John Chapter Eight

Synopsis: In this chapter we have, I. Christ's evading the snare which the Jews laid for him, in bringing to him a woman taken in adultery, Joh 8:1-11. II. Divers discourses or conferences of his with the Jews that cavilled at him, and sought occasion against him, and made every thing he said a matter of controversy. 1. Concerning his being the light of the world, Joh 8:12-20. 2. Concerning the ruin of the unbelieving Jews, Joh 8:21-30. 3. Concerning liberty and bondage, Joh 8:31-37. 4. Concerning his Father and their father, Joh 8:38-47. 5. Here is his discourse in answer to their blasphemous reproaches, Joh 8:48-50. 6. Concerning the immortality of believers, Joh 8:51-59. And in all this he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself. Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

John 8:1-11 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

After the confrontation with the elders in the Temple given to us in the previous Chapter, John says, every man went to his own house, but Jesus, not having a house to go to (Luke 9:58), left Jerusalem, and went again to the Mount of Olives to spend the night. And early in

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the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. But the affray between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees, which ended the day before in impasse, would again be rejoined on this day. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. You see, they really wanted to stone Jesus much more than they wanted to stone this adulteress. They thought to tempt Jesus into openly defying the Law of Moses by defending this woman who was caught in the very act of adultery. The thing that has always troubled me in this accusation against this women is, where is the man? If she was caught in the very act, the man she was with was caught, too. But he must have been a prominent citizen of the community or perhaps one of their own number, and they were unwilling to bring him out to be stoned as the Law of Moses says. Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. But Jesus said nothing, but instead stooped down, and wrote with His finger on the ground. This is the only record we have of Jesus having written anything. I suppose this was a great shock to the scribes and Pharisees because they thought Him to be an illiterate. At first, they were more concerned with the fact that Jesus seemed to be ignoring them, and the woman they had brought before Him, than what He was writing, and they pressed Him for an answer on this. So, when He finally paused in His writing, He stood up and said to them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. Now, there is a lot of speculation as to what Jesus was writing there on the ground. The best I’ve heard is that Jesus was writing names

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of women, and not just any names, but names at least some, if not all, the scribes and Pharisees would have known, because they were names of women with which they themselves had had illicit affairs in the past. They thought no one knew about these things, but Jesus knew, and after He wrote those names there, they knew their own sin and hypocrisy had found them out (Numbers 32:23). After Jesus said this, He, again, stooped down and wrote on the ground. Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. Now, discretion is the better part of valor. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. All the people of God have sinned and fallen short (Romans 3:23), but Jesus has come that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Whosoever Jesus has set free from the condemnation of sin, is free to go, and sin no more.

John 8:12-18 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I

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and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

Jesus was, is, and forever will be the light of the world. Jesus is the Word of God, and in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1), and the Word said, Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good and God divided the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:3-4). God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Jesus is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person (Hebrews 1:3). He is the light of the world. He is the manifestation of all things. The light of God came to reprove the world of darkness. Ephesians 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. But He came to illuminate the children of light (1Thessalonians 5:5), and to give them life so that they might believe in the light (John 12:36). John 1:4-5 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. But the children of darkness cannot see the light because they are blind to it, or, as the case maybe, blinded by it. John 3:18-21 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

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This is the separation that God made from the beginning when He separated the light from the darkness. When Jesus said to these men, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life, He spoke against them because they were blind to the light of God having no part in it. Jesus, therefore, will have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but will rather reprove them (Ephesians 5:11). The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. I think they answered this way because of what Jesus said before, If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true (John 5:31), thinking to catch Him in His own words. But Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. The point of testifying that He was the light of the world, was to show them He does not judge men after the flesh. The light is Spiritual and the darkness is spiritual. Jesus judges after the Spirit of Light. He has nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness (Romans 13:12), nor the spirit thereof. He came into the world to destroy the works of the Devil and his seed who perpetrate this darkness of sin on the world. 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Jesus then says to them His witness of Himself is true because it is also the testimony of God, the Father, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

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Notice Jesus said, It is also written in your law. The true law is the incontrovertible Word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, which they in nowise believed.

John 8:19-20 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

By asking this question, Where is thy Father? They, obviously, do not comprehend anything that Jesus is saying to them, and one of the reasons for this is they have predisposed themselves to believe the blasphemous lies told about Jesus rather than the truths they themselves saw and heard come from Him. They certainly did not believe in the virgin birth of Christ, so, of course, they did not believe that God was His Father. They had heard the rumors that Joseph, husband of His mother Mary, was not His father, so there was no question as to whether or not He was speaking of him. As we shall see, they thought, since He was from Galilee, His father was some anonymous Samaritan, and that Joseph had taken Mary to be his wife, out of the benevolence of his heart, knowing she was pregnant with this illegitimate child. But Joseph, who was probably dead by this point, believed in the virgin birth because it was given to him to know the truth of it by the disposition of Angels in much the same way as the Law had been given to Moses (Acts 7:53), thus saith the Lord. Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his

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people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Of course, Jesus, knew their thoughts and the point of their question, and He answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. They do not know Jesus because they do not know God. They cannot lay hands on Him now because He is in charge of His own destiny, and God, the Father, has appointed the time.

John 8:21-24 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. The Jews were disparately seeking the ways and means to take Jesus, and kill Him, and He wants them to know He is fully aware of their plans. He is saying, my way only begins with the Via Della Rosa, the way of suffering. I go to the cross, to die for the sins of my people, but there will come a time when you, in your desperation, will cry out for the Messiah to come and save you out of all your tribulation. You will seek me, but I will not come to you, and you

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shall die in your sins, because I am now come, and you do not believe that I am He. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. Right now they are seeking Him as one enemy seeks to destroy another. But the time will come, and now is, when the door (John 10:9) to the Kingdom of Heaven will be closed to them forever, and they will die in their sins and be cast into Gehenna, the lake of fire, the place prepared for the Devil and His angels (spirits). Luke 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. Malachi 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. 1 Corinthians 16:22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha (accursed at the coming of the Lord). If you are not among them that love the appearing of the Lord (2 Timothy 4:8), you will be, and already are, suspended from the Kingdom of God, and cursed with the final penalty for your sins. If you believe not that Jesus is the Christ you are accursed, and you will die in your sins and be justly condemned by God.

John 8:25-30 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that

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sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him.

Now in agitated frustration, the Pharisees and scribes blurt out, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. They’re not getting it, and they never will, but their question is still being asked today. Who is Jesus? And there are many things written and said that seek to define Him. There are movies and TV shows that try to document Him. And, most, if not all, of them are revised history, rife with heresy and blasphemy. Why is Jesus so mysterious to these men here, and to the world today, when His true identity has been so thoroughly revealed to them? Because they are all willingly ignorant of these things, and there is no cure for that incestuous, insidious learning disorder. Acts 17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. Jesus knows they will not believe until they have no choice. When they see the Lord high and lifted up (Isaiah 6:1), and coming in clouds of glory and judgment, then, and only then, will they believe. Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and

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they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Zechariah 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. These men have thoroughly examined Him, and have discovered to their astonishment, He hath done all things well (Mark 7:37). They have found no fault in Him (John 19:4) except what they themselves have manufactured. They will have to suborn false witnesses against Him in order to fulfill their purpose of putting Him to death, and for this, they will be rightfully judged and condemned. He is the paschal Lamb that is to be sacrificed by them to God, the Father, for the sins of His people, and when they have done this, when He is crucified on the cross, taken down dead, and buried, He will rise again in judgment over them. Then they will know who He is. As Jesus spake these words, many there that heard Him believed on him. Because it is given unto the elect to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the rest it is not given (Matthew 13:11), that they all might be damned who believed not the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:12). Romans 3:3-4 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

John 8:31-36 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

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Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. Now Jesus is speaking to the believers, and He says ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. All who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), are His disciples, and He shall make them free from the bondage of sin and the Devil. But the ones who were not believers are the ones who answer Him on this, saying, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man. They were in bondage in more ways than one. First off, they were in the bondage of deaf ignorance of the Word of God. Secondly, they were in bondage of blinding darkness. They could not see the Son of God when He was standing right there in front of them. Thirdly, they were in the bondage of sin, because they were full of hypocrisy, and lies, and strong delusions of self-righteousness. Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Lastly, they and their nation were in bondage to the Romans because at this time their country was ruled by Rome. But, because they were of the physical seed of Abraham, they thought they were not in bondage at all, but that God had given them an inheritance in this land that no one could take away. Therefore, they ask, how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. The greatest bondage of all is the bondage of sin because it carries with it a death sentence. The scripture says, There is no man that sinneth not (1 Kings 8:46), and since this is firmly established in their Bible, the Old Testament, they should have been well aware of it. It is also written, Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin (Proverbs 20:9)? And again, Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? And the answer is, not one (Job 14:4). For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Everyone that has ever been

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born on the earth is born with a sin nature, and is, therefore, subject to the bondage of sin and the penalty that comes with its commission. Jesus is the only one who delivers us from the bondage of sin and death. That is freedom indeed. Hebrews 2:14-15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

John 8:37-40 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

It should be crystal clear from this discourse that Jesus does not believe in the universal fatherhood of God, nor the universal brotherhood of men. Jesus tells them, I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. Jesus is the Word of God. He is the truth of God. Whosoever is quickened by the Word of God is born again and is made free from the bondage of sin and death. Whosoever is not quickened by the Word of God is not a child of God. There is a spiritual seed, and there is a physical seed. One is the Word of God, and the other is the lie of Satan. Which one you believe defines and interprets who you are. 1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. God has prepared the hearts and minds of His people, His children, to receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to

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save their souls (James 1:21). And the Word is found of all those to whom it is sent. Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. These men—especially the Pharisees, believed because they were of the descendants of Abraham, they were the legitimate heirs of the promises God made to him. They thought by keeping the Law they could maintain their inheritance not knowing the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all (Romans 4:13-16). Thus Jesus says to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness (Romans 4:3). These men do not believe the Word of God who is now speaking to them, and how will that be imputed to them? If they do not believe the truth of God, they will believe the lie of Satan, and thus manifest themselves as his children. To the acerbic and caustic words spoken against them by Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees answer, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Thus alluding to what they considered Jesus’ questionable birth, and following that up with what they believed their own high and holy lineage to be—we are children of God.

John 8:42-47 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither

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came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

When these elders of Israel claimed to be legitimate children of God, Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Because these men were not a part of the household of faith, the house of God, the Father, they did not believe in Jesus. They certainly did not love Jesus, showing that the love of God was not in them. Instead, they hated Jesus and were seeking, not to receive His words, or to understand Him, but to kill Him. They just wanted Him out of their lives, and they planned to see that desire accomplished by any means necessary. They claimed to have God as their Father, yet in works they denied Him because they hated His Son. If you hate the Son you hate the Father also. Jeremiah 8:8-9 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? Jesus knew from the beginning who these people were, and He knew what was in there hearts. He was never trying to persuade them to His cause or to convert them in any way. He wasn’t even trying to pacify them. He never tried to do anything. The whole purpose of this discordant colloquy is to show Himself openly to them as the Messiah that the distinction might be made between these religious rulers and the King of kings--to fully illustrate the difference between believers and nonbelievers--to thoroughly manifest them as children

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of the Devil. For this cause He says to them, Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. They cannot hear the Word of God because there is no place found in them to receive it. They are like deaf adders that stop their ears, and will not hear the voice of God (Psalms 58:4-5). As it is written, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Hebrews 3:15). They cannot hear the Word of God because they have no ears to hear it (Matthew 11:15). Jesus knows who their spiritual father is, and now He tells them plainly to their face, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Jesus tells them they are not lovers of the truth, but lovers of lies (Revelation 22:15) because they are the children of the father of lies. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? Now Jesus lays out plainly and succinctly, the separation between the people of the god of this world—the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4), and the people of the one true God. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. If you cannot and will not hear the Word of God that is indisputable evidence against you that you are not of God. And the testimony of Jesus is pronounced against you, Ye are of your father the devil and the lust of him ye will do. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 …… what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? There is enmity between the seed of Satan and the seed of God. There are irreconcilable differences between antichrists and Christians.

John Chapter Eight

John 8:48-59 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

These Jewish leaders are nothing if not consistent. They are not going to let go of their belief that Jesus is of dubious lineage, and, therefore, cannot be the Messiah as He has claimed to be. But they add to it that He also has a devil. They say He is possessed by a demon, and that is why He is speaking such nonsense. But Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. In all that Jesus did and said here on earth, He honored the Father and never once sought His own glory though He was the glory of God made manifest as a man (Hebrew 1:3). And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). He was humble and obedient even unto death. Therefore, God will highly exalt Him (Philippians 2:9) and He will judge all men by Him. If these men or

John Chapter Eight

anyone else dishonors the Son of God, it will be God who takes vengeance. Jesus came to the earth to bring words of life (John 6:68) to a dead and dying generation of people, both Jew and Gentile. He is the only one who could speak to a physically or spiritually dead body and cause it to live again, but this raising of the dead was only done according to the will of God. It is true that Abraham is physically dead, and the prophets are likewise dead, but they are alive in spirit in the paradise of God because the Lord spoke to them, and they were given the gift of faith to believe His Word unto eternal life. Romans 4:17 (As it is written of Abraham, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. When Jesus tells them, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death, He is telling the truth, but they love lies rather than the truth, and they are not about to receive it. Romans 9:6-8 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Well, Jesus doesn’t make Himself anything. As the scripture says, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Psalm 90:2). John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know

John Chapter Eight

him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Jesus knows that these men are in the lineage of Abraham according to the flesh, but it was an out and out lie for them to say they were the children of God because they were children of Abraham. If they were children of God, they would not dishonor His Holy Son. Certainly, Abraham never dishonored Jesus, but honored Him each and every time He appeared to Him in His day. Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; He honored Him when he saw visions of His coming when Isaac, the son of promise was born. Genesis 17:19 And God said to Abraham, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. Yes, Abraham saw His day and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: In the reckoning of time from His physical birth to this time, Jesus was probably about 33 years old. This happened during the Feast of Tabernacles, and, I believe that it was at the time of this Feast that Jesus was born, so He would have turned 33 years old about this time. But Jesus is also the Ancient of days because He was, is, and always will be one with the Father. This conflagrative comment by Jesus saying, Before Abraham was, I am, will steam the Jews up so hot that they will take up stones to stone Him. They know what Jesus has said here. They understand it perfectly well. He was saying I am God. I Am is the name of God as God said to Moses from the burning bush. Exodus 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said

John Chapter Eight

unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. But the Jews were thwarted from their purpose to stone Jesus because HIs time had not yet come, and because stoning was not to be His means of death. Therefore, Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.