The Gospel According to John Chapter 8

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The Gospel According to John Chapter 8

The Bible Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/JHN.8.NIV

The True Identity of Jesus (2)

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. (East of the Temple.)

Adulterous Woman

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. (Jesus taught people again in temple courts.)

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. (The rabbies and Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to trap Jesus, asking the solution between the law and forgiveness. The law comes first for them.) But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

7 When they kept on questioning him, (Jesus took some time writing some unknown on the ground. Meanwhile the people kept asking Jesus for the answer.) 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.” (Jesus says, Stone her if you never committed sin.)

8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. (Jesus didn't consider those accusers seriously because Jesus knew that they also were very vulnerable to sin.)

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. (The accusers began to disperse one by one because of their own guilty.)

10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” (The woman became free from the accusers.)

11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” (Even Jesus didn't condemn her.) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (Jesus leaves the judgement and responsibility for new life to her.)

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.” (Jesus is the light which enlightens the darkness. 1:4-5)

13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” (The Pharisees accused Jesus of testifying Himself)

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. (The self-testifying of Jesus is right because there is no one knows the true identity of Jesus with human knowledge.)

15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. (But the Pharisees were bounded by the worldy knowledge which is not perfect. The law of multiple witness proves imperfection of human judgement.)

16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. (In fact, God is the true witness of Jesus.)

17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. (Deut. 19:15)

18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” (Jesus and God, two of Them legitimized the truth of the identity and ministry of Jesus.)

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.” (Not knowing Jesus is not knowing God, because God is the Father and Jesus is the Son of God.)

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. (Jesus was still free to teach at the time. The final time is yet to 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.” (7:34)

22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” (The Jews didn't understand what Jesus meant with the saying.)

23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. (There are two worlds here. One above for Jesus, the other this world for them.)

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.” (Unbelief will be resulted in death.)

25 “Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. (Jesus had kept teaching His Messiahship from the beginning but the people didn't realize who He is.)

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.” (Jesus reveals Himself rather than judging their sins. Jesus just gives them chance to believe.)

27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. (The Jews were far behind in understanding the Father and His Son because of "their" monotheism.)

28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, (The redemptive death of Jesus as the Son of Man on the cross. 3:14) 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.” (The redemptive death of Jesus will be the proof of the Messiahship of Jesus.)

30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him. (Many came to the belief.)

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.” (The faith in Jesus, learning the teachings of Jesus, training to follow Jesus, and obeying Him will lead you to the truth, which will set you free. This proclaim is pretty straight forward but immensely profound; worthy to memorize and meditate until the awakening. 1Co. 1:22-24, Rom. 8:1)

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?” (But the Jews still didn't understand the heavenly teaching and insist to be free as the descendants of Abraham. Actually they were under the Roman rule at the time.)

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. (A sinner is a slave of sins. And all are sinned. Rom. 3:23)

35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. (Chained slave or freed son?)

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (The Son of God sets the believers free. v.32)

37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants (by blood). Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. (Abraham believed God but the descendents not.)

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.” (Jesus obeys His Father God very intimately, but the Jews hear their father who is evil.)

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. (The Jews claimed to be the children of Abraham but Jesus denied what they claimed because they were not following Abraham, but tried to kill Jesus with evil thoughts of their own pride. 5:44)

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.” (The Jews did evil things while claiming to follow God.)

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. (Their evil thoughts and actions were not from God but from the evil one.)

43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. (The logics of Jesus didn't work for them because they got stuck in their own erroneous preconception.)

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. (Jesus confirmed that their father is the devil who is the father of lies.)

45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! (The devil does not hear the truth of Jesus.)

46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? (Jesus was sinless but the people rejected Him.)

47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (The grace of God is for all but not every one of them stays in God's grace. Those who stay in God's grace come to the faith in Him and being saved. Eph. 2:8-9)

Jesus’ Claims About Himself

48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” (The Jews even accused Jesus to be a Samaritan, who is cursed, and demon-possessed.)

49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. (Calling Jesus, who's honoring the Father God, demon-possessed is the blasphemy to Jesus. Mt. 12:31-32)

50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. (Not self-glorifying, but God's acknowledge matters.)

51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” (Jesus is the God-intended way of the eternal life.)

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?” (The Jews denied the possibility of eternal life because of the death of Abraham. And they questioned Jesus if He is greater than their father Abraham.)

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. (The ministry of Jesus is not self-glorifying but obedience to God.)

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” (Jesus said that even Abraham was looking forward to see the Messiah Jesus.)

57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” (How the man of the time can talk about the man who was alive long time ago? They asked.)

58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (Jesus reveals His preexistence. 1:1)

59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (The mad crowd who couldn't understand or accept the claim of Jesus tried to stone Jesus but He slipped away. No one but God and Jesus decide the death of Jesus.)