.

In no other chapter of the Bible does Jesus make so many declarations about himself. Here he asserts his divine identity through a series of “I am” statements (all are from NKJV):

• “I am the light of the world” (8:12)
• “I am not alone” (8:16)
• “I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me” (8:18)
• “I am from above” (8:23)
• “I am not of this world” (8:23)
• “I am He [the Christ]” (8:24, 28)
• “I AM” (8:58).

8:12-14 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”NRSV In John’s original writing, this verse immediately follows 7:52. The intervening passage, 7:53–8:11, about Jesus forgiving the woman taken in adultery interrupts the narrative’s continuity and is not included in the earliest manuscripts (see 7:53–8:11 for a further discussion).

Chapters 7 and 8 record the dialogues that Jesus had with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. As part of the ritual during this feast, water was poured over a rock in commemoration of the water supply that had gushed from the rock in the wilderness (Numbers 20:8-11), and huge lamps in the Court of Women in the temple were lit in commemoration of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in their wilderness journey (Numbers 9:15-23). The light from those lamps lit up much of Jerusalem. In the context of these two rituals, Jesus presented himself as the true source of living water (7:37-39) and as the true light to be followed (8:12).

In declaring himself to be the light, Jesus was claiming divinity. In the Bible, “light” symbolizes the holiness of God (see also Psalm 27:1; 36:9; Acts 9:3; 1 John 1:5). Jesus is not merely a light or another light, he is the one and only true Light. As the Light, Jesus illumines the truth, gives people spiritual understanding, and reveals to us God himself and what he has done for us.

FIRE AND LIGHT

Jesus was speaking in that part of the temple known as the treasury, where the offerings were collected (8:20) and huge torches or lamps burned to symbolize the pillar of fire that led the people of Israel through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22). In this context, Jesus called himself the Light of the World. The pillar of fire in the wilderness had represented God’s presence, protection, and guidance, though the holy flames were almost as dangerous to the Israelites as they were to their enemies. They were reminded that: “The LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24 NIV).

Because we no longer depend on fire as a source of light, we might miss the connection Jesus makes between fire and light. In Christ, God became light personified. Jesus brought God’s presence, protection, and guidance into the world in an approachable way. Now God could be known with an intimacy not possible with consuming fire. How well do we know God as a holy fire? Have we allowed Christ as God’s holy light to enlighten us?

In claiming to be the light of the world, Jesus defined his unique position as the one true light for all people, not just the Jews. Isaiah wrote, “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6 NKJV).

Death brings eternal darkness; but to follow Jesus means to never walk in darkness, but . . . have the light of life. When we follow Jesus —accepting him as Savior and Lord and following him —we are walking in his light. We no longer walk blindly in our sin, rather his light shows us our sin and our need of forgiveness, guides us along life’s pathway, and leads us into eternal life with him. The psalmist said, “In Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9 NKJV). The theme of Jesus as the light indirectly takes up all of chapter 9, in which Jesus heals a blind man.

After Jesus said this, the Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”NIV Jesus did not disagree with the Jewish law that says that two witnesses are needed for a valid testimony in a capital offense, as their charge of blasphemy was (5:31; also Deuteronomy 19:15). Instead, he claimed that his testimony was true even if no one else bore witness: “for I know where I came from and where I am going.”NIV Jesus knew his origin and his destiny. In other words, Jesus knows God the Father, and the words that Jesus spoke were from the Father himself. Therefore when Jesus spoke, not only was he testifying for himself, but because he spoke the words of God, God was testifying for him as well. Countless believers have discovered that their consistent exposure and memorization of the words of Jesus have deepened their awareness of his divinity. His words ring true. Not knowing or obeying Christ’s words is our fault, not a reflection on their truthfulness.

8:15-16 “You judge by human standards.”NRSV The religious leaders did not know Jesus’ divine origin and considered him to be no more than a fake Messiah; that is, they were judging him by human standards. Jesus had already told them, “Do not judge by appearances” (7:24 NRSV). Yet they continued to do so. He was reminding them of the same lesson he had taught Samuel in the Old Testament: “For the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NRSV).

APPEARANCES

People today are very willing to acknowledge the greatness of Jesus as a man but not to acknowledge him as God. By human standards, Jesus was the greatest man who ever lived. Yet human standards are not enough to portray all of Jesus’ true identity. Calling Jesus “great” is faint praise in light of his identity as God. Mere admiration of Jesus as a great leader or teacher falls short. Our response should be to adore him as our Lord.

“I judge no one.”NRSV Given the context, Jesus meant that while his accusers judged by human standards, he did not.

“Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid.”NRSV Jesus reserved for himself the right to judge, though that was not the primary reason for his presence. Jesus did not come to judge, but to save. He had already told a noted Pharisee (Nicodemus), “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (3:17 NKJV). But as the Son of Man, he has been given the authority to judge; and when the future day of judgment comes, Jesus will judge according to the Father’s will (see 5:27, 45). Therefore, it could be said that while Jesus did not come to judge, his coming led to judgment because it forced a decision —and a rejection of Jesus led to judgment.

8:17-18 “The testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”NIV The religious leaders did not understand that the Father and Son lived in each other and were with each other (see 10:38; 14:9-11; 17:21). Therefore, even though the Son came from the Father (8:14) and was sent by the Father (8:16, 18), he was not separate from the Father —for the Father who sent the Son came with him and provided testimony for him. His confirming witness was God himself. Jesus and the Father made two witnesses, the number required by the law.

8:19-20 The Pharisees, mystified about Jesus’ reference to his Father, asked him, “Where is your father?”NRSV (see also 14:8ff.). They might as well have been saying, “Bring on the other witness; we wish to question him.” If his father was the other witness, then where was he? In their very presence, Jesus affirmed that they knew neither him nor his Father. Their unwillingness to “know” him when he was among them also kept them from knowing the Father, who was just as truly among them.

Jesus had already told them that his Father was with him, but their question showed that they did not know the Son or the Father —for “if you knew me, you would know my Father also.”NRSV When Jesus speaks, the Father speaks. But this was completely lost on these religious leaders.

He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put.NIV This area was part of the Court of Women (a court in the temple where women were permitted to go). This court held thirteen trumpet-shaped containers for collecting various dues and offerings —seven of the boxes were for the temple tax; the other six were for freewill offerings. According to Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4, on at least one occasion Jesus sat opposite this treasury and watched various people (including the widow who gave “two small copper coins” NRSV) deposit their offerings into these containers. This treasury was very close to the hall where the Sanhedrin met, and yet no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.NKJV The statement anticipates the fact that Jesus’ “hour” would eventually come —and that those who had been pursuing him would finally get their hands on him. But the timing was under God’s control, not man’s.

Speaking again to the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus declared, “You will die in your sin.”NRSV If the Jewish religious leaders would not believe in Jesus while he was with them, they would run the risk of not having any further opportunity to receive eternal life. Jesus predicted that they would continue to look for a messiah, though the real one had already been among them. The leaders’ fatal sin would be in rejecting the only one who could save them.

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Those questioning Jesus were convinced they understood God’s plan. They thought they had a clear idea of exactly what kind of savior they needed, and Jesus did not fit that pattern.

Are you trusting Jesus to be your Savior because he knows best, or are you reserving final judgment just in case a “better” option comes along? Are you trusting God to graciously meet your needs even when you do not fully understand them, or are you clinging to the belief that you know best what God can do for you? Are you still shopping for a better offer? Only Jesus can give forgiveness and eternal life.

“Where I am going, you cannot come.”NRSV Jesus was speaking of his death and his return to his Father —the religious leaders could not follow him there. The opportunity to speak with Jesus was limited; soon he would leave them having been rejected by them. Those who rejected Jesus would die without having their sins forgiven and would therefore literally not be able to go where Jesus would be.

As in 7:34-36, the Jews could not comprehend Jesus’ words. They surmised that he must be speaking about death when he said, “I am going away,”NRSV but they could hardly believe that he might be planning to give them a simple solution to their problem. “Will he kill himself?”NIV they wondered. In Greek, the question expects a negative answer. Instead of responding to their tentative interpretation, Jesus explained why they were unable to comprehend his statements.

8:23-24

8:25 The Pharisees decided to try the direct approach; they asked Jesus, “Who are you?”NRSV When the Pharisees pressed Jesus to declare his identity, he answered, “Why do I speak to you at all?”NRSV Jesus’ answer has also been translated as a statement: “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning” (NKJV) or “The one I have always claimed to be” (NLT). Jesus simply refused to answer their question, for to do so would have created an endless argument. Jesus had already revealed his identity to them through his speeches, his miracles, and the Father’s testimony about him. But the Pharisees were unable to understand because they were deaf to his word (8:43).

“I AM HE”

Jesus’ claim “I am he” (ego eimi, see also 8:24, 58) is thought by many to refer to the name God commanded Moses to use in Exodus 3:13-14. Moses asked God what name he should use when he went before Pharaoh. God’s answer was, “I AM WHO I AM” (NIV). It is just as likely, however, given the way in which Jesus used passages and concepts from Isaiah 40–55 to identify himself, that he was using the “I am” phrase from that part of the Old Testament. In any case, Jesus was pushing his hearers to recognize his full identity. The following verses highlight the primary uses of “I am he” in Isaiah (all verses are quoted from NKJV):

• Isaiah 41:4
  “I, the LORD, am the first; and with the last I am He.”
• Isaiah 43:10
  “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He.”
• Isaiah 43:13
  “Indeed before the day was, I am He.”
• Isaiah 43:25
  “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake.”
• Isaiah 46:4
  “Even to your old age, I am He.”
• Isaiah 48:12
  “Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.”

“You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.”NRSV Those of this world are earthly, born of the flesh, incapable of understanding heavenly and spiritual realities (see 3:6; 1 Corinthians 2:14-15). The Pharisees were set in their faulty perspective and were unwilling to consider that they might be wrong. They were people looking very hard —in the wrong place. Therefore, Jesus told them, “For you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.”NRSV In the Greek the last words are ego eimi (I am). Translators fill out the expression by adding “he” or even “the one I claim to be ” (NIV). This claim, made also in 8:28 and 8:58, was a claim to deity (see Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 43:10). By refusing to acknowledge Jesus as the divine Son of God, these people were committing spiritual suicide. To die in our sins is the worst that can happen, for it is to die without ever repenting of our sinful lifestyle or having our guilt and sin covered by the blood of Christ. Only by believing in Jesus and his teaching could these inquirers transcend their worldly way of thinking.

Jesus said his opponents would die in their sins, while subtly referring to his own sinless death. Still his opponents refused to acknowledge what Jesus had said about them. In verse 21 Jesus used sin (hamartia) in referring to their rejection of him; in verse 24 he used sins (hamartiais) to show that their sinful acts would confirm that they were sinners by nature. Because Jesus simply said, “I am,” instead of “I am — — — [Lord, Christ, etc.],” some have wondered if he used the phrase, “I am from above,” to indicate his divine nature. The broader context shows how the hearers finally understood the way Jesus was using “I am” —they attempted to stone him (8:58-59). This confirms the meaning for us also. Jesus confronted the leaders with their crucial need to recognize or reject his divinity. People today face that same need.

JESUS WARNS OF COMING JUDGMENT / 8:21-30 / 127

With chilling brevity, Jesus predicted the fate of those who fail to find him. The Pharisees continued to respond to Jesus out of rigid human standards. Because of this, they continued to be denounced by Jesus. But in this case, Jesus’ hardness proved to be compassion. Only the bluntness of Jesus’ vision of their condition finally broke through to some. By the end of this section, while he was speaking, “many put their faith in him” (8:30 NIV).

8:21-22

8:26 “I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”NRSV Jesus could have said more to them in way of judgment, but he would speak only what his Father commanded. The Pharisees claimed they wanted him to explain his identity, but Jesus knew they were simply heaping judgment on themselves. Instead of continuing an argument with these religious leaders who had already made up their minds not to believe, Jesus would say no more in condemnation. Rather, he would speak only what the Father told him to say —and he would speak, not just to the Jews, but to the world. And whatever he says is the Father’s word; thus it is true, reliable, and valid (see also 8:16).

8:27 The Pharisees still did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father.NRSV They mentally blocked out the possibility that Jesus had come from God the Father and was still accompanied by God the Father, even though Jesus mentioned this twice. Jesus was not alone; the Father who had sent him had come with him (see 8:16, 29). Jesus had not come on his own, and he did not do anything of his own initiative (see 8:28, 42). He lived to please his Father.

8:28-30 “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own.”NRSV The Jews in Jesus’ day understood the expression lifted up to signify crucifixion. That the religious leaders would realize who Jesus was does not mean that they would believe in him. Rather, it means that Jesus’ claims would be proven through the Crucifixion and Resurrection. “I am he” refers immediately to the title “Son of Man.”

Jesus was not on his own mission to gain glory for himself; he had come to fulfill the Father’s will by dying on the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross exhibited his absolute submission to the Father’s will. He summed it up thus: “I always do what is pleasing to him.”NRSV

The passage concludes with a crack in the wall of resistance to Jesus. Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.NIV Even among those most unyielding to Jesus were some who surrendered to his character and words. Groups may be labeled as being solidly against Christ, but God specializes in plucking out believers from the most unexpected sources.

THE RISK WORTH TAKING

To people who fear being offensive when they express their faith, the bluntness of Jesus’ statements stands as a rebuke. Sometimes we do not love people enough to risk losing their approval. Jesus took the risk because he loved the people, even those who rejected him. Among those who did respond to Jesus were some who had once been firmly set against him.

At all times Jesus was truthful, never deliberately harsh or offensive. Jesus said what people needed to hear, fully knowing that they did not want to hear it. If we wait to speak about Christ until we are sure the other person is ready to respond, we may never speak at all. Our caution will prevent us from sharing our faith with some who might astound us with their unexpected openness.

JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT GOD’S TRUE CHILDREN / 8:31-47 / 128

Next Jesus singled out the group of people who recently had believed in him. They formed part of the scattered response from among the crowd listening to Jesus in 8:30. Difficulties with this passage arise from the fact that John called them believers in verses 30 and 31, but they proved to be faithless. Their belief in Jesus turned out to be merely superficial. Jesus tested their commitment with his first instructions; their response demonstrates their unwillingness to actually follow the one in whom they had recently declared their faith. Their arguments with Jesus proved that they had failed the condition Jesus gave in verse 31 —“If . . . you are really my disciples . . .”

We must ask ourselves whether our excitement over the apparent conversion of a person stems from our genuine delight over salvation or from a selfish claim to have “led someone to Christ.” Are we glad because a new life has begun, or because we have done our job? Do we close the file, or roll up our sleeves? Jesus continually asked people who followed him to count the cost. He did not hesitate to challenge immature or incomplete expressions of faith. Believing in Jesus has ongoing implications. If initial belief does not lead to obedience, it may not have been genuine.

8:31 To those who believed in him Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”NIV As the following verses demonstrate, some of these new believers did not remain his followers for long. But Jesus urged those who really wanted to remain his disciples to hold to, or continue in, his teachings. John’s report of the failure of one group of followers is a strong lesson. We need to count the cost of following Jesus (see Luke 14:25-35).

The Greek expression for hold to (meinete en, also translated “abide in” or “remain in”) has great spiritual significance in the Gospel of John (see especially 15:1-17). We abide in Christ when we place ourselves in him and continue there, drawing life from his words. This produces ongoing discipleship. A true and obedient disciple will find the truth by knowing the one who is the truth, Jesus himself (1:17; 14:6). This knowledge frees people from their bondage to sin (see 8:34).

8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”NKJV When Jesus spoke of “know[ing] the truth,” he was speaking of knowing God’s revelation to man. This revelation is embodied in Jesus himself, the Word; therefore, to know the truth is to know Jesus. The truth is not political freedom or intellectual knowledge. Knowing the truth means accepting it, obeying it, and regarding it above all earthly opinion. Doing so offers true spiritual freedom from sin and death.

Believers become truly free because they are free to do God’s will, and thus fulfill God’s ultimate purpose in their lives. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit living within us and guiding us on our journey through life. In fact, later in 16:13, Jesus specifically identified the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth” who will “guide you into all truth” (NIV).

THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE

Just as the Jews misunderstood what Jesus meant by “the truth shall make you free,” people today still take it the wrong way. In fact, this familiar phrase has been used out of context to promote a wide range of freedoms. Universities use it on their seals to promote the value of academic knowledge. Yet around the world people who know academic truths are still in bondage. So Jesus must have had some other kind of truth and freedom in mind. For many, “knowing the truth” means personal autonomy, creativity, and freedom from oppression and ignorance, which they define as mental slavery. But Jesus didn’t die to guarantee personal freedom of expression.

The error comes when we think of truth as a concept rather than God himself, which was the way Jesus used the term. Jesus clarified his meaning when he said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (8:36 NIV). By interchanging truth and Son, Jesus implied that granting freedom is God’s work. So Jesus promised freedom from slavery to sin. That freedom begins when we acknowledge our bondage to sin. Only God can free us through his forgiveness, which he made possible by Christ’s death in our place on the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice did not free us “to do our own thing;” rather he freed us from doing our own thing so that we could serve him!

8:33 The Jews thought that Jesus’ words about their needing freedom devalued their ancestry and unique position with God, so they gave Jesus a little history lesson: “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”NIV Yet the crowd’s denial of the obvious seems apparent even to us. The Jewish ancestors of these people had been enslaved by the Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. And they were ruled by the Romans at the moment Jesus spoke. Though not actually in slavery, they were under foreign domination, and were looking for the Messiah to free them from Roman rule. But they insisted that as Abraham’s descendants they were free people. They also claimed that Abraham’s righteousness guaranteed their righteousness. Their spiritual superiority made them blind to their real slavery to sin. Jesus bluntly challenged their claims.

8:34-36 Not only was the crowd wrong about their national history, they were also wrong about the meaning of Jesus’ earlier statement. Jesus spoke of a different liberation —that of the soul set free from sin. He pointed out that they did indeed need to be set free, because, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”NRSV Jesus went on to explain . . .

“A slave has no permanent place in the family”NIV or “does not remain in the house forever.” But “a son belongs to it forever.”NIV This statement amplifies the difference between a slave and a son. A slave has no permanent standing in the master’s household because he or she can be sold to a different master (in the Roman Empire slaves had no legal status). But a son always has a place in the family. The Jews had a false sense of security because they claimed to be Abraham’s children —and thus thought this guaranteed them a permanent place in God’s family and household (heaven). But Jesus explained that they, along with all people, were slaves to sin. As such, they had no permanent standing in the Father’s house.

“If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”NKJV The Son of God alone has the power and authority to free people from their bondage to sin. Paul developed the same idea in Romans 6:12-23. Paul also wrote in Galatians, “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. . . . And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26, 29 NRSV).

SET FREE!

Sin has a way of enslaving us, controlling us, dominating us, and dictating our actions. It manifests itself in self-centeredness, rebelliousness, possessiveness, dysfunctional love, and addictive behaviors. Jesus can free us from this slavery that keeps us from becoming the person God created us to be. Even if sin is restraining, mastering, or enslaving us, Jesus can break its power over our life. Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free (8:36). He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from the consequences of sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God. Thus Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to serve God, Jesus’ perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.

8:37-38

“I know you are Abraham’s descendants.”NIV Jesus recognized that the Jews could rightfully claim to be Abraham’s descendants, but they were his children only in the physical sense, not spiritually or morally, because they were ready to killNIV him. In seeking to kill Jesus, the true Son of Abraham (see Galatians 3:16), these leaders revealed that they were not Abraham’s spiritual children. If they had been, they would have recognized their Messiah.

Jesus knew of their plans, and knew where those plans originated. He pointed to their evil nature and said, “You do what you have heard from your father.”NIV In being ready to kill Jesus, the leaders betrayed their link with another father, namely the devil (8:44). Jesus made a distinction between hereditary children and true children. The religious leaders were hereditary children of Abraham (founder of the Jewish nation) and therefore claimed to be children of God. But their actions showed them to be true children of Satan, for they lived under Satan’s guidance. True children of Abraham (faithful followers of God) would not act as they did. Church membership and/or family connections will not make people true children of God. Only rebirth can do that. Then they will imitate and obey their true Father.

8:39 “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did.”NRSV Sons copy their fathers, but the Jewish leaders did not behave like the one whom they claimed as their father. Jesus specifically pointed to their sin of wanting to kill him because this proved that they were not Abraham’s true children. Abraham believed in and obeyed God (see Genesis 12:1-4; 15:6; 22:1-14) and welcomed God’s messengers (Genesis 18:1-8).

8:40-41 “You are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.”NIV They could not claim to have Abraham as their father when they were seeking to kill the one who brought them truth from God, for “Abraham did not do such things.”NIV

Instead, Jesus said, “You are doing the things your own father does.”NIV Jesus was speaking of Satan as being their father, but they did not understand this. So Jesus made this explicit in verse 44.

The Jews protested, “We are not illegitimate children.”NRSV Some commentators have said that this retort was a slur on Jesus’ own birth, but they would not have known about his unusual origins. They all assumed Jesus was Joseph’s son. Rather, they could have been claiming to be unlike the Samaritans, who were not purebred Jews or claiming to be devout monotheists untainted by spiritual fornication with other gods.

“The only Father we have is God himself.”NIV Since their appeal to Abrahamic privilege was either deflected or challenged by Jesus (see explanation of translation above), they appealed to their position with God. Their retort shows that they took offense at being told that their ancestry did not automatically place them in a privileged moral standing before God. But they did not truly know the one God they claimed as their Father because they did not recognize his Son who had come to give them the truth and to set them free from sin.

8:42 Jesus forcefully challenged the leaders’ claim that they were God’s children. “If God were your Father, you would love me.”NRSV If those people truly loved God as their Father, then they would recognize and love the Son. And he repeated for them his origin and mission: “I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”NRSV Jesus came as the one sent by the Father to bring God’s word to his people.

8:43

“Why do you not understand what I say?”NRSV Jesus already knew the answer to this question —but he asked the leaders so he could answer for them. They did not understand because they had already made up their minds about him, and thus could not hear and accept what Jesus had to say. Understanding was not the problem; being willing to hear and accept it as the truth was their barrier. As Paul later wrote to the Corinthian church, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. . . . The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:12, 14 NIV).

8:44 Jesus told them, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.”NIV A person’s actions reveal what is in his or her heart. In a later letter John wrote, “Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (1 John 3:8 NRSV).

The devil “was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”NIV The intent to murder comes from the devil. The devil was the instigator of Jesus’ murder (6:70-71; 13:27) and the perpetrator of the lies that the Jews believed about Jesus.

DANGEROUS DEAFNESS

Jesus’ audience was hardened and deaf; the life-giving, enlightening word could not penetrate their closed hearts, ears, and minds. And this was very dangerous because not being open to the words of God made them receptive targets for the devil’s lies. The religious leaders were unable to understand because they refused to listen. Satan used their stubbornness, pride, and prejudices to keep them from believing in Jesus.

If we fill our life with distracting and conflicting messages from the heroes we follow, the books we read, the songs we listen to, and the movies we watch, we will discover that it is harder and harder to “hear” God speaking at all. He has not stopped communicating; we are just listening to other voices.

The attitudes and actions of the Jewish leaders clearly identified them as followers of Satan, though they may not have been conscious of this. But their hatred of truth, their lies, and their murderous intentions indicate how much control the devil had over them. They were Satan’s tools in carrying out his plans; they spoke the very same language of lies. Satan still uses people to obstruct God’s work (Genesis 4:8; Romans 5:12; 1 John 3:12).

8:45-46 In contrast to the devil, who habitually lies, Jesus speaks only the truthNIV —and for that reason was not believed. In the end, Jesus was rejected not only because the Jews judged him to be a Sabbath breaker and blasphemer (5:18), but also because his words to them were very harsh and exposing. In light of his character and words they could not stand to see and hear the truth about themselves.

If there was a chink in Jesus’ armor, his next question would have been their golden opportunity to destroy him. Jesus left himself completely open for a direct attack.

“Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”NIV Of course no one could. People who hated him and wanted him dead scrutinized his behavior but could find nothing wrong. And they were grasping at straws trying to make him anything but what he claimed to be. Jesus proved he was God in the flesh by his sinless life. He was speaking the truth, but they refused to believe. And Jesus knew why.

8:47 “Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”NRSV Although some in his audience had heard and become believers (8:30), most remained deaf because their hearts were hardened (see 12:39-40). They refused to hear (or obey) the words of God because they were not God’s children.

HEARING AID

Jesus’ use of the word whoever makes his statement easily applicable to our own time. The claim to hear God speak is much easier to make than to prove. Jesus consistently taught that obedience was the indicator of hearing. Take the steps to active listening:

• Get away from distracting noise.
• Approach God in a prayerful attitude.
• Devote your full attention to his Word.
• Open your heart and mind, and be willing to obey what he said.
• Don’t argue; listen.

JESUS STATES HE IS ETERNAL / 8:48-59 / 129

At this point, the dialogue between Jesus and his Jewish audience took a decidedly angry turn. Since they had no answer for his clear diagnosis of their spiritual sickness, Jesus’ audience reacted with a verbal attack against him. They charged him with two of the most offensive terms at their disposal: “Samaritan” and “demon-possessed.” Name-calling usually indicates that a person or group has run out of intelligent comments. Up until this point, Jesus’ opponents reserved one final accusation against him: blasphemy. But as Jesus responded to their angry tirade he finally led them to realize the full extent of his claims. He used the “I am” phrase in 8:58 to state his unequivocal claim to divinity. He left no more room for debate. The crowd took up the stones to carry out judgment for blasphemy, but Jesus removed himself from that place. He would choose the time and place for final confrontation.

8:48-50 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”NIV This is the only instance in the Gospels where Jesus is charged with being a Samaritan. These expressions were filled with great anger. The Samaritans were considered beneath the Jews because of their intermarriage with heathens and their religious impurity. The Jews leveled this charge at Jesus because he, a fellow Jew, had accused them of not being true descendants of Abraham (see 8:37-44). Elsewhere in John, Jesus was accused of being demon-possessed (see 7:20; 8:52; 10:20).

Jesus did not respond to the charge of being “a Samaritan”; he did refute the charge of being demon-possessed. “I am not possessed by a demon . . . you dishonor me.”NIV Jesus told the leaders that they were dishonoring him by such a charge because Jesus always sought to honor and glorify his Father. Jesus was not seeking any glory for himself, but he explained, “There is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.”NIV The Father would seek glory for his Son and judge those who dishonor him.

8:51 “Whoever keeps my word will never see death.”NRSV To keep Jesus’ word means to hear his words and obey them. Keeping Jesus’ word includes relying on the character, ability, strength, and truth of what he promised. When Jesus said that those who obeyed wouldn’t die, he was talking about spiritual death, not physical death. Even physical death, however, will eventually be overcome. Those who follow Christ will be raised to live eternally with him.

8:52-53 “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets.”NIV For Jesus to claim that he could prevent death was for him a claim to be greater than any person who ever lived —indeed, it meant he was claiming to be divine. These Jews were convinced that only a madman (someone who was demon-possessed) would make such a claim.

8:54-55 “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing.”NIV Again, Jesus deferred the matter of his divine identity to his relationship with his Father. He could never make the kind of claims he made apart from his union with the Father. If he had come of his own accord, his glory would be worthless. But the Father had sent him, and the Father would glorify him —even if the Jews didn’t.

“My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.”NIV The crux of the matter was that the Jews did not know the Father from whom Jesus came, even though they claimed to know him. The one who really knew the Father and kept his word knew that these Jews were lying.

8:56 “Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.”NRSV Jesus referred to Abraham as their ancestor, but he meant it only in the physical sense. Abraham, by some revelation not directly recorded in Genesis, saw the coming day of the Messiah (cf. Hebrews 11:8-13). Several possibilities have been proposed: (1) According to rabbinic tradition, Abraham was given foresight about the future of his descendants. Jesus, perhaps knowing this tradition, pinpointed the one event that would have made Abraham rejoice —the day when the Messiah, his descendant, would come to deliver the world; (2) Genesis 17:7 mentions God’s establishment of an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s offspring, which some take to be a messianic promise; (3) Genesis 22:8 records Abraham’s prophetic words that “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,”NIV which received their complete fulfillment in Jesus. Of the three interpretations, the first makes the most sense because the text speaks of “my day” —i.e., the time of Christ’s presence on earth.

8:57 “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”NRSV Jesus had not claimed to be a contemporary with Abraham or that he had seen Abraham; instead, he said that Abraham had seen his day. The comment about Jesus being not yet fifty years old is a roundabout way of saying that he was not yet an old man.

DECISION TIME

When Jesus said that he existed before Abraham was born, he undeniably proclaimed his divinity. Not only did Jesus say that he existed before Abraham; he also applied God’s holy name (I AM —Exodus 3:14) to himself. No other religious figure in all of history has made such claims. Either Jesus was God or he was a madman. His claim to deity demands a response. It cannot be ignored. The Jewish leaders tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy because he claimed equality with God. But Jesus is God. How have you responded to Jesus, the Son of God?

8:58-59 Jesus astounded them with his answer: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”NKJV Abraham, as with all human beings, had come into existence at one point in time. But Jesus never had a beginning —he was eternal and therefore God. This is evident in the words “I AM” (ego eimi) which he used before (see 8:28). This statement may refer to Exodus 3:14, in which God unveiled his identity to Moses with the name “I AM WHO I AM” (NKJV), and to Isaiah 45:18, “I am the LORD, and there is no other” (NKJV). Thus, Jesus was claiming to be God.

This was too much for the Jews; these words so incensed them that they picked up stones to stone himNIV for blasphemy. In accordance with the law (Leviticus 24:16), the religious leaders were ready to exercise the punishment for claiming to be God (see 5:18; 10:31). They well understood what Jesus was claiming; and because they didn’t believe him, they charged him with blasphemy. In reality, they were really the blasphemers, cursing and attacking the God whom they claimed to serve!

But Jesus hid himselfNRSV or “was hidden” (perhaps meaning he was hidden by God), and went out of the temple.NRSV John doesn’t say it, but by now we know it —Jesus escaped their attempted stoning because his “hour had not yet come.”