“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” “I tell you the truth” = “Verily, verily” (KJV) means “I am telling you the truth; I am telling you the truth” and is meant to get the attention of the hearer and to stress the inportance of what follows. “I am” …
Category Archives: Chapter 8
John 8:57
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “fifty years old” = Fifty was the age at which the Levites retired (Num 4:3), and the age at which a man was thought fit to give counsel, the prime of life. It was just a good measure …
John 8:56
Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” There was a Jewish tradition that Abraham saw the whole history of his descendants in the vision of (Gen 15:6) and that by faith he looked ahead to the coming of Messiah in the promise of (Gen 12:3). …
John 8:55
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. “know” = ginosko = to learn to know, come to know, this indicates knowledge that is acquired. The second “know” in “I know him.” …
John 8:54
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Jesus specifically states Who His Father is. Note the phrase He uses when referring to these Jews and their relation to His Father: “whom you claim as your God” Why does …
John 8:53
Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” The question is posed with the expectation of a negative answer, but the true answer is, of course, yes! The Jews thought very highly of Abraham but they did believe that Messiah would be greater …
John 8:52
At this the Jews exclaimed, “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. Note the difference of verbs used by Jesus and then by the Jews in referring to what He had just said. Both …
John 8:51
I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” “word” (NIV) = “saying” (KJV) = logos = the whole of Jesus’ message. “keeps” = tereo = to attend to carefully, take care of. What does Jesus mean by this statement? Apart from the second coming, won’t we all die? …
John 8:50
I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. Jesus was not seeking the glory (“doxa” which means a high opinion or brilliant splendor) of anyone but God. He saw ahead to the suffering He was to undergo and, being full aware of the glory …
John 8:49
“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honour my Father and you dishonour me. Jesus completely ignores the accusation of being a Samaritan (why?) and briefly states the truth about the other accusation. Note (1 Peter 2:23, Psalms 69:7-9). He goes on to point out that he honors His Father and …
John 8:48
The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” Jesus had just enraged these Jews by accusing them of being of the heritage of the devil and not of Abraham or God. He had gone further in challenging them to point out any sin in His life if …
John 8:47
He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” Hearing From God The opponents of Jesus lack the ability to hear God’s words, which is only given to those who are His (John 10:4-5). As Barclay states, “it is quite possible …
John 8:45-46
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Jesus undoubtedly gives a lengthy pause between these two sentences in verse 46 to give the Jews time to bring any accusations, which they …
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He 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. Your enemy …
John 8:43
Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. “unable” = the reason the Jews don’t understand what Jesus is teaching is that they are incapable of hearing His word. It is not that they are intellectually unable to understand; their problem is spiritual deafness. They cannot …
John 8:42
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. “If…” the conditional form Jesus uses indicates that God is not their Father and they do not love Jesus. Again, the Jews …
John 8:41
You are doing the things your own father does.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” “illegitimate children” can mean 2 things: the Israelites were called “children of adultery” when the nation fell away from God (Hosea 2:4). The Jews are making the tremendous claim that they …
John 8:40
As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. “you are determined to kill me, a man who has …” = The very reason the Jews are seeking to kill Jesus is that He has told …
John 8:39
“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did. Abraham is our father = The Jews considered Abraham to be the greatest man to ever live. They figured that since he had found such great favor with God and since they were direct …
John 8:38
I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.” There are a series of contrasts in this verse: I and you, speak and do, and my Father and your father. There is also a different level of revelation. The Jews do what …
John 8:37
I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. Though they are the descendents of Abraham, they certainly do not act like him. They are seeking to kill Jesus and this action sets them apart from Abraham. (Luke 3:8) Luke 3:8 Produce fruit …
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. A slave cannot free himself; he has not the power to do so. He may only be freed by his owner: a member of the household to which he belongs. If a slave claims to be free based upon his own declaration, it …
John 8:35
Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever. The Jews had falsely claimed to be sons of God based upon their physical lineage through Abraham, and were presuming upon the rights of sons, which they, as slaves, did not possess. There is a position a …
John 8:34
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Jesus does not reply to their boast as He well could; instead He cuts right to the meat of the matter. His answer is prefaced by “verily, verily” or “truly, truly” which indicates the importance of that which follows. “sins” …
John 8:33
They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus has just spoken of a bondage which can only be alleviated by gaining knowledge of the truth. This is obviously a spiritual and not a physical bondage, and yet the …
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Results of Discipleship “truth” Our question is the same as that of Pilate (John 18:38) who said: “What is truth?” We are told that the truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17) and that He is full of truth (John 1:14), but …
John 8:31
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. “on” = this word (eis) is not present in this verse as it was in the previous verse. This should read “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed him…” There is a potential difference …
John 8:30
Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. Many put their faith in Him even though most seemingly rejected Him. There are two things we may learn about witnessing from this passage. Firstly, don’t be afraid to speak of dying in one’s sin and going to hell if Christ is rejected (Rom 1:16, …
John 8:29
The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” God didn’t leave Jesus alone and He will never forsake us either. Heb 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never …
John 8:28
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. “you” = Jesus is knowingly talking with His murderers (Acts 2:23) and yet …
John 8:27
They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. Jesus had spoken plainly and often of God being His Father, so how could they not understand? Because the devil blinds our minds to the truth (2 Cor 4:4). 2 Cor 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so …
John 8:26
“I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” McGarvey points out that “Up to this point Jesus had sought to reveal himself; from this point on he would reveal his enemies also, and though the revelation …
John 8:25
“Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied. Jesus has made a bold claim and the Jews would like to pin Him down to exactly what He means so that they could have grounds for charges of blasphemy against Him. The pronoun “who” is placed at the beginning …
John 8:24
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” Jesus intentionally uses mysterious language here. There is no predicate following “I am” in the Greek so, as Temple points out, it could refer …
John 8:23
But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Jesus makes a pair of contrasts between the Jews and Himself. “He has to remind them that there are other gulfs dividing men besides the gulf of death.” (Murray) “from below” may refer …
John 8:22
This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” The expected answer to their question is “no.” They don’t think it likely that Jesus will commit suicide but in their ignorance as to what he means, they are mocking Him. Josephus records the Jewish …
John 8:21
Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” Jesus sets His death in contrast to theirs. He is going but they will die in their sin. He uses the singular sin and not “sins.” …
John 8:20
He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no-one seized him, because his time had not yet come. “near the place where the offerings were put” = in the Court of Women close to where the 13 trumpet-shaped collection boxes were placed. The woman …
John 8:19
Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” The Pharisees sarcastically reply to Jesus with “where” not “who” because they know very well “Who” He is talking about. Even little children in Christ know the …
John 8:18
I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” Morris states, “In the light of His claims no other witness is possible. If Jesus really stands in the relationship to God in which he says He does, then no mere man is in a position to bear witness. …
John 8:17
In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. “your” law = sets Jesus apart from the Pharisees. The law also applied to them in a completely different manner than it did to Jesus. They were the receivers of the law and He was the Giver. They made their …
John 8:16
But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. As Morris observes, “Any judgment carried out by One who is in the very presence of the Father and in harmony with Him must be valid judgment.” (441) “who sent me” = It …
John 8:15
You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no-one. “by human standards” = “after the flesh” (KJV) = the nature of the flesh is to be weak and incomplete and so it is with their judgment. Even though Jesus will later state that He came into the world for judgment (John 9:39), His purpose in …
John 8:14
Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. In John 5:31-47 Jesus provided 5 witnesses besides Himself to validate His testimony: the Baptist, …
John 8:13
The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” The Pharisees stand in opposition to Jesus, but they do not address His statement; instead they characteristically raise a legal technicality. “not true” (NIV) = “not true” (KJV) = does not mean “false” but “not valid” or having no …
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The timing of this section of discourse between Jesus and His opponents is immediately following verse 7:52 and is either on the afternoon of …
John 8:11
“No-one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” This is the conclusion of the matter. Jesus has dealt with the hardness and judgmental attitude of her accusers and He now deals with the woman. Note that Jesus does not forgive her. Why not? …
John 8:9-10
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?” “began to go away” is in the continuous tense. Morris says this “gives …
John 8:8
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. Jesus wrote a second time on the ground. The first stone tablets written by the finger of God were broken (Ex 32:19) and the second set (Ex 34:1) were laid in the Ark of the Covenant (Deut 10:3-5), which would put them directly under the mercy …
John 8:7
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” “Under the law (Deut 17:7) the witnesses were to cast the first stone. Jesus maintained and vindicated the law, but imposed a condition which …
John 8:6
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. “trap” = to put to the test with a view to failing. The whole point of their bringing the woman before Him was to …
John 8:5
In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” “stone” = stoning was specified for the case of a betrothed woman guilty of adultery (Deut 22:23-24). In other cases just death was commanded without reference to its method (Lev 20:10; Deut 22:22). The Talmud calls for strangulation as the …
John 8:4
and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. “caught in the act” – She couldn’t plead “not guilty” because she was caught in the act and her sin was brought to light. Matthew Henry observes that it is better that our sin should shame us than it should damn …
John 8:3
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group There was a natural relationship between the scribes and the Pharisees. Scribes were those skilled in writing and the principal study among the Jews was the law, in which the Pharisees were so …
John 8:2
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered round him, and he sat down to teach them. “appeared” and “teach” are in the continuous tense. Jesus came to the Temple early in the morning and people kept coming to him so He sat down, as was His custom, and …
John 8:1
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives was one of the favorite places of Jesus to spend the night (Luke 21:37, 22:39). He probably had to stay there because He didn’t have a house in which to stay (Mat 8:20). He did that for our sakes (2 Cor 8:9). Luke 21:37 Each …