John 8:37-40

ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN

Text 8:37-40

37

I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath not free course in you.

38

I speak the things which I have seen with my Father: and ye also do the things which ye heard from your father.

39

They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40

But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.

Queries

a.

What does Jesus mean by his word having free course?

b.

What were the works of Abraham?

c.

How did Jesus know they were seeking to kill him?

Paraphrase

Yes, I know that according to the flesh you are Abraham's descendants; yet you are seeking to kill me, because my word has found no place for freedom of progress within you. I am telling you the things which I have seen while in the very presence of My Father, and what you are doing indicates who your father is and what you have heard from him. They replied, Our father is Abraham! Jesus then said, If you were truly Abraham's children you would follow Abraham's example and do as he did; but instead you are eager to kill me, a person who has spoken nothing but the truth to youand the ultimate truth which I heard in the presence of God. This certainly is not the way Abraham did.

Summary

The discussion previous to this concerning freedom has led the Jews to deny bondage and defend their freedom on the basis of descendancy from Abraham. Jesus recognizes their fleshly relationship to Abraham, but hints that their spiritual father is someone besides Abraham as manifested by their hate and intentions of murder.

Comment

They had reminded Jesus that they were the descendants of Abraham, presumptuously denying any type of bondage upon the basis of this heritage. Jesus concedes their physical lineage to Abraham, but He reveals a spirit of hate and evil within their hearts which is as foreign to the nature of Abraham as is darkness to light. It had been openly visible that the Jews were seeking some way to put Him to death (cf. John 5:18; John 7:19; John 7:25; John 7:30; John 7:32; John 7:45). Even if the Jews had tried to hide their murderous envy, the Searcher of hearts would have known it, for he needed not that anyone should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man (cf. John 2:25).

In the very same breath (John 8:37), Jesus tells the Jews the basic reason for their spiritual apostacy from being true descendants of Abraham. They would not allow His word to run a free course within their hearts. Vine says the verb choreo (free course) means literally, to make room for; to go forward. Other lexicographers define it, be in motion, go forward, make progress. Paul said much the same thing in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 when he asked the brethren there to pray that the word of the Lord might have free course and be glorified in him. There are many Scriptures which might be applied and contrasted to the Lord's accusation that the Jews would not allow His word to progress within their hearts and space will not allow us to mention them all. Perhaps the best illustration for what is intended here may be found in Christ's parable of the different soils in Matthew the thirteenth chapter (cf. also Mark 4:1-34; Luke 8:4-18). In this parable Jesus vividly portrays different things which prohibit the word of God from having free course in men's heartswillful rejection, shallow emotionalism and choking desire for material gain (see also the entire 119th Psalm).

In John 8:38 Jesus states again, what He has told the Jews over and over; namely, that His teachings were delivered to Him by the Father when He was dwelling in the presence of the Father (cf. John 5:19; John 5:30; John 7:28-29). He is implying that they should know He is from Jehovah by His teaching and His deeds; He knows their father, the devil, because of what they are seeking to do! Men are either sons of the heavenly Father by faith and obedience (Romans 8:1-17), or they become sons of the father of Hell by disobedience (cf. Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 5:6-8).

As the Lord points out in John 8:39, it makes little difference whose children we profess to be. Actions speak louder than words (cf. Matthew 7:15-23)! They claimed to be Abraham's children, but refused to walk in his steps. Just who are the children of Abraham? They are men of faith and righteousness (cf. Romans 4:3; Romans 4:16); they are men of hope (Romans 4:18); they are men of trust and obedience (Galatians 3:6); they are those who have been baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:26-29); they are those of the New Covenant, New Israel, the Church of Christ (cf. Romans 9:6-8); they are men who have purified their hearts (cf. Romans 2:28-29); they are men who show their faith by their works (cf. James 2:21-24).

Abraham was a man of implicit faith and trust in God who dared to obey God without questioning His commands (cf. Hebrews 11:8-19). He was a man willing to prove his faith and trust in Jehovah even if it demanded the life of his only-unique son, Isaac. He was a man of righteousness and good works who cared for his nephew, Lot, and prayed for his deliverance from God's wrath. He welcomed and obeyed God's messengers. His great faith even caused him to look down through the centuries rejoicing in the future coming of Christ as though it were a reality to him in his own day! Abraham was indeed, the friend of God.

It is very evident, then, that these Jews are far from being children of Abraham in the best sense. All they could lay claim to from Abraham was physical ancestry. But that did not make them children of God at all (cf. John 1:12-13; Matthew 3:7-10).

While claiming to be Abraham's sons and heirs to the kingdom of God they were plotting the murder of the very Son of God (cf. Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19). As Lenski says, One would expect of the physical sons of Abraham that they more than all men would turn out to be also Abraham's spiritual sons, but their real sonship is revealed by themselves as that of sons of the devil who was a murderer from the beginning.

Quiz

1.

How does the word of God have free course in men?

2.

How may we know a man's spiritual father?

3.

Name six characteristics of the true descendants of Abraham and give the Scripture references.

4.

Give at least one Scripture reference showing that physical lineage does not make one a son of God.