Read John 8
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
Dispute Over Who Jesus Is
21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”
22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”
39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Jesus’ Claims About Himself
48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Go Deeper
One of the most interesting things about this chapter is that it begins and ends with two similar stories. The connecting theme between these two instances was a failed attempt to stone someone for a perceived wrongdoing. At the start of this passage, the people are angry with a woman caught in adultery. At the end, they are enraged with a Man who claimed to be their Savior. A passage like this is traditionally called a “sandwich”: it begins and ends with a similar story in order to emphasize the point in the middle. If the outside of this chapter shows us two stories of anger towards others’ sin, what is the lesson in the middle?
The center of this passage showcases the people’s failure to listen to Jesus. He spends much of His time in this chapter explaining that they think they know God, but are actually far from Him. One instance of this is found in verses 23-24 “But he continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.’” Many of His listeners went on to vehemently deny this claim. They assumed they were in the clear. Jesus’ words of conviction didn’t soften their hearts, but rather hardened them.
As Jesus spent much of His time in this chapter trying to convince His listeners of their own shortcomings, all they were concerned about was the failure of others. It was much easier for them to be angry at the sin of the woman, or the perceived sin of Jesus, rather than to take an honest examination of their own lives. They didn’t want to hear from Jesus about all of the ways in which they had fallen short. We too can fall into this same pattern. It’s easier for us to notice the sins of others, and not allow the Holy Spirit to spotlight our own sins. Today, let’s learn to listen to what Jesus has to say about us before we go looking for what we have to say about others.
Questions
- What most stuck out to you about Jesus’ teaching from this passage?
- Why do you think Jesus’ listeners were so defensive to His teaching?
- In verse 37 Jesus says, “you have no room for my word.” What is taking up the room in your schedule and heart so that you don’t have room to hear Jesus’ words to you?
Did You Know?
John 8:12 is the second of Jesus’ “I Am” statements. This time He declares that He is the light of the world. We use that phrase in reference to Jesus a lot these days, but that would have been a groundbreaking idea for the people around Him. By saying this, He was claiming deity and equality with God.
5 thoughts on “John 8”
One of the things I noted was the tenderness of Jesus towards women, previously the Samaritan woman he met at the well, and now the adulterous woman in this chapter who is about to be stoned. In neither case does he excuse their sin, but in both he offers forgiveness and compassion. I wonder what Jesus wrote on the ground that dispersed the accusing crowd. In both women, Christ’s message found a place in their hearts. Reading John begs for us to humbly allow space in our lives for the Light of the World to dwell with us, to rid ourselves of stubbornness, pride and prejudices that hinder belief in Jesus.
Jesus took them back to the Word and how it was to be. He was not truly argumentative just stating the facts. There were those in the crowd that believed Him. His actions matched His words. That is my hearts desire.
God thank You that my actions match my words. That I do not have to say I know Jesus for people to see Him in me. God help me to love You better. Thank You for more rain and living for You minutely today in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!
I’ve been blessed this last week by reading from Chapter 21 of Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Jesus’ response to the adulterous woman, a sinner like me, is powerful, and illustrates his whole mission. Here is Ortlund’s analysis of Romans 5:6-11 (“For while we were still weak…”): Here are some sentences from pp. 194-5:
He eagerly suffered for us when we were failing, as orphans. Will he cross his arms over our failures now that we are his adopted children?
His heart was gentle and lowly toward us when we were lost. Will his heart be anything different toward us now that we are found?….
When you sin, do a thorough job of repenting. Re-hate sin all over again…. But reject the devil’s whisper that God’s tender heart for you has grown a little colder, a little stiffer…
If you are in Christ… your waywardness does not threaten your place in the love of God any more than history itself can be undone. The hardest part has been accomplished.. Nothing can now un-child you… We will be less sinful in the next life than we are now, but we will not be any more secure in the next life than we are now…. As Spurgeon preached:
“Christ loved you before all worlds…. God, even our God, had set his heart upon all his children…
You have often left him; has he ever left you? You have had many trials and troubles; has he ever deserted you? Has he ever turned away his heart, and shut up his bowels of compassion? No, children of God, it is your solemn duty to say, “No,” and bear witness to his faithfulness.”
What grace to have received this “no matter what” love of God! What a privilege to testify to his great faithfulness!
This is the second time the spirit has placed this book in my path to read. Thank you for sharing.
I am not, but I know “I am”.
Louie, Giglio