Good morning! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying,“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
So, there is a brief interruption (the situation of the adulterous woman), but now Jesus has picked up where he left off in the temple.
"I am the light"- Many commentators have noted the Illumination of the Temple as being an important tie-in to this passage. It was a ritual during the Feast, in which the temple was -- obviously -- illuminated, then the light from the temple would shine out into Jerusalem.
This light was representative of the cloud and the fire that guided that guided Israel during their wandering.
Jesus is saying he is the new, greater light (He is also the new, greater temple), which shines out to a world covered in darkness. That guides all mankind.
From John 1, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men."
This is one of the seven "I am" statements, where Jesus is intentionally identifying Himself with YHWH.
If you have ever stumbled around in true darkness, then you understand the immense importance of light.
13 So the Pharisees said to him,“You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”14 Jesus answered,“Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
Jesus has made his proclamation, and yet they do not believe. They will not believe.
Again, from John 1:5, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Overcome or κατέλαβεν - "comprehended, perceived"
Or from 1:9-11, "The true light... He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."
Jesus' testimony is without fault because he is without fault. We can take him at his word. He does not need the testimony of others. Although, he has it in spades, as Scripture attests to him.
15 You judge according to the flesh;I judge no one.16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”
These men have judged Jesus as a sinner, without righteous cause.
They have also looked down on him because he is from Nazareth.
The only righteous judge in the building is not exerting his right to judge.
Jesus "is sent" by the Father. Hebrews 3 describes Jesus as an "Ἀπόστολον" or apostle. This really just means he is the messenger from heaven, the delegate. He acts on behalf of the one who sent him, with the right to speak with the Father's authority.
In the same way, we are apostles. We are sent to do the work of the one who sent us, with His power. We are messengers from heaven.
19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered,“You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
Either they are alluding to his father Joseph, or they are implying that Jesus is born of illegitimate circumstances. They are trying to tease Jesus.
Jesus simply responds with the truth. They don't know him, at all. And if they truly want to know the Father, then it starts with him.
Has anyone ever compared you to your parent? I mean, often this comes with a negative connotation, but Jesus really is just like his Dad! And he has the best Dad!
He is his Father's son. He is the spitting image.
Keep in mind, the note about being in the treasury is demonstrating the very public nature of the claims Jesus is making.
21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
Where is Jesus going? The heaven, to sit in power at the right hand of his Father.
Anyone who does not receive the one the Father sent, His only Son, is not received by the Father.
Jesus will say in John 14:6, "I am the way". It is singular, exclusive, and yet inclusive in that it is offered to the whole world.
From 1 Timothy 2:5, "There is one mediator between God and men".
23 He said to them, “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, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins. 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.
The Pharisees get a bad wrap, and rightfully so, most of the time. They did terrible things.
I guess I just find the whole situation tragic. Jesus is here, for all people, but especially Israel. These men must have truly thought they were pursuing true righteousness before God, and yet they are so blind that they cannot comprehend God in their midst.
As verse 27 says, they truly cannot wrap their heads around the truth of what Jesus is saying. They don't get who he is, why he is there, or even who sent him.
They ask, "Who are you?" but they are not truly seeking the Truth.
This would not be untrue of ourselves, if we did not have the Spirit to help us, guide us, and lead us in faith.
28 So Jesus said to them, “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 authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him. 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
From John 3:14, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,". This is referring to the nature of his death, hanging from a cross, set upon a hill, outside and overlooking Jerusalem.
Despite the opposition of the Pharisees, the people hear Jesus and believe in him. His word is power and life. Hebrews tell us that it cuts to the core of man; it "discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart". It has done so in this instance, between the people and the Pharisees.
In John 15, Jesus will talk more about how we "abide" in him and in his word.
Verse 33 is interesting. Obviously, it is untrue. The Israelites were enslaved to Egypt.
Oh, and they had been under the captivity of Assyria.
Oh, and Babylon.
Oh, and now Rome controls them.
This is truly idiotic. They are delusional. They are totally blinded by sin. Maybe you yourself have experienced this kind of blindness before? I know I have! I have been so enraptured with sin, or a false sense of my own power that I was unwilling to accept what Jesus offered to me freely.
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
"...practices sin" or continually living/choosing to be in sin. There is a difference between recognizing that we all sin vs. being obstinate towards God and His Word.
The word "slave" is unmistakable. A person living in sin is truly the property of sin; they have been stripped of their freedom. Their life is demeaned.
To be a slave to sin means we are so accustomed to its manifestation in our life, or enamored with sin, that we cannot recognize the detriment it causes to our life. It is Stockholm syndrome -- we begin to think fondly of our captor.
Those who are called to new life in Christ resist their former captor, by his power.
So, based on verse 38, who is their father?
39 They answered him,“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them,“If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
So, what are the works of Abraham?
From Romans 4:3, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Abraham believed and did as he was told.
Every hero of the Bible, every great person, was only ever great (in a lasting sense) because our God is great. It is faith in God, faith in God's Son, that makes the difference. And when you believe in the Son, then you can do the works of faith.
From John 6:29, "Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'"
41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him,“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
They think they are insulting Jesus by alluding to his parentage.
They are just proving Jesus right.
Their true father only leads people away from the truth. He lies, manipulates, and seeks to steal away life.
42 Jesus said to them,“If God were your Father, you would love me, forI came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God.The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
We now get the answer to verse 38, in full. The devil is their father, as he is the father of all who are not reborn in Christ.
The devil has been doing this since the first human beings. Just as Adam and Eve listened to the serpent, instead of God, and received death as a consequence, so do all who refuse the Word of God and instead live according to his lies.
The devil is a master of his craft, and he makes his lies sweet and appealing to our reasoning, but it only ever leads to our detriment.
Think about how public this conversation is, then think about the nature of what Jesus is saying... Things are starting to get VERY tense.
48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered,“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them,“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple."
In these last verses, Jesus makes an undeniable claim. He claims to be timeless... Only God is truly timeless. Outside of time. Eternal.
If Jesus shares in that attribute with God, then he is God.
If Jesus is God, then he truly is greater than Abraham and the Prophets.
This is an explicit claim. There is no denying what Jesus is saying here. The Pharisees clearly understand; that is why they seek to stone him.
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