‘And they went every man to his own house but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives'. This proposed closure of the previous section clearly reflects the contrast between the One who goes aside to pray and those have no such intent, those who live in accordance with the world. It is being made clear tha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And early in the morning he came again into the Temple, and all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.' Thus it is that early in morning He is again in the Temple ready to teach the people. So in spite of the constant danger of arrest, next morning He is seen as having gone to th... [ Continue Reading ]
“Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone women like this, but what do you say about her?” And this they said, testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of.' The purpose in their question was not to learn. All really... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst they say to him, “Teacher, this woman has been take in adultery in the very act”.' ‘The scribes and Pharisees' (significantly not a usual Johannine phrase. It is more Lucan) bring to Him a woman who... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when they continued asking him he lifted himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”.' His next action is specific and underlines the words that He speaks. ‘He lifted Himself up'. He straightens up and looks round on them. We can almost see... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And again he stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground.' The dual mention must be seen as significant. The writer clearly sees it as important, and so therefore must we. Those with an eye to see would remember ‘the finger of God' writing the covenant. Was He thereby saying, ‘remember al... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they heard it they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, even to the last, and Jesus was left alone, and the woman where she was, in the midst.' The original narrator had noted that the eldest was the first to leave. They above all were aware that they dare not claim to be with... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus lifted himself up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Does no man condemn you?” Jesus then ‘lifts Himself up' again. It is the same verb but with what a different meaning. This time it is not a solemn act of forcefully facing up to angry, yet hypocritical men, but an act of gracious... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And she said, “No man, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on sin no more”.' She replies, ‘no man, Lord'. Here her ‘Lord' means a respectful and grateful ‘Sir'. But it is probable that the writer intends us to see in Him the Lord of glory. Now that the Law... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life”.' Note that this next section commences with the introductory words, ‘Again Jesus spoke to them'. ‘Spoke to them' refers to the large crowd in John... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 8 JESUS - THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND THE ‘I AM' (JOHN 8:12). In this chapter Jesus is revealed as ‘the Light of the World'. This is a reminder of the one spoken of in the words of Isaiah, ‘the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who dwell in the land of deep darkness... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You bear witness of yourself, your witness is not true”.' The Pharisees were not, however, pleased. They recognised the enormity of His claim, and they replied, ‘You testify about yourself. What you say is not true'. They were no doubt appalled that a man shou... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I do bear witness of myself, my witness is true, for I know from where I came and where I am going”.' Jesus reply is that in His case the general principle is not true. This is because ‘I know where I have come from and where I am going'. This made Him a s... [ Continue Reading ]
“But you do not know from where I come and where I am going. You judge after the flesh, I judge no man”.' Thus they should recognise that they were not in a position to judge His testimony for they judged only ‘according to the flesh' as earthly men. They were unable to enter Heaven and so they cou... [ Continue Reading ]
“Yes, and even if I were to judge my judgment would be true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me” (v. 16). However, He also points out to them that actually He was in a position to judge, and that if He were to judge, they should be in no doubt that His judgments would... [ Continue Reading ]
“Yes, and in your Law it is written that the witness of two men is true, I am he who bears witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me.” He then goes on to point out that the law of Moses says that the testimony of two men is true (Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15). Well, l... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They therefore said to him, “Where is your Father?” ' They responded to His challenge by putting the question, ‘where is your father?'. It may well be that they had mistaken His meaning and were genuinely confused. He kept speaking of His Father. Well, where was his father? Surely his father was d... [ Continue Reading ]
‘These words he spoke in the treasury as he taught in the Temple, and no man arrested him because his hour was not yet come.' These words were spoken ‘in the treasury', that is in the Court of the Women, (which was outside the raised court of Israel where only men could go), where there were thirte... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me and die in your sin, for where I am going you cannot come”.' ‘He said therefore again --'. We do not know how long after the previous verses He spoke these words. There is a strange pathos to them. Jesus was going away,... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS FROM ABOVE (JOHN 8:21). The emphasis now moves away from the fact that He is the light of the world, to the fact that He is the One Who has come from above. That is why their failure to recognise Him is very much an indication that they are of this world. This is a new incident, although f... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The Judaisers therefore said, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘where I am going you cannot come'?” Jesus' statement ‘where I am going you cannot come' then made them ask themselves whether it was His intention to kill Himself. This is pointed irony. Even while they were seeking His dea... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins”.' Jesus now faced them with the central issue. He was as totally different fr... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They therefore said to him, “Who are you?” ' His statement has brought them up short. They now recognised that He seemed to be claiming even more than they had at first realised (the crescendo is building up). ‘Who are you?' they asked. There is a stress on the ‘you'. Was the statement one of awed... [ Continue Reading ]
“I have much to say about you and much to pass judgment on. However he who sent me is true, and the things which I heard from him, these I speak to the world”.' Jesus now no longer saw any hope that they would respond to His teaching, and He therefore wanted them to know that He was not blind to th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They did not perceive that he spoke to them of the Father.' John comments, ‘they did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father'. The problem was that they were so set in their own arguments and opinions that they did not stand back and consider what He was really saying. Having misinterpr... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and that I do nothing of myself but say just what my Father has taught me'. Jesus now again faces them up to what He knows they are going to do with Him. He knows that His days are numbered. But He also knows tha... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” In spite of His rejection by them He wants them to know that He is conscious that the Father is continually with Him. They may reject Him but His Father will not desert Him or leave Him on His own. Indeed H... [ Continue Reading ]
‘As he spoke these things many believed on Him'. There was something in what Jesus said which, while not fully understood, struck a cord in the hearts of some of His listeners, and they responded in full faith. They ‘believed into him' (eis auton - eis with the accusative), in contrast with the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus therefore said to those Judaisers who had believed in him, “If you dwell in my word then are you my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free”.' Jesus then spoke a word to some of the Judaisers who had showed some response to Him, ‘If you persevere in and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL (JOHN 8:31). Note how the argument is presented in stages as the case builds up against he Scribes and Pharisees. It had begun with the revelation of Himself as the Light of the world, a light which they had failed to see and respond to (John 8:1... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They answered him, “We are Abraham's seed and have never been slaves to any man. How do you say that we will be made free?” ' As Jesus knew that they would His hearers bridled at His words. They prided themselves on the fact that because they were the sons of Abraham, and because they had the Law... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus answered them, “I tell you emphatically that every one who goes on sinning is a slave of sin”.' Jesus denies that they are free. ‘So they think they are free,' He asks. ‘Well, let them consider this. To sin is to be a slave. It is to be sin's slave.' As with drugs, men may think they have si... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the slave does not remain in the house for ever, the son remains for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will indeed be free'. Jesus now contrasts those who are slaves to sin to those who become sons of God's household through the power and authority of the true Son. Those who are slaves h... [ Continue Reading ]
“I know that you are Abraham's seed. Yet you seek to kill me because my word does not have free course in you.” Jesus then took up their claim to be Abraham's children, and from now on, when He said ‘you', He was certainly referring to the Judaisers as a whole. ‘I know that you are descendants of... [ Continue Reading ]
“I speak the things which I have seen with my Father, and you also do the things that you have heard from your father.” Jesus now contrasted Himself with them enigmatically. He pointed out that He spoke only of what He had seen with His Father. Thus what He spoke was good and true. His abiding in t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham”.' His listeners were quick to pick up the fact that He was distinguishing His Father from theirs. This immediately set them on their mettle. ‘Abraham is our father', they declared proudly and firmly. Surely being connected with Abraham could o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus says to them, “If you were Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I have heard from God. This is not what Abraham did”.' Jesus now explained that if they were really Abraham's children they would behave as Abra... [ Continue Reading ]
“You do the works of your father.” He repeated His enigmatic statement. ‘You (Judaisers) are doing just what your father does.' They could now hardly fail to realise that there was an unpleasant implication behind His words. He was linking their ‘father', whoever that might mean, with a murderous a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father you would love me, for I have come forth and am come from God, and I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear my word.' Jesus now denied what they claimed. He pointed out th... [ Continue Reading ]
“You are of your father the Devil, and it is your will to do the longings of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and a father of them.” Now He no longer restra... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But because I tell you the truth you do not believe me'. Jesus then scathingly points out that they are willing to receive anything but the truth. How could they believe when they were so dishonest that they behaved like the Devil, He is saying. Had He brought them lies they would have believed, ... [ Continue Reading ]
“Which of you convicts me of sin?” What an amazing challenge. Jesus blatantly throws Himself open to His enemies. He knew that His recent life had been subjected to constant investigation and examination (that was the duty of the religious leaders), and yet He was unafraid to lay down the gauntlet.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God, hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is because you are not of God'. So then He asked them why, if He was speaking the truth, they would not hear Him and believe Him. And His solution was that it was because they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The Judaisers answered and said to him, “Do we not rightly say that you are a Samaritan and have a devil?” ' Turning to insults is the refuge of men who have been beaten in arguments, and the Judaisers responded hotly. ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?' To c... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHALLENGE COMES TO ITS CLIMAX BY JESUS REVEALING THAT HE IS THE ‘I AM' (JOHN 8:48). In this final section Jesus deals with their insults by facing them up with the issues of life and death, and this then leads up to a claim that He is not only pre-existent to Abraham but is also the ‘I AM', the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus answered, ‘I am not demon-possessed, but I honour my Father and you dishonour me. Yet I do not seek my own glory, for there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge'. Jesus denied their charge. Rather than being demon possessed it was He Who truly honoured the Father. That was patently somet... [ Continue Reading ]
‘In very truth I tell you, if a man keeps my word he will never see death'. The fact that they should recognise was that His words offered life. Those who fully responded to them would never die. Jesus was of course speaking about eternal death. The way to eternal life, He was telling them, was by... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The Judaisers said to him, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed. Abraham is dead, and so are the prophets. And you say, ‘If a man keep my word he will never taste of death'. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who are you making yourself out to be?”... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. But you have not known him. But I know him, and if I said that I did not know him I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and keep his word'. Jesus did not dir... [ Continue Reading ]
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad'. Abraham had been told by God that ‘by you all the families of the earth will be blessed' and that ‘kings would be born of him' (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 17:6; compare Genesis 22:18), and as he looked forward to kings being born f... [ Continue Reading ]
The Judaisers therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”.' Their reply was over literal. They must have known something of what Jesus meant but they were pandering to the crowds. It must be clear that if Abraham had seen Jesus, then Jesus must have seen Abr... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus said to them, “In very truth I tell you that before Abraham was, I am'. At this claim they must have been shocked to the core. They had accused Him before on the basis of enigmatic statements, but this final statement could not be misunderstood. Whatever Jesus had meant previously it was now... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They took up stones therefore to hurl at Him. But Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. Unlike many moderns the Judaisers understood His meaning precisely, and in fury they picked up stones to stone Him, willing to risk the wrath of the Romans, although in fact they did have certain rights... [ Continue Reading ]