John Chapter 8:31-59 by Mark Dunagan

The Gospel Of John Chapter 8:31-59

John 8:31 ‘Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;”’ “to those Jews who had believed Him”-Various individuals in the crowd that Jesus had been addressing were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (7:30). But mere faith isn’t enough (12:42-43). Note that a faith in Jesus that doesn’t motivate one to abide by His teachings is a useless thing. It is clear that Jesus didn’t believe in a Christianity which contained the doctrine of salvation by faith-only, or once a person believes in Jesus, they are automatically saved forever.

“If you abide in My word”-‘live in My Word’ (Beck); ‘faithful to what I have said’ (Phi); ‘adhere to My teaching’ (Ber); ‘dwell within the revelation I have brought’ (NEB). Points To Note: 1. Note the condition. All those who believe in Jesus do not necessarily abide in His word. All ‘believers’ do not end up saved and all ‘believers’ are not presently saved. 2. Jesus believed that imperfect people can abide in His Word, therefore His Word is understandable (Ephesians 3:3-5), and practical. 3. ‘His Word’ stands for everything that He taught either in person or that which He later revealed through His apostles (John 12:48; 14:26; 16:13; 1 Tim. 6:3; 1 Cor. 14:37). 4. Jesus did not envision a Christianity in which people could be right with God and yet ignore or downplay the teaching in the New Testament. 5. The verse also infers that Jesus is bringing revelation not found in the Old Testament. Many people like to talk about ‘discipleship’. Being a disciple of Jesus means adhering to what He taught (Matthew 7:24ff; John 14:15; 2 John 9). The Christian is a person who will not believe anything —until they hear what Jesus has said on the subject. The words of Jesus take precedence over all other sources of authority with the child of God. ‘To abide in the words of Jesus means not to make a visit to them or a temporary residence in them, but to live permanently in the sacred precincts of His teaching and life---to have the words of Christ so enshrined in the memory that they are the constant compass and unfailing guide that enables a person to walk in the company of Christ.’ (Foster p. 814) ‘welcoming it, being at home with it, and living with it so continuously that it becomes part of the believer’s life, a permanent influence..’ (Tasker p. 117) ‘The key word here is “abide”. It is easy enough to be attracted in a superficial fashion.’ (Morris p. 455) 1

“then you are truly disciples of Mine”-Which infers that there are also false disciples. Despite the abundance and popularity of many modern religious theories, Jesus is plain and simple. The bottom line is obedience, whether or not you obey Him. Any theory which says that we don’t have to follow the Bible to be right with God, is wrong. Any theory which negates the teachings of Christ, or obedience is walking down the wrong track. Any theory which says that the words of Jesus are too confusing or that it is impossible to abide in them, is also equally false. See (1 John 2:3-5; 5:3; John 14:15; 15:14; Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21).

John 8:32 “and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” “you shall know the truth”-The teachings of Jesus or the New Testament is something that any man or woman can understand. It is impossible to know or find the truth apart from what Jesus taught. One absolute cohesive body of truth does exist! The ‘truth’ is inseparable from the gospel message (Colossians 1:5), the writings of the apostles (John 16:13). There isn’t a body of spiritual truth, available to mankind that exists outside of the Bible. One will not find the truth through reincarnation, Eastern religions, human philosophy, and so on. And neither is this truth something which can be found through mathematics, chemistry or other such sciences.

“and the truth shall make you free”-Clearly Jesus understands the grace of God. But in this context, Jesus specifically places truth, His teaching, His doctrine between an individual and eternal life. One must believe and practice the truth—along with the grace of God to be saved. Jesus taught this (Matthew 7:21).

“make you free”-In the immediate context the freedom under consideration is a freedom from the bondage of sin (8:34). But the truth also frees us from guilt, worry, anxiety, superstition (Acts 14:15) peer pressure, enslavement to human opinion, man-made theories, and various fears (Hebrews 2:15). Points To Note: 1. As is typical, the world has it all wrong. The truly ‘free’ individual is not the person who is following their every selfish desire (Titus 3:3). Rather, the true free spirit is the person who is obediently following the teachings of Christ. 2. As a Christian, you need to realize what God has given you! The world puts tremendous expense and effort into trying to duplicate what the Christian has in Christ. Just look at what your neighbors are spending and how hard they are trying to find a life which is free from guilt, worry, fear, and stress! 3. Barclay notes, ‘It brings us freedom from fear. The man who is a disciple never again has to walk alone…It brings freedom from self. Many a man fully recognizes that his greatest handicap and his greatest enemy is his 2

own self…It brings freedom from other people. There are many whose lives are dominated by the fear of what other people may think and say.’ (p. 25) 4. Sadly, some who profess Christ refuse to take advantage of such freedoms (Mark 4:19).

John 8:33 ‘They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You shall become free?’”’ ‘They answered Him’-Some commentators feel that those who raised the objection in this verse and the verses that follow are the ‘believers’ of 8:30. That these superficial believers now turn on Jesus. A better explanation in my judgment is that the audience Jesus is addressing contains both unbelievers and believers (7:25). And verse 33 is the reaction of Jesus’ enemies who have been listening to the truths found in 8:31-32. Foster notes, ‘The fact that many in the crowd made plain that they believed in Jesus caused these Jewish leaders to take up the battle again and try to turn the tide against Him.’ (p. 814)

“We are Abraham’s offspring”-The Jewish people placed tremendous trust in their physical descent from Abraham (Matthew 3:9). Like many people today, these individuals placed confidence in something other than God. Whether money, investments, fame, educational attainments or pedigree, it is all the same—powerless to liberate one from sin. Points To Note: 1. True faith is humble, real faith realizes its true condition (a sinner, Romans 3:23). 2. But many people resent the accusation that they are not presently free. Many refuse to admit that they are in bondage to anything. 3. ‘A proud assertion of self-sufficiency is itself evidence of the bondage of which He speaks.’ (Morris p. 457) 4. The attitude of these Jews seems to be, ‘Why are to talking to us about freedom?’ Like the person today who says, ‘Why are you preaching the gospel to me---go talk to someone who has some serious problems.’

“have never been enslaved to anyone”-Hendriksen notes, ‘Obviously they are not thinking of their political condition when they said this. They surely could not conveniently forget their past bondage in Egypt, Babylonia, Medo-Persia and Syria, nor their present bondage to Rome!’ (p. 52) And yet, the word ‘anyone’ would seem to suggest that their pride had blinded them not only to the realities of the present, but also the realities of the past. Harkrider notes, ‘Perhaps their reaction illustrates how wild and irrational statements are made when one has a defensive and self-righteous attitude.’ (p. 63) ‘When they declared that they had not been in bondage to any man, they stretched the truth. They forgot conveniently enough the bondage of Egypt, the oppressors in the period of the Judges, the Babylonian captivity, and the Roman yoke. Pride is usually blind to truth.’ (Tenney p. 148) In fact, these various political bondage’s of the past were often the result and punishment for the sins of the nation. Babylonian captivity definitely proved

that physical descendants of Abraham can be anything but free. The history of the nation of Israel contains many instances in which the physical offspring of Abraham were in bondage of sin (Isaiah 59:1-2; Judges 2:10-11; 2 Kings 17).

John 8:34 ‘Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” “everyone who commits sin”-‘everyone who acts sinfully’ (Knox). Notice how Jesus is doing everything He can to prevent misunderstanding. He clarifies the freedom and bondage of which He has been discussing. 1. ‘Everyone’-including Jews (Romans 3:9-23). Physical ancestry isn’t a cure for sin and neither is it an effective safeguard. Jesus here immediately wipes out the distinction between Jews and Gentiles. 2. ‘Commits’-present tense. The person outside of Christ is continually sinning, among other things they are continuing to reject the Son of God. The sin that enslaves is your own sin, and not some sin that you have inherited. And neither is it a sinful nature. One must first commit the sin, to become a slave. This infers that man is born pure and innocent, and then becomes a slave of sin when he or she ‘commits sin’. ‘All who sin are in bondage to it, notwithstanding their profession of freedom.’ (Woods p. 173)

“is the slave of sin”-‘It does not mean a person who is paid wages and who has a considerable area of freedom. It means a slave. The man who sins is a slave of his sin and this whether he realizes it or not.’ (Morris p. 458) What this also means is that man is powerless to atone for his own sins. Barclay notes that often people can get into a state in which they hate and love their sins at the same time. Often the sinner becomes a slave to habits, self-indulgences and wrong pleasures which have mastered him. Be impressed that this is reality! Various non-Christians may appear to be happy and free, but such isn’t reality (Psalm 73). Also carefully note that ‘feelings’ don’t liberate you from sin. These Jewish rulers ‘felt’ that they were free, they ‘felt’ that they were saved. Everyone serves someone (Romans 6:16). Various pagan writers caught a glimpse of the above truth: ‘Seneca declares that no bondage is harder than that of the passions; Plato, that liberty is the name of virtue, and bondage the name of vice.’ (Lenski p. 634) Yet, Jesus is going far deeper. The Jewish rulers were basically what we would call ‘good moral people’. In fact, that vast majority of people try to live by some kind of moral code. But they are still in bondage of sin. Many ‘good moral people’ reject Jesus, because they are enslaved by their own pride and arrogance.

John 8:35 “And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.” “slave does not remain in the house forever”-Those in bondage to sin cannot claim to be sons of God. They are slaves, and slaves are not permanent members of any family. They have no rights, no right of inheritance and may be driven out or sold at any

time. The Jews who refused to accept Jesus, were cast out (Galatians 3:26-28; 4:24-31). Barclay notes, ‘You think that you are sons in God’s house; you think that nothing can ever banish you from God; have a care; you by your conduct are making yourselves slaves; and the slave can be ejected from the master’s presence at any time.’ (p. 28)

John 8:36 “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” “If”-Man has the choice of whether or not he or she will be free. Jesus’ teachings and death didn’t automatically free anyone. Only Jesus can make us free. Carefully note that this passage infers that the Law of Moses, the whole Jewish system had failed to free the Jews from their sins (Hebrews 10:4).

“free indeed”-‘unquestionably free’ (Ber). Notice the word “you”. ‘Who is pictured by the “slave” is also plainly stated: “you” the unbelieving Jews. Jesus claimed authority, the right and the power to free men and women of their sins. There are many people who claim to offer mankind ‘freedom’ but only Jesus can give real freedom (2 Peter 2:19)

John 8:37 “I know that you are Abraham’s offspring; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.” “I know”-Jesus knew they were physical descendants of Abraham. ‘But over against that He sets their attempt to kill Him, which stamps them as being of another spirit than Abraham (Luke 3:8).’ (Morris p. 459) Obviously, being related to a godly man doesn’t necessarily make one godly. ‘The Jews believed that Abraham had gained such merit from his goodness that this merit was sufficient, not only for himself, but for all his descendants…Quite literally the Jew believed that he was safe because he was a descendant of Abraham..There are those who still try to live on a pedigree and a name.’ (Barclay p. 29)

“because My word has no place in you”-‘hath not free course in you’ (ASV); ‘gaineth no ground in you’ (Alf); ‘makes no headway among you’ (Mof); ‘my words find no room in your hearts’ (Rieu). Points To Note: 1. ‘Religious privilege does not guarantee a right attitude to the things of God.’ (Morris p. 459) 2. ‘to make room for; to go forward, to make progress’. Note that Jesus holds them personally accountable for this condition. They had willingly closed their hearts to His teaching (Matthew 13:15). 3. We determine how much progress, how much impact the Word of God will have upon our attitudes and actions. We can allow the Word of God to convict us of sin (Acts 2:37), or we can stubbornly resist (Acts 7:51-53). 4. There is no half-way point with Jesus. A little bit of progress, a little bit of acceptance isn’t enough. Either the Word of God is given complete freedom in

molding us, or we are or playing at being a Christian. 5. Once again, we find that behind unbelief is a moral problem and not an intellectual dilemma.

John 8:38 “I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” “I have seen with My Father”-A clear claim to His pre-existent state in heaven (Philippians 2:6ff). Note the contrast in the above verse: The Father and Jesus, the unbelieving Jews and their father (who will be specifically named later). The words and teachings of Jesus have one source (the Father) the actions of these Jews have another source (the devil). Jesus’ words have no place in their lives, because they are choosing rather to listen to the teachings of their ‘spiritual father’, i.e. the devil. ‘”Speak” and “do” are both continuous tenses.’ (Morris p. 460) Note that Jesus didn’t believe that God is the spiritual Father of all men and women or even of all who profess to believe in Him.

John 8:39 ‘They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.”’ “Abraham is our father”-The Jewish rulers again voice their claims. “do the deeds of Abraham”-‘deeds count for more than impressive ancestry (Luke 3:8; Romans 9:6).’ (Morris p. 460) ‘their evil deeds did not harmonize with their ancestor.’ (Foster p. 816) ‘act as Abraham acted’ (Rieu). Jesus will expand upon this truth in 8:40. Note that Jesus believed that the faith and obedience manifested by Abraham could be, in fact, must be manifested by others. Genuine faith didn’t die with Abraham, and Abraham wasn’t a ‘super-human’. Any man or woman can manifest the same degree of faith (Romans 4:12 ‘who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham.’) Jesus didn’t view these men as hopeless cases, and He isn’t taunting them. He believes that they can do ‘the deeds of Abraham’. They could be honest men, men full of faith in Him, if they would only allow themselves to believe the truth.

John 8:40 “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.” “But as it is”-The reality of the situation. “a man who has told you the truth”-In contrast to these individuals, Abraham never sought to kill one who spoke the truth. Neither did Abraham resent the truth or rebel against the truth. The true children of Abraham believe what God has said, which includes believing what God has said about the need to be baptized (Galatians 3:26-28; 4:16). ‘This strong negative implies an equally strong positive: Abraham accepted that

truth of God and the messenger who brought it to him.’ (Lenski p. 643) Abraham received with great eagerness and graciousness messengers from God (Genesis 18:1-8). In addition, He looked forward with rejoicing to the coming of the Christ (8:56).

John 8:41 “You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.” “We were not born of fornication”-‘We were not born illegitimately’ (Nor). ‘Children reflect the nature and character of their father…Twice Jesus had attributed to them a father other than Abraham without identifying him (38,41).’ (Woods p. 175) It seems clear that the Jews began to perceive the ‘fatherhood’ of which Jesus was speaking. They claim that God has been their only spiritual father and that they were not the ancestors of idolaters, or the ancestors of marriages that transpired between the faithful and idol worshippers. They claim that God alone had been the father of their ancestors. Which wasn’t true. The Israelites had often abandoned God for various idols (Romans 11:1-5).

John 8:42 ‘Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.”’ “you would love Me”-A very simple point. If God were indeed their spiritual Father, they would logically love the Son of God. ‘The spiritual parentage of any man is known by his manifest relationship to Jesus Christ…The test of a man is his reaction to Jesus.’ (Butler p. 63) ‘true children of God must at once recognize and love him who comes with God’s own truth and blessings…an affinity with God would automatically show itself in loving him who came out from God and is sent by God.’ (Lenski p. 647) Thus to be confronted with Jesus, is the supreme test of life. Your reaction to Jesus will reveal whether or not you really do love God.

“for I have not even come on My own initiative”-Which means that Jesus’ mission to this earth wasn’t the result of a falling out with the Father and neither was Jesus free-lancing. Jesus did not have the attitude that He could serve or help mankind better than His Father had.

John 8:43 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.” “you cannot hear My word”-‘cannot bear to listen to my Message’ (TCNT). Their prejudiced attitude prevented them from accepting what Jesus was saying (Matthew 13:13-15). These Jews did ‘understand’ what Jesus was claiming (5:18), and they clearly felt the sting of His arguments (8:41). ‘In the given context it is clear that Jesus holds them accountable for this inability. Hence the words “you cannot” mean “you cannot bear

to”.’ (Hendriksen p. 59) ‘The answer is, not that they are intellectually stupid, but that they are spiritually deaf. It is not that they are not able to hear; it is not that they are not able to understand; it is that they refuse to hear and they refuse to understand…In the last analysis, a man will only hear what he wishes to hear.’ (Barclay p. 33) Therefore, it should not surprise us when we encounter professed believers in God who refuse to listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ. It should not surprise us when God’s truth seems to make so little impact upon the lives of people who claim to be religious.

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.” “You are of your father the devil”-Only two sides exist. One is either a child of the devil or a child of God. The devil hadn’t created these individuals, but one becomes a child of the devil when they start manifesting the same character traits as the devil possesses. ‘By their lies and evil disposition, they proved themselves to be of the same spirit and character of the devil.’ (Harkrider p. 64) Remember, the men that Jesus calls children of the devil are professed believers, men who were extremely moral in other aspects of their lives. These are not men who are prostitutes or drunkards. One can be very religious and at the same time very lost.

“you want to do the desires of your father”-These men hadn’t been born depraved. Note the word “want”. Just as becoming a child of God is a matter of choice, so is becoming a child of the devil. Be impressed that they hadn’t killed Jesus as yet, but inward desires are just as corrupting as the actual outward act (Matthew 5:28). ‘The devil desires to kill and to lie, and so do they.’ (Hendriksen p. 60)

“He was a murderer from the beginning”-Jesus obviously believed in the existence of a real devil. The ‘beginning’ under consideration in this passage appears to be the events in Genesis chapter 3, when through temptation the devil brought spiritual death and physical death upon the human race. ‘in the sense of utterly destroying their blessed estate in the Garden of Eden and bringing death upon them…This reference is one of the clearest statements of Jesus which affirms the reality of the devil’s existence and the historic verity of the early chapters of Genesis. A denial of the reality of Satan’s existence and the truth of the Genesis accounts instantly implies a denial of the deity of Christ.’ (Foster p. 817) One cannot believe the truthfulness of Jesus or His apostles (1 Timothy 2:13-15) and at the same time deny the historical accuracy of Genesis. The statement also implies that the devil is STILL a murderer (1 Peter 5:8).

“does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him”-Which means that every temptation offered by the devil is inherently a denial of reality. The devil has no use for the truth and no use for such things as honesty, sincerity and integrity. He doesn’t

care if His arguments or temptations make sense, He doesn’t care if His arguments contradict each other. As long as people buy into them and end up lost, is all He cares about. And these Jews were manifesting the same spirit. Whatever position Jesus assumed, they were prepared to assume the opposite side. Through the misuse of our freewill, we can also lose a love for truth (2 Thess. 2:10-12).

“he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies” -‘His habitat is falsehood. When he speaks a lie he is at home.’ (Morris p. 464) ‘He was the father of lies in the sense of telling the first lie to Eve and causing her to doubt and disobey God. His leading Cain to murder Abel followed.’ (Foster p. 817) Points To Note: 1. Please remember, for your own spiritual safety, that every temptation is a lie. To live apart from God, is to live a lie, it is to live a life of dishonesty. The sinner must ‘pretend’ to remain in his or her sins. 2. Every man or woman who tries to undermine people’s confidence in the Word of God, is doing the devil’s work. 3. ‘the devil murders goodness, chastity, honor, honesty, beauty, all that makes life lovely.’ (Barclay p. 34) 4. Just remember, the devil brought pain, suffering, toil, hardship, and death into this world. Remember, it was the devil who ruined our paradise, it was the devil who ended our existence in utopia. 4. The devil is also the author of false doctrine and perverted Scriptures (1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). 5. What is true of the devil, a being who has no use for the truth, can also happen to people. If we put our own selves and our own desires first, then it is very easy to become so selfish, that we don’t care about our own spiritual well-being or the spiritual well-being of others. We can become so selfish that we don’t care if our beliefs are contradictory (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

John 8:45 “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.” “because I speak the truth”-‘What a morally impeaching indictment verse 45 brings upon these Jews. Jesus spoke the truth, they rejected Him. There was no doubting now whose side they were on…(Romans 1:18-32).’ (Butler p. 65) Carefully note that ‘teaching’, ‘doctrine’ or ‘truth’ will always be something that the Christian can never avoid. We must never be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16), and we must never compromise truth for the sake of gaining more converts. ‘Truth’ will keep many people from becoming a Christian.

John 8:46 “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?”

“Which one of you convicts Me of sin?”-‘Who of you can prove me guilty of sin’ (Wms); ‘Which of you can prove me in the wrong’ (NEB). Barclay notes, ‘”Is there anyone here who can point the finger at any evil in my life?” Then there must have followed a silence during which the eyes of Jesus ranged round the crowd waiting for anyone to accept the extra-ordinary challenge that He had thrown down.’ (p. 35) Points To Note: 1. Notice how Jesus deals with people. They are seeking to kill Him, they are rejecting His message, Jesus demands a specific answer as to why. 2. Those who reject the truth are morally obligated to tell us why. 3. ‘By their silence they admitted that they could find no sin, falsehood or inconsistency in Him—then why did they not accept His words?’ (Butler p. 65) 4. We need to be more vocal with unbelievers. Those who reject Jesus are obligated to tell us why. What fault do they see in His life, what inconsistency in His teaching, what sin can they find? Morris notes, ‘It betokens a clear and serene conscience. Only one who was in the closest and most intimate communion with the Father could have spoken such words….In the light of their inability to point to any sin at all in Him their continuing failure to believe in Him is shown for the sham it was. If there was no sin, then He was indeed speaking the truth, and if He was speaking the truth then they should have believed.’ (p. 465) 5. Jesus’ challenge still stands. The ‘faith’ of the unbeliever must be challenged. His or her views must be placed under the scrutiny and examined in light of the evidence (Ephesians 5:11; 1 Thess. 5:21-22).

John 8:47 “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” “He who is of God”-Those interested in the truth will find the truth (John 7:17; 18:37 ‘Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’) Points To Note: 1. On this point Jesus is black and white. 2. To reject His teachings is to automatically brand yourself as a dishonest and insincere person. In fact, that would be putting it mildly, Jesus didn’t call these Jews ‘insincere’, rather He called them children of the devil. 3. Jesus doesn’t fret about all the people in the world and in foreign lands who don’t have immediate access to the Scriptures. Jesus believes that truth-seekers will find the truth. 4. Since Jesus presented the truth with ideal clarity, and with the perfect attitude, we must reject the view which says that the ‘truth’ is what most believe tend to believe (Matthew 7:13-14). Or the truth will be something that everyone will agree on. 5. The verse is clear, if I find myself resenting what the Bible teaches, then I am not of God. Godly people have never resented the Word of God (Psalm 19; 119).

John 8:48 ‘The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”’ “You are a Samaritan and have a demon”-Notice how the Jewish leaders do not respond with Scriptural arguments. And neither do they respond with a specific charge of some sin in the life of Jesus. Rather, they respond with a wild accusation and ridicule. Where is the great Jewish argument against Jesus Christ? ‘Some men will always react as these Jews did when their sins and their real nature is revealed; they will slander, backbite and call names. The Jews could not defend themselves against the overwhelming logic of Christ’s words.’ (Butler p.67) ‘Who else has ever made such a claim of sinlessness and caused the world to listen to his words?’ (Foster p. 819)

“Samaritan”-They resorted to name-calling. To call Him a Samaritan, meant that they were calling Him a half-breed, a heretic, and one of the enemies of Israel. But note that Jesus wasn’t intimidated by this accusation. ‘One of the indications that Jesus did not allow Himself to be moved by this slander is seen in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, where He makes the religious outcast the hero of the account.’ (Foster p. 819)

“have a demon”-what a ridiculous charge. Did Jesus act and speak like one who was demon-possessed? It appears that these accusations were repeatedly being circulated by the Jewish rulers (Matthew 12:24; John 10:20). But honest people could see that the words which Jesus spoke were not the words of a demon-possessed man (John 10:21).

John 8:49 ‘Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.”’ “you dishonor Me”-Very simple, ‘actions speak louder than words’. The life of Jesus honors the Father, their actions and words do not dishonor Jesus, and whatever dishonors Jesus, is a direct attack upon the Father (John 5:23).

John 8:50 “But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.” Notice the calmness of Jesus. Jesus doesn’t feel the need to defend His honor against every attack. In fact, He didn’t come to this earth to seek personal glory. ‘There is to be a day of judgment when they must answer for their malicious slander and their bitter rejection and opposition.’ (Foster p. 820)

John 8:51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

“keeps My word”-Obedience to the teachings of Christ is necessary for eternal life. This verse simply repeats the claim of other verses that that the Word of Christ is understandable and that even imperfect people will be able to properly interpret His teachings and obey them.

John 8:52 ‘The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, “If anyone keeps My word, he shall never taste of death.”’ John 8:53 “Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do you make Yourself out to be?”’ “Abraham died”-The Jews once again manifest an attitude that doesn’t want to understand what Jesus is saying. Obviously, they knew all about spiritual death, they knew that death was often used in a spiritual sense. They knew that sin separates one from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). But they were more interested in making the words of Jesus appear to be contradictory. ‘The perversion may even be deliberate on the part of the Jews, an evidence of their wicked intention not to understand whatever he may say if it does not serve their purpose.’ (Lenski p. 663)

“Surely You are not greater than….”-‘That Jesus is greater, infinitely greater, than Abraham or any mere man these Jews will not believe, no matter what the evidence. All the previous proof Jesus has given them in regard to his deity is non-existent for them.’ (Lenski p. 664)

“whom do You make Yourself out to be?”-But they weren’t interested in a real answer to this question. Jesus had already told them.

John 8:54 ‘Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself; My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, “He is our God.”’ “it is My Father who glorifies Me”-With precision, Jesus strikes at the heart of their charges, that is, their ridicule and slanderous accusations. This God, whom they claimed to be ‘their God’, was honoring the person whom they were ridiculing. One of the ways that the Father was honoring the Son were the miracles which Jesus performed, even in the midst of His enemies (John 5:36). These Jewish rulers were dishonoring the Person Whom the Father was continually honoring. Jesus wasn’t some empty boaster, who made wild and unsupportable claims.

John 8:55 “and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him, and keep His word.” 12

Wow! Talk about cutting people down to size in a hurry. 1. Since they were so clearly manifesting disrespect towards One whom the Father honors, they evidently did not know the Father. 2. Jesus calls these men liars! 3. And He infers that they are not keeping the will of the Father.

John 8:59 ‘Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple.’

‘picked up stones to throw at Him’-‘The Jews understood what Jehovah Witnesses and Muslims do not.’ (Harkrider p. 65) They were not so spiritually-blind that they missed His clear claims of being God . In their ears His words were blasphemy, which demanded punishment by stoning (Leviticus 24:16). ‘the Jews run to a place in the large temple-area where building-operations are still being carried on…Stones lying all around.’ (Hendriksen p. 67)

‘Jesus hid Himself’-either in a crowd of friends, among the multitudes or miraculously. Jesus will spend a few more days in the temple healing and teaching (John 9:1-10:12) before He retires to Bethany and the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38). Once again note that no man is going to force God’s hand. Jesus will die at the appointed time which had been set by God and not a moment sooner. The Premillennialist who argues that Jewish rejection forced the death of Christ or caught God by surprise is a simple manifestation of human unbelief in the power, foreknowledge and wisdom of God.