John 8 - ESV Study Bible

8:12 I am. See note on 6:35. Jesus is the light of the world (see note on 1:4–5; also 3:19–21; 12:35–36,46). Jesus fulfills OT promises of the coming of the “light” of salvation and the “light” of God (e.g., Ex. 25:37; Lev. 24:2; Ps. 27:1; Isa. 9:2; 42:6; 49:6; John 9:5; Acts 13:47; 26:18,23; Eph. 5:8–14; 1 John 1:5–7).

8:13–14 The Pharisees’ challenge continues the dispute of 5:31–47 (see note on 5:31).

8:15 according to the flesh. That is, according to the natural understanding and human standards of this world. When Jesus says, “I judge no one,” he means that during his earthly ministry he did not come as judge of the world but as its Savior (see 3:17; 12:47). However, Jesus’ coming does itself provide a basis for division and thus “judgment” in another sense (see 3:19; 9:39), and at a later time Jesus will come to judge the entire world (see 5:22,27,29; 12:48). In yet another sense, where “judge” means “rightly evaluate,” Jesus does judge events and people throughout his earthly ministry (see 5:30; 7:24; 8:16,26).

8:20 The treasury as a structure is mentioned in Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 19.294; Jewish War 6.282) and likely was located adjacent to the Court of the Women (Josephus, Jewish War 5.200; cf. Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4). The NT occurrences of this Greek term may indicate either a collection box for the treasury or the treasury structure itself. Furthermore, in John 8:20 the Greek preposition (en), translated as “in the treasury,” can mean “in the vicinity of” (i.e., “at” or “by”); thus it need not be assumed that Jesus and the disciples had access to the secured halls that stored the immense wealth of the temple. hour. See notes on 2:4; 7:30.

8:21 Where I am going refers to heaven, in the presence of the Father.

8:23 From below means belonging to this natural world; from above means from heaven, from God the Father, and also following his will and speaking his truth.

8:24 I am he at one level may simply mean “I am the Messiah” or the one “sent” by the Father (or, in view of v. 12, “I am the light of the world”). The Greek phrase egō eimi simply means “I am” and is used in an ordinary sense in 9:9 by a man Jesus healed. However, John is fond of using words with a double meaning (see notes on 3:14; 4:10; 11:50–51; 19:19; cf. also 3:7–8) and this verse is one of several that hint at a connection with God’s statement to Moses in Ex. 3:14, “I AM [Gk. Septuagint: Egō eimi] WHO I AM.” See notes on John 6:20; 8:58.

8:28 lifted up. See note on 3:14.

8:29 This verse affirms not only Jesus’ lack and avoidance of sin but also that he is always doing positive things that are pleasing to God.

8:31 Their “belief” is shown to be false in the course of the story (see vv. 33–47). To abide in Jesus’ word means to continue believing what Jesus has said and walking in obedience to him (see note on 15:4; also 6:56; 1 John 2:6,28; 3:6). This verse shows that continuing to trust Jesus and obey him is one test of who are truly my disciples.

8:32 This verse is frequently quoted out of context, but the connection with v. 31 shows that Jesus is only talking about one way to know the truth, and that is by continuing to believe and obey his word. set you free. From the guilt and enslaving power of sinful patterns of conduct (see note on v. 34).

8:34 A slave to sin (see also notes on Rom. 6:16 and 1 Cor. 7:21) means unable to escape from sinful patterns of conduct without the help of Jesus to set a person free (see John 8:36).

8:36 Sets you free from both the guilt and the life-controlling power of sin (and probably also from the accompanying influence of demonic activity, as Jesus mentions in v. 44).

8:37 my word finds no place in you. It was not the persuasiveness or power of Jesus’ words that determined how people responded to him, but the spiritual condition of their own hearts.

8:39–40 Jesus had just agreed that they were physically descended from Abraham (v. 37), but now he denies that they are truly Abraham’s children, for their behavior contradicts their claim. This implies that Abraham’s true children are only those who believe in Jesus (cf. Rom. 2:28–29; 9:6–8). What Abraham did most prominently was believe God (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). Similarly, the Jews who are speaking here should believe in Jesus, for he comes from God and is speaking the very words of God.

8:39–58 our father. See note on 3:3–6.

8:42–44 Their response to Jesus shows they are not truly God’s children, but children of the Devil. The clear implication is that not all religious people are children of God—not even Jewish people who reject Jesus—but only those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

8:43 not understand. Throughout this Gospel many people misunderstand Jesus and his teaching. Here he gives the reason: it is because you cannot bear (or, “you are not able,” Gk. dynamai) to hear my word, where “hear” should be taken in the sense of “hear and receive,” or “hear and accept.”

8:44 The Devil was a murderer from the beginning: that is, the Devil incited Cain to kill Abel (cf. 1 John 3:12). He does not stand in the truth, i.e., it is not the realm that he lives and acts and thinks in. He is the father of lies: at the fall, the Devil blatantly contradicted God’s word (Gen. 3:3–4; cf. Gen. 2:17).

8:47 You do not hear in the sense of hearing, believing, and following (see note on v. 43).

8:48 Samaritan. See note on 4:4.

8:56 Abraham rejoiced that he would see the day of Christ; he saw it and was glad. Jesus is possibly referring to a whole pattern of joyful and confident faith in Abraham’s life, rather than one specific event. If the reference is to one event, some possibilities are Gen. 12:1–3; or 17:17,20; or 22:8, 13–18; cf. Rom. 4:13–21.

8:58 If there had been any uncertainty about Jesus’ identity in other passages where he said, “I am” (e.g., 6:35; 9:5; 11:25), there was no confusion here because Jesus is claiming to be the one who was alive before Abraham was, that is, more than 2,000 years earlier. Jesus does not simply say, “Before Abraham was, I was,” which would simply mean that he is more than 2,000 years old. Rather, he uses the present tense “I am” in speaking of existence more than 2,000 years earlier, thus claiming a kind of transcendence over time that could only be true of God. The words “I am” in Greek use the same expression (Egō eimi) found in the Septuagint in the first half of God’s self-identification in Ex. 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM.” Jesus is thus claiming not only to be eternal but also to be the God who appeared to Moses at the burning bush. His Jewish opponents understood his meaning immediately and they “picked up stones” to stone him to death for blasphemy (see John 8:59). See notes on 6:20; 8:24.

8:59 picked up stones. See note on Acts 7:58. Stoning was the prescribed punishment for blasphemy (Lev. 24:16; cf. Deut. 13:6–11; John 10:31–33; 11:8). However, this punishment was supposed to be the result of righteous judgment, not mob violence (Deut. 17:2–7).