John 8
8
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. # Mt 21:1
An Adulteress Forgiven
2At dawn He went to the temple complex # Ac 21:26 again, and all the people were coming to Him. # Mk 1:45 He sat down # Mk 9:35 and began to teach them.
3Then the scribes and the Pharisees # Mk 7:3 brought a woman caught in adultery, # Nm 5:11 making her stand in the center. 4“Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. # Mt 5:27-28 5In the law Moses # Ps 77:20; Mt 8:4; Heb 3:2 commanded us to stone such women. # Lv 20:10; Dt 22:22-24; Ezk 16:38-41 So what do You say? ” 6They asked this to trap Him, # Lk 11:54 in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him.
Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. 7When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin # Rm 3:23; 6:23 among you # Rm 2:1,22 should be the first to throw a stone at her.” # Dt 17:7
8Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. 10When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ”
11“No one, Lord,” # Or Sir ; Jn 4:15,49; 5:7; 6:34; 9:36 she answered.
“Neither do I condemn you,” # Jn 3:17 said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” # Other mss omit bracketed text
The Light of the World
12Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am # Ex 3:14; Jn 8:24,58 the light # Ps 36:9; Jn 12:46; 1Jn 2:8 of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” # Ex 13:21-22; 14:19-25; Is 42:6; 49:6; 60:19-22; Zch 14:5-8; Jn 9:5; 12:46
13So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” # The law of Moses required at least 2 witnesses to make a claim legally valid (v. 17).
14“Even if I testify about Myself,” Jesus replied, “My testimony is valid, # Or true because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. # Jn 3:8; 7:28; 9:29; 12:35; 13:3,36; 14:5; 16:5,28; 1Jn 2:11 15You judge # Lk 6:37; Rv 19:11 by human standards. # Lit You judge according to the flesh # Php 3:3 I judge no one. # Jn 3:17; 12:47 16And if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent Me judge # Mt 12:41; 2Th 1:5 together. # Jn 16:32 17Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid. # Nm 35:30; Jn 8:14 18I am the One who testifies # 1Jn 5:7,9 about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”
19Then they asked Him, “Where is Your Father? ”
“You know neither Me nor My Father,” # Jn 7:28; 1Jn 2:23 Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would also know My Father.” # Lk 10:22; Jn 17:3; 1Jn 4:8 20He spoke these words by the treasury, # A place for offerings to be given, perhaps in the court of women # Mk 12:41,43; Lk 21:1 while teaching in the temple complex. But no one seized Him, because His hour # The time of His sacrificial death and exaltation; Jn 2:4; 7:30; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1 had not come.
Jesus Predicts His Departure
21Then He said to them again, “I’m going away; # Jn 14:2; 16:5 you will look for Me, and you will die in your sin. # Dt 24:16; Ezk 3:18; 33:8; Jn 15:22; Rm 3:23; 6:23 Where I’m going, you cannot come.” # Jn 7:34,36; 8:22; 13:33
22So the Jews said again, “He won’t kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I’m going, you cannot come’ # Jn 8:21? ”
23“You are from below,” He told them, “I am from above. # Jn 3:13,31; 18:36; Col 3:1-2 You are of this world; # 1Jn 4:5 I am not of this world. # Jn 15:19; 17:14-16; 18:36 24Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am He, # Jesus claimed to be deity, but the Pharisees didn’t understand His meaning. you will die in your sins.”
25“Who are You? ” they questioned.
“Precisely what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them. 26“I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the One who sent Me # Jn 5:19 is true, and what I have heard from Him — these things I tell the world.” # Jn 3:32; 15:15
27They did not know He was speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, # Mk 2:10 then you will know that I am # Jn 8:24 He, and that I do nothing on My own. # Mk 6:5; Jn 9:33; 15:5 But just as the Father taught Me, I say these things. 29The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, # Jn 16:32; Ac 10:38 because I always do what pleases Him.”
Truth and Freedom
30As He was saying these things, many believed in Him. 31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, # Or My teaching, or My message # Jn 2:22; 18:32 you really are My disciples. 32You will know the truth, # Ps 119:142; Jn 14:6; 2Th 2:10 and the truth will set you free.”
33“We are descendants # Or offspring ; lit seed ; Jn 7:42 of Abraham,” # Gn 16:15; Jn 8:37; Heb 2:16 they answered Him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free’? ”
34Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. # Rm 6:17-20; 2Pt 2:19 35A slave does not remain in the household forever, # 1Jn 2:17 but a son does remain forever. # Gn 21:10; Lk 15:31; Gl 4:30 36Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. 37I know you are descendants # Or offspring ; lit seed ; Jn 7:42 of Abraham, # Lk 19:9; Jn 8:31-47; Ac 13:26; Rm 4:11,16; Gl 3:7 but you are trying to kill Me because My word # Or My teaching, or My message is not welcome among you. 38I speak what I have seen # Jn 3:32; 5:19; 6:46 in the presence of the Father; # Other mss read of My Father # Mt 5:16; 11:27; Lk 11:13; Jn 8:42 therefore, you do what you have heard from your father.”
39“Our father is Abraham! ” they replied.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. # Gl 3:7,9 40But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth # Ps 119:142; Jn 14:6 that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 41You’re doing what your father does.” # 2Jn 9
“We weren’t born # 1Jn 2:29 of sexual immorality,” # Hs 2:4; 1Th 4:3 they said. “We have one Father — God.” # Dt 32:6
42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, # Dt 6:5; Lk 10:27; 1Jn 5:1 because I came from God # Jn 13:3; 16:27; 1Jn 5:20 and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me. 43Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to # Or cannot hear My word. # Lk 6:47; Jn 18:32 44You are of your father the Devil, # Mt 4:1; Jn 13:2,27; Eph 2:1-3 and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer # 1Jn 3:15 from the beginning # Gn 3:1-4; 4:8-9; Ac 26:4; 2Co 11:3; 1Jn 3:8-15; Rv 12:9 and has not stood in the truth, # Jn 14:6; Rm 3:7 because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, # Lit from his own things because he is a liar and the father of liars. # Lit of it 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46Who among you can convict Me of sin? # Jn 15:22; 1Jn 3:5 If I tell the truth, why don’t you believe Me? 47The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”
Jesus and Abraham
48The Jews responded to Him, “Aren’t we right in saying that You’re a Samaritan # Lk 9:52; Ac 1:8 and have a demon? ” # Jn 7:20; 10:20; Rv 9:20; 18:2
49“I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor My Father and you dishonor Me. 50I do not seek My glory; # Jn 17:24; Php 3:19; 1Pt 5:4 the One who seeks it also judges. 51I assure you: If anyone keeps My word, # Jn 8:52,55; 14:23-24; 15:20; 17:6; 18:32; 1Jn 2:5; Rv 1:3; 3:8,10; 22:7,9 he will never see death — ever! ”
52Then the Jews said, “Now we know You have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death — ever! ’ 53Are You greater than our father Abraham who died? Even the prophets died. Who do You pretend to be? ” # Lit Who do You make Yourself?
54“If I glorify Myself,” Jesus answered, “My glory is nothing. My Father — you say about Him, ‘He is our God’ — He is the One who glorifies Me. 55You’ve never known Him, but I know Him. If I were to say I don’t know Him, # Jn 7:28 I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, # Mt 11:27 and I keep His word. 56Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it # Lk 10:24; Heb 11:13-19 and rejoiced.”
57The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham? ” # Other mss read and Abraham has seen You?
58Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” # I AM is the name God gave Himself at the burning bush; Ex 3:13-14; see note at Jn 8:24. # Ex 3:14; Ps 45:8; Jn 1:15; 8:24; 17:5; Col 1:17
59At that, they picked up stones # Jn 10:33 to throw at Him. # Ex 17:4; Lv 24:16; 1Sm 30:6; 1Kg 21:10-13; Jn 10:31; 11:8 But Jesus was hidden # Or Jesus hid Himself # Lk 4:30; Jn 12:36 and went out of the temple complex. # Other mss add and having gone through their midst, He passed by # Ac 21:26
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