An Expository Study of John’s Gospel
CHAPTER 8
Scripture Reading: John 8 (KJV)
Introduction
Much could be said about John 7:53 - 8:11; in some manuscripts these verses do not appear in this place and in some not at all. That does not mean the verses are not genuine. Most liberal commentators, who agree that the verses do not belong in this place, usually conclude by agreeing that the verses are in every way characteristic of Jesus and valid history. The American Standard committee put these verses in parentheses and stated in footnote, "Most of the ancient authorities omit John 7:53-8:11. Those which contain it vary much from each other." The Authorized King James version of 1929, places the verses in this place without changing the style of print or adding parentheses or adding a footnote.
THE REVELATION OF THE SON OF GOD TO ISRAEL
8:1-6 … “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again in the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.” Once again the Lord is in the temple, teaching the people. “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” This appears to be a trumpeted up case. She may have been guilty, probably was, but it has the earmarks of a set-up, because they were seemingly not concerned about taking the man involved, only the woman. If true, it would mean they were not interested in getting rid of adultery in Jerusalem or establishing righteousness as the mode of conduct. It would mean that they wanted her as a pawn, to test Jesus. It seems they cared as little for Him as they did for her. Hoping to trip-up the Lord, they put to Him the words of Moses and asked, in effect, “What do you say?” If the Lord agrees with Moses, they have Him, for He will begin to lose the popularity of the people. He will no longer be for the common man, because He agrees with Moses that this woman should be stoned. So, if He agrees with Moses, the leaders feel they will have Him where they desire. On the other hand, if He does not agree with Moses, then He becomes a violator of the Law. And if so, how could He be a teacher of the Law? The Pharisees had no though about how to salvage this woman. Jesus did not come as judge. He came as Savor. He is not interested in condemnation, only salvation.1 In this situation the Lord does not play into their hands. “This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.” This is the only thing Jesus is ever reported to have written. Some early manuscripts add that the Lord wrote on the ground a list of the sins of those accusing the woman. This would have been characteristic of the Lord. And, it fits in with what the Lord is about to tell them. But, it is only speculation.
8:7 … “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” The Law of Moses taught that if a man and woman were caught in the act of adultery, they should be stoned by their witnesses. The Lord says to them, in effect, “You men without sin, start throwing the rocks.”
8:8, 9 … “And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” The accusers were gone and silence replaced the crowd. The woman did not flee, but stayed with the Lord.
8:10, 11 … “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” The fact that she answered the Lord by saying no one condemned her and He said, “go, and sin no more”, is evidence she was guilty. The Lord knew, not many days hence, He was going to die to take away the sins of the world, including hers. So, like the thief on the cross, He forgave her before His death. This was an early entry into the ledger against His life, which He would soon offer up on the cross. He told her not to sin anymore, releasing her from the grip of sin. She is now a released sinner. Her sins were taken from the Lamb’s Book of Life. The early authority assumed by Jesus, forgiving this woman, was thoroughly vindicated when He died on the cross.
Preview of the presentations of Jesus
With John 8:12, we have the beginning of a new section, going to 10:42. In this section Jesus makes six presentations. The three in chapter 8 are controversial. Chapter 9 brings us to the healing of the man born blind. While not controversial, it does reveal the powers and claims of Jesus. It also reveals the unthinking opposition of the Jewish leaders. Then, in chapter 10 there are two controversial presentations. There are some amazing parallels in this section. For instance, after Jesus makes His first presentation in v. 12 of chapter 8 (notice v. 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.” They did not take Him, but we can hear in the language a considerable amount of pent-up, reserve hostility. And, in verses to come it will find expression. For another parallel, after Jesus makes His second presentation in chapter 8, v. 21 (notice v. 30), “As he spake these words, many believed on him.” So, on one hand, we have pent-up hostility, with nobody believing, and then, on the other hand, He is received by many, with a measure of faith, though not a substantial measure, of faith. Yet another parallel, after Jesus makes His third presentation in chapter 8, v. 31, (notice v. 59), “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” In these three presentations of the Lord, we see people responding in three different ways:
1. Reserved hostility;
2. Open belief; and now,
3. Desiring to kill Him by stoning.
Another example is revealed in chapter 9, when the Lord heals the blind man. After the Lord makes His fourth presentation, (notice v. 38), “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” We might expect, after hearing an example of one believing, that the Lord’s next presentation will meet with opposition. In chapter 10, after the Lord makes His fifth presentation (notice v. 6), “This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.” The people are again in a state of confusion. Notice also, vs. 19 through 21, “There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?” In the Lord’s fifth presentation we again see different responses of the people:
1. Confusion;
2. Division;
3. Accusing; and
4. Standing up for Him.
After the Lord makes his last presentation, in this section (notice v. 42 of chapter 10), “And many believed on him there.” So, from one presentation to another, we see belief and unbelief from those hearing the messages of the Lord. Over and over, we see belief, confusion, frustration, hostility and then more belief. This is the meaning of the Period of Conflict (7:1- 11:53).
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.” This statement of the Lord refers back to the Prologue (1:1-18) and has been a continuing undercurrent. John started off by writing in chapter 1, v. 4, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John continues this thought in this section.
8:13 … “The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.” Notice how their reaction moves from paragraph to paragraph. Here they contradict what the Lord says. Jesus says, “I am the light of the world”, and, in effect, they reply, “That is not so. You bear witness of yourself, but, your witness is not true.” In chapter 5, v. 31, the Lord said, “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.” At that time, He was thinking about the acceptability of His witness in a court of law. In Jewish law a person could not testify in his or her own behalf. Why? They would be bias. Here, in chapter 8, the Lord is not referring to a court of law, but His competence to bear witness of Himself, because He knows Himself better than anyone. So,
8:14 … “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 I go.” Jesus points out that He has knowledge of His origin; His present mission; and future plans. In effect, He says, “You, on the other hand, know nothing about My origin: who I am; or My future plans. I speak out of knowledge. You speak out of ignorance.” In challenging the Lord, they took on more than they bargained for. The Lord always stands His ground. In the next verse, as He bears witness, we see the difference between Himself and the people.
8:15 … “Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.” The Lord now points out that He is not here as a judge. He is not denying that one day He will be a judge, but He did not come to judge the world. He came to save the world.
8:16, 17 … “And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.” Since the witness of two is true, then His witness, coupled with the witness of His Father, would be true and valid in a court of law and public opinion.
8:18, 19 … “I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.” Here are the two witnesses. “Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father?” This is a refusal by intimidation. In the Orient, if you question a person’s parentage, you have disgraced him in the worse way. So, when they said to the Lord, “Where is thy Father?” they implied He did not have a father. At this point, the people did not understand that the Lord was fathered by the Holy Spirit and born by His mother, Mary. “Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.” In our time, being thoroughly acquainted with the origin of the Lord through the Word of God, we are familiar with both Jesus and His Father. We know them both. The Lord teaches us that we cannot know One without knowing the Other.
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.” Notice, that Jesus again mentions His hour has not yet come. His hora, or hour, in the Greek, meant the hour of His presentation or the crucial hour for Him to stand out as the One He claimed to be. At this point, that hour has not yet come.
8:21-24 … “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. 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: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” The Lord is telling them the consequence of their rejection of Him. If they reject Him, they are rejecting the only means for them ever to be freed from the bondage of their sins. Therefore, if they reject Him, they will die in their sins and doom will be their destiny.
8:25-27 … “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 are still dense. If we disbelieve the testimony of a man, then probably we will miss most of the content of his testimony. Why? Because at the first, we gave him no credibility. And if, in one's judgment, he has no credibility, little or no attention will be paid to his words and little or no effort will be made to understand any deep things he might say. This is the problem with the leaders of the Jews. In chapter 3, when Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, He said His elevation on the cross would be the means of proving, once and for all, that He was the Son of God, the sin-bearer for all man-kind. The Lord now says, in slightly different words, the same thing to these Jews.
8:28-30 … “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: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him.” There are several things unique about the last few verses. Often, in the English translation of the New Testament, Jesus says, “I am He”, or “Except ye believe that I am He.” Notice that in each case, “He” is in italics, meaning that it was not in the original. In the original, the Greeks understood when He said, “Except ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins.” They knew He was alluding to Himself as Deity. God had always identified Himself as, “I AM.” In Exodus, when God commissioned Moses to go into Egypt and lead the people out, He said, “Tell them I AM sent you.” “He” does not appear. God’s eternal name is, “I AM.” The word Jehovah in the original language is a form of the verb, “to be,” and the first part of the verb “to be” is “I am,” “you are,” “he is.” He is the eternal, “I AM.” This is not a means of identification, but a declaration of eternal life from everlasting to everlasting. There never has been, nor ever will be, a time that God cannot say, “I AM.” In the 22nd chapter of Matthew, the Jews asked the Lord some troubling questions. They asked about the resurrection, which the Sadducees did not believe. When the Lord spoke to them about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He started off by saying, “I am” (Matt. 22:32). He says, in effect, “I am not the God of the dead, but the living” – implying that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are as alive today as they ever were on this earth. They are living spirits in God’s custody, until the time comes when they will enter their eternal abode. They are alive today. All of our deceased loved ones are also alive today. Their bodies slumber in a grave, but their spirits are alive. Most of the Jewish leaders, while the Lord was on earth, wrestled with this, and never did accept the Lord as Messiah. When the Lord says, “Except ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins”, they were aware that He alluded to His Deity, but they did not accept it. However, the words of the Lord in the above verses persuade some that He is Who He claims to be. So, as v. 30 says, “many believed on him.” But, that belief turns out to be only skin-deep, because they give the Lord as much trouble from here on, as the Pharisees did in vs. 12-30.
8:31, 32 … “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” If they had been genuine believers they would have replied, “That’s what we want. Enough truth so we'll know how to be free from sin and Satan.” But that is not what they said. Notice how oblivious they are to their own past history. 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?” Such sinister words. These are superficial believers. Have they forgotten their:
1. Bondage in Egypt;
2. Forty years of servitude under the judges;
3. Servitude in Babylon for seventy years while in captivity; and,
4. Servitude under the yoke of Rome?
Yet, they say, “We . . . were never in bondage to any man.” Truth is, they had been in bondage several times throughout their history and had known little freedom. They are here speaking ignorantly, to say the least. And, they are saying these ignorant things to the One who is the, “I AM.” The One Who knows eternity and everything. The Lord helps them to see themselves and when they do, they do not like it.
8:34 … “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” The Lord apparently assumes for the moment that they do not accept Him as the Deliverer, and, therefore, as non-believers in sin, they have no way out, no provision, other than the Lord – from the bondage of sin. Sin is a master. Notice the Lord does not use, “sins,” plural. He considers sin as a way of life. One sin usually leads to another and another and another. Like a disease, once the virus of sin gets into our system, there is no way, apart from the Lord, to get it out. The people in our verse did not truly accept the Lord as the Deliverer; freeing them from their bondage of sin. In fact, they deny their need to be delivered. An antidote is needed to completely remove a virus, or the patient never gets well, and eventually will die of the illness.
8:35 … “And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.” In effect, the Lord is saying, “I am the Son of the Father. If I free you from sin you will be free forever. If, on the other hand, you do not accept Me as the Deliverer, then the bondservant of sin will abide in your house until you are delivered by Me.”
8:36 … “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Completely healed of the malady of sin. As pointed out in the Book of Romans, we will still have contact with sin, but it will attack us as one of the lesser forces in our lives and we will have access to God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit and can remove sin from our lives again and again and again. This happens once we have accepted Christ as the Deliverer. When we do, we are freed from the malady of sin. We may have momentary infections, but there is immediate removal by the blood of Christ.
8:37 … “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.” They had asserted that they were Abraham’s children. They thought physical descent was the equivalent of spiritual character. But, as the Lord shows them, it is not. 8:38 … “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.” They thought He was talking about one in the same: His father, Abraham, and their father, Abraham. But, the Lord was speaking of His Father, God, and their father not being Abraham, as far as their spiritual life was concerned. They were literally descended from Abraham, but he was not their spiritual Father.
8:39-41 … “They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.”If you were his genuine, spiritual children, you would do the same things that Abraham did. “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.” They imply here that the Lord was born of fornication, because He did not have an earthly father. In effect, they said, “You are illegitimate. What can you tell us about fatherhood?” These are the Jews who believed on Him earlier. Just because some people started to believe on Jesus, did not mean He had won the battle of sin in their lives. Even after giving Him their shallow belief, they give Him as hard a time as they would have before believing in Him.
8:42, 43 … “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.” They did not have hearts and ears to hear. They heard the audible sounds, but they did not hear with their spiritual hearts.
8:44-47 … “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” This is a serious indictment.
8:48 … “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” Now they try open sarcasm. They say, in effect, “He’s not even a genuine Jew. He’s a Samaritan. And, He’s got a demon.”
8:49-53 … “Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.” They are now railing on the Lord. “Art thou greater than our father Abraham” (They again use open sarcasm to indicate that He was greater than Abraham) which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?” In effect, they said, “Who do you think you are?”
8:54-56 … “Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” Abraham, by faith, saw the day when the Redeemer would come. He must have seen it there on Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22), when, at the request of God, he attempted to sacrifice his son. Abraham prepared the wood for the fire; placed Isaac on the altar; bound him; raising his knife for the kill. But, then God’s voice from heaven said that He knew Abraham believed. Abraham then found a ram to offer as a sacrifice, in place of his own son. This event demonstrated that one day God would not find a ram to take the place of His Son, but would actually offer Him up for the sins of the world. When Abraham and Isaac were on the mountain, Isaac said to Abraham, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:7, 8). That is when Abraham saw the Lord’s day and was glad to see it. This we can be sure of, from the book of Hebrews, “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Heb. 11:19). When Abraham raised his knife, he consented to the death of Isaac, and in his mind Isaac was dead. So, when God gave Isaac back to him alive, it was, to Abraham, like a resurrection from the dead. This is faith. These people, to whom the Lord is now speaking, do not come close to Abraham’s kind of faith, and this is what the Lord is telling them.
8:57-59 … “Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” They are still thinking only in terms of literal, physical life. “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Here again, the Lord uses, “I AM.” Abraham was born and that represents an act taking place in time. But, “I AM,” is that statement of eternal truth, which does not relate to a point in time. “Before Abraham was” – before Abraham was born, “I am.” “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” Think how the Lord must have felt, when after He speaks, people who say they believe, try to stone Him to death. What could He expect from the totally non-believing crowd?
