Words for the Wise, Jesus Light of the World.

John 8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Adulterous Woman

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, [a]Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”]

Jesus Is the Light of the World

12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not [b]true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is [c]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. 15 You judge [d]according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is [e]true. 18 I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” 19 So they were saying to Him, “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; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

21 Then He said again to them, “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that [f]I am He, you will die in your sins.” 25 So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “[g]What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” 27 They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that [h]I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me; He [i]has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30 As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.

The Truth Will Make You Free

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word [j]has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen [k]with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but [l]He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand [m]what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [n]a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [o]lies. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

48 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly 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 But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 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, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ 53 Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom 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 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced [p]to see My day, and 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 [q]was born, I am.” 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus [r]hid Himself and went out of the temple.

 The Bible Panorama

John 8

V 1–11: HYPOCRISY HIT The scribes and Pharisees bring Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery and say that she should be stoned. Jesus simply advises that the person without sin should cast the first stone. The crowd melt away. Jesus then tells the woman to stop sinning.

V 12–18: TELLING TESTIMONY Jesus claims to be the Light of the world. Those following Him shall walk in ‘the light of life’. He is told that He cannot testify of Himself. Jesus replies that He knows His origin and destiny and that, as His Father testifies of Him also, His witness is corroborated

 V 19–30: CRUCIAL COMPREHENSION This statement produces various discussions about the relationship between Jesus as God the Son, who is the Son of Man on earth, and the first Person of the Trinity, God the Father. Jesus says He is going away to His Father after He has been killed. The innuendo from the opponents is that Jesus is illegitimate. Jesus says all His teaching comes from the Father, and that the Father is with Him. He always pleases the Father. This causes many to believe in Him.

 V 31–36 SIN’S SLAVERY Jesus teaches that abiding in the truth of His word brings freedom to those who, by so doing, have become His disciples. Freedom does not come from natural descent from Abraham, because sin makes slaves of us all. Only Jesus can liberate from that basic slavery, and clearly He uses His word to achieve that.

V 37–44 FIENDISH FATHER Jesus shows that the desire of those claiming Abraham as their father to kill Him demonstrates that their real father is the devil. That is also why they believe lies. Their fiendish father is a murderer and a liar. If they really had God as their Father they would not infer that Jesus was illegitimate. They would recognise the truth that He is God’s Son and not seek to kill Him.

 V 45–47 TRUTH TEST Those who really belong to God listen to His words, which are the truth. Those who do not belong to God have no desire to hear His words. This is a key test of whether someone knows God.

 V 48–59 ETERNALLY EXISTENT Jesus refutes their false and cynical accusation that He is possessed by a demon. He always follows His Father and seeks His glory. Those who keep His word have eternal life. To show that His eternal existence predated Abraham’s life He says, ‘Before Abraham was, I AM.’ (‘I AM’ is an Old Testament title of God.) Jesus passes through them, unharmed, despite their attempt to stone Him to death for blasphemy. Jesus is not just a prophet but the eternal Son of God.