John 8
What should I learn from this chapter?
- The definition of the unforgivable sin
- The criteria and timing of the Passover lamb
- The identity of Jesus
- The prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled in His confrontations with the leaders of the Jews
- The meaning of Grace
- The exact events and days of Jesus’ crucifixion week ending in His resurrection
- Understanding why God gave the Jews the Jewish Feasts and what they meant
Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.
Jesus the Light of the World
John 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
This chapter begins with the word “But….”. But means “the flipside is…” Return to Chapter 7 to revisit what the “But (flipside)” refers to.
The last verse of John Chapter 7 was “And everyone went to his own house.” Jesus did NOT return to His own house. He is now on His own after the incident with His brothers.
Jesus is not only protecting Himself but He is protecting His family by separating from them. Throughout His ministry He focused on protecting others.
- John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Jesus protected Peter when He healed the servant of the High Priest’s ear. If He had not, Peter would have been crucified with Jesus.
John 8:2 Now (very) early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.
Jesus is teaching in the temple before Passover. The scribes and Pharisees are scrutinizing Him for spot or blemish in His teaching even as the Passover lamb was being inspected for spot or blemish.
John 8:3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,
The Pharisees were ready to put Jesus in a double bind.
They had heard the stories about Mary being pregnant before the wedding ceremony took place. Not for one second did they believe she was a virgin. Rumors and speculations grew as to who the father was.
If they wanted to trap Jesus, what better way than to force him to pass sentence on an adulteress. Could he condemn such a woman considering His judgment might cause the condemnation of His mother?
Would Jesus vote “yes” or “no” for an adulteress to be stoned?
John 8:4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.
Where is the man? The law said both the man and the woman should be stoned.
It appears she was “set up” so that they would catch her in the very act and use this to trip Jesus into an untenable situation.
John 8:5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned (to stone such). But what do You say?”
- Leviticus 20:10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer AND the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.
Who will be the most clever in this situation? Not only does Jesus have to deal with the reputation of His mother, but if He were to ask for the man to be revealed, that would only have resulted in one other person being stoned. What He did called the hypocrites themselves into question.
Sidenote: In Hebrew the word “hypocrite” means “actor”.
John 8:6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
Jesus wrote with His finger. On Mt. Sinai, He wrote the ten commandments with His finger.
- Exodus 31:18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
- Deuteronomy 9:10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
The seventh commandment in the ten commandments is:
Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.
Jeremiah prophesied concerning this day:
- Jeremiah 17:13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.”
John 8:7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up (like His resurrection) and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
John 8:8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
Law Meets Grace
John 8:9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
They ceased attacking Him, they “left Him alone”.
Jesus pointed out their hypocrisy.
- Romans 2:22 You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
John 8:10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
Jesus raised Himself up from the ground (grave) after His death. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus.
- Romans 8:1 Free from Indwelling Sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
John 8:11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go (from now on) and sin no more.”
“The definition of ‘Grace’: To refrain from stoning others for their sins.”
~Barbara Grover
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
At 71 years of age, my eyes don’t work as well as they did when I was young. Reality is distorted. I can’t read the directions on my medications because the print is too small. Sometimes it is dangerous. I need new glasses to change my perception of reality.
Jesus is offering new glasses. Man is blind to his spiritual reality and Jesus wants to give men new glasses to see that which was invisible to sight.
Jesus said:
- Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
When God puts our soul in his refinery, all the dregs of sin float on top of the gold and is siphoned off. All that is left is His pure righteousness that leads to eternal riches. Those who give their soul to God become co-heirs with Jesus. The riches are immense including eternal life.
After the dregs of sin are gone, God clothes those who are His with white garments of linen. (Linen is symbolic of righteousness and White is symbolic of purity). The shame of sin is gone.
Eye salve clears the eyes. It is the same as getting new glasses. It permits the wearer to see the truth of “real” reality. Reality is what God says it is and God cannot tell a lie. Good decisions must be based on good evidence. Good evidence cannot be gathered with cloudy eyes.
- Matthew 4:16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
Jesus Defends His Self-Witness
John 8:13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true (valid as testimony).”
In the law, it takes two witnesses to confirm a matter.
John 8:14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.
John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
John 8:16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.
John 8:17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.
John 8:18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
John 8:19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
In Review: They had heard rumors of Mary, that she was pregnant before she was married. The Pharisees believed He was the “son of fornication”, and so they had even more reason to ask “Where is your father?”
This conversation is the beginning of arguments concerning Jesus’ identity and credentials, it will end with Jesus identifying them as “the seed of the serpent” from Genesis 3:15.
Jesus calls them out as “children of the devil (the serpent)”.
They are also identified in the prophecy of Psalms chapter two as the “rulers”.
Psalm 2:1a Why do the (gentile) nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing? (To put Jesus to death and keep Him in the grave)
2 The (gentile) kings of the earth set themselves,
And the (Jewish) rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed (Jesus),
Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
John 8:20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.
Note: the Pharisees were in the treasury. Note: Jesus spoke in the treasury.
- Luke 16:14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
Note concerning the Pharisees: they were “lovers of money”.
Jesus spoke in the treasury where they could hear Him.
Jesus Predicts His Departure
John 8:21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”
John 8:22 So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”
John 8:23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”
John 8:25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?”
And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
John 8:27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
John 8:28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up (crucify) the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
John 8:29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
John 8:30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
The Truth Shall Make You Free
John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
There is only ONE truth. There is no room for another truth. Jesus is THE WAY to the Father, to Heaven, and to Eternal Life. There is no other WAY. There is no other Truth.
To have two truths means one of the truths must be a lie.
Truth begins with the cross and ends with a throne. The cross reveals that men are sinners. That is the beginning of salvation. The throne is the rule of Jesus on earth during the Millennium and that is at the end of the age. These are facts of truth, not opinions of men.
How does the truth make men free?
Lies are misleading, but Truth sets men on the right track. To be on the wrong path is to be lost. Lies create emotional pain, but the truth of the love of God heals.
To be released from pain one must begin by finding and exposing lies that they have been told or told themselves. Then, those lies must be corrected. A life lived in facing truth is a life of success.
Being truthful with oneself returns a person to their God-given dignity. Believing in being more than what God created the person to be is puffed up pride.
We lie to ourselves because Satan has convinced us that we are not loved by just being the person God created us to be.
Truth frees, but lies take captive. People use lies to puff themselves up and to control other people.
Lies must be created, but Truth has always existed.
Truth is reality. It is not fake news, revisionist history, or opinions.
John 8:33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
This is why we are called “captives”, this is why Jesus acted as a “Kinsman Redeemer”, and why scripture says “He took ‘captivity’ captive.”
See Kinsman Redeemer
John 8:35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
John 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Abraham’s Seed and Satan’s
John 8:37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
John 8:38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have [heard from] seen with your father.”
John 8:39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
John 8:40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
Truth always offends sinners.
John 8:41 You do the deeds of your father.”
Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
To repeat: They are accusing Jesus to be the son of fornication because Mary was unwed when Jesus was conceived.
John 8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
John 8:43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
What’s the difference between “speech” and “word”?
John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Jesus just declared they were the “seed of the serpent” from Genesis 3:15
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you (the serpent/Satan) and the woman, And between your (the serpent/Satan’s) seed and her Seed (Jesus); He (the serpent) shall bruise your (Jesus’) head, And you (seed of the serpent) shall bruise His heel.”
This moment is THE fulfillment of Genesis 3:15 which was told to Adam and Eve. When Jesus rose from the dead Satan’s power was destroyed.
They refused to believe He was born of the Holy Spirit of not of man. THIS IS THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN:
To refuse to believe Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit is to condemn oneself to Hades (Hell) in this world and the next.
See Topic: The Unforgivable Sin
John 8:45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
John 8:46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
John 8:47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Before Abraham Was, I AM
John 8:48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
First they accused Him of being born of fornication and now they are accusing Him of having a demon.
John 8:49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
John 8:50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
John 8:51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
John 8:52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’
John 8:53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
John 8:54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.
John 8:55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.
John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
John 8:57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
John 8:59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Summary:
Jesus is focusing on His Identity:
Jesus is:
| Verse | IS NOT | |
| 11/15 | A Judge | John 12:47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. “Neither do I condemn you” |
| 41 | The son of an adulteress. A bastard child. | “We (the Pharisees speak) were not born of fornication! (Accusing Jesus)“ |
| IS | ||
| 58 | “I AM” Jehovah of the Old Testament | Jehovah: Exodus 3:14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Yeshua Jesus: Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” |
| 2 | A Teacher | He sat down and taught them. |
| 12 | Light | “I AM the light of the world.” |
| 45 | Truth | “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.” |
| 42 | Son of God | “I proceeded forth and came from God” |
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