seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 8:1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 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.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, 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.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
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. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
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.”
13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
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. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
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.” 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.
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.”
22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
23 But he continued, “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; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 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.”
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up[a] the Son of Man, 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.” 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
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.”
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?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 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.[b]”
39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would[c] 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. 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.”
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. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 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. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
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?”
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. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
a. John 8:28 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
b. John 8:38 Or presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.
c. John 8:39 Some early manuscripts “If you are Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then
Like it or not.... this is a chapter about disputes. The church leaders didn't get it.... and Jesus was explaining it to them... and they still didn't get it.
I knew when I opened this file that it was going to a require dealing with humans who put the Bible together. I'm found this clever explanation in the blueletterbible.org commentary.
All this shows that ancient scribes were ignorant of its exact position, but were anxious to retain it in the gospel records. They knew it belonged, but they didn't exactly know where.
Now back to the story..... The leaders of the church disputed Jesus on three matters in this chapter. From what I'm reading.... they were trying to trap him on the law of Moses, the correctness of His witness, and the validity of His statements.
It doesn't matter if the story of the lusty woman was in the beginning or at the end of the book..... those leaders were trying to get Jesus to say something they could make discrediting headlines with. They could take any subject and twist it into a nice little bow that the ignorant would just adore.
They knew Jesus would not let them stone that woman for adultery. While adultery was a sin... one of the ten listed in the Commandments.... stoning her to death was added later as a deterrent. Just like putting a lock on the door to keep honest people out.... get where I'm coming from? So the church leaders were probably even projecting little drops of spittle as they sneered at Him.... "what do you say?" But Jesus was smart..... He turned it back on them... who is going to be the first one to proclaim himself judge and jury. [I think I saw that subplot in a couple of westerns recently.]
That was a trick question about the law.... the second was a trick question about witness. The leaders of the church said none of what Jesus had said could be taken as truth in their courts because Jesus didn't have another person saying the same thing to offer back up His testimony. That's when Jesus really confused them.
Here's how the blueletterbible.org clears up that matter.
Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true: Jesus would agree that under normal circumstances, a man's testimony regarding Himself could not be established as true. But Jesus points out that He is qualified to give testimony about Himself.
Jesus can testify about Himself because He, not they, has view of eternity: I know where I came from and where I am going.
Jesus can testify about Himself because He, not they, judges righteously: You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
Jesus can testify about Himself because His testimony is fully supported by God the Father: My judgment is true; for I am not alone.
Then they got into a discussion about exactly who He was.... and the Temple leaders didn't get that at all either.... It's as if they had their brains turned off.... but hey.... hindsight is 2020.... so they say... right?
Who are You? This question of the Pharisees comes from a combination of willful confusion and contempt. Though Jesus has told them over and over who He is, they will continue to ask until they get an answer they can use to condemn Him.
I love how their debate backfired on them. Debating with Jesus only caused more people to follow Him. [from the same commentary]As He spoke these words, many believed in Him: Jesus' message of His unity with the Father was so well received by some because His life was consistent with the message. Unlike the Pharisees, one could see that Jesus was close to God. The Pharisees cultivated an image of intimacy with God, but it was evident they were not.
Those leaders in the Temple were really creative with the facts.... they said the descendants of Jacob [Israel] had always been free! We … have never been in bondage to anyone: Free and always have been? What about Israel's bondage under Egypt, under Persia, under Syria, and now under Rome? "The power of self-deception in the unconverted man is infinite. " (Ryle)
Here's how I understand what Jesus is saying. The leaders of the Temple were basic model human beings. They were the result of two humans procreating. Jesus was not the same.... Jesus was not born from two humans.... Jesus was a divine half breed.... part God part Human.... and God was calling the shots. They were not ready for that kind of information.... so it went right over their heads. He explained to them that their "father" Abraham was just a human.... who was willing to do whatever God asked of him.... and it almost resulted in the sacrifice of his own son [Isaac]. As the story goes.... God provided a ram to slaughter instead of Isaac. God told Abraham about Jesus back then. Abraham was all excited about the promise.... and those stupid [they were not ignorant] leaders of the Temple didn't understand and it went right over their heads.
But.... others heard it.... and more people became disciples of Jesus..... the Bible doesn't mention anyone taking up the stupid leaders of the Temple... but it does say that many believed what Jesus was saying.
For Jesus.... the conversation was always Spiritual. The Pharisees, Sadducees, teachers and other leaders made the conversation religious. When Ciaphas brought Pilate and Herod into it [later in the book] then the conversation turned political. But for Jesus.... the conversation was always Spiritual.
