John 8:12-39

John 8:12. 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

These wasps were always stinging him; when he drove them away once, they quickly returned to attack him again: «The Pharisees»

John 8:13. 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 go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

He did not come for that purpose the first time; he will come, a second time, to judge all mankind.

John 8:16. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

You see, brethren, how our Lord Jesus claimed to be God, for he put himself here in such a connection with God as would be quite inconsistent for any mere man. This is what Paul meant when he said that Christ «thought it not robbery to be equal with God,» he thought it ‘not a prize to be grasped, for it was already his.

John 8:17. 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.

He did that by the miracles which Christ wrought; and they proved that he was indeed sent of God.

John 8:19. 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.

They thought they knew his reputed father Joseph; they thought they also knew all about Christ, the carpenter's Son; but there is more in Christ, than carnal eyes can ever see. There is more in Christ than the most enlightened understanding, if it be but natural understanding, can ever perceive. These blind bats, the Pharisees, neither knew Christ nor the Father. If they had known him, they would have known the Father, for Christ is «the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.»

John 8:20. 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.

Like our Lord, every child of God is immortal till his work is done. This ought to divest us of every kind of fear. The enemy cannot lay hands upon a Christian until his Lord wills it: and when his hour has come, then it behoves not the child of God to resist the Father's will.

John 8:21. 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.

Oh, what a terrible sentence is that! I pray that the Lord may never say that to any of us, «Whither I go, ye cannot come.» That would be the death knell of all our hopes, and would make our life one long banishment. Blessed be his name, we who have sought him, and have found him, know that; we shall not die in our sins; and whither he has gone, we shall go also.

John 8:22. 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:

You are of a groveling nature; your thoughts rise out of the abyss where every evil dwells.

John 8:23. Ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore, of you, that ye shall die in year sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

If ye have no faith in Christ as the Son of God, «ye shall die in your sins.» What an awful thing it will be to die in your sins! What cerements for your eternal burial! What a robe of fire in which to lie down for your long sleep, and then to find no sleep because of it! «Ye shall die in your sins.» I should like this short, stern sentence to ring in the ears of every unbeliever. This is not my word, but Christ's own word, the word of the most loving and tender Saviour: «If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.»

John 8:25. 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 sent me is with me:

This made Christ's life so calm, so deeply joyous amid all its sorrow. «He that sent me is with me.» Servant of God, canst thou say the same? If so, it is thy joy, thy confidence thy strength. God grant that we may each one of us realize that blessed presence of our Lord!

John 8:29. The Father hath not left me alone,' for I do always those things that please him.

Christ could truly say that. Oh, that it might be true of us, too!

John 8:30. As he spake these words, many believed on him, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

«'If you became my disciples because of what I said, will you believe what I shall yet say? Are you prepared to take in still further revelations, and to receive whatever I shall teach you? If so, ‘then are ye my disciples indeed'»

John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Some who heard this message of our Lord caught at it; they were always on the watch for anything to cavil at and contradict, and therefore

John 8:33. 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.

Or, «the slave of sin.» There is the test of your position; if you do the devil's dirty work, you are his servant. If you delight in sin then you can hear your fetters clank if the ears of your conscience are But open: «Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.»

John 8:35. 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. I know that ye are Abraham's seed;

«I know what a boast you make of that.»

John 8:37. 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 had admitted that, as a matter of temporal descent; but he denied it as a matter of real fact.