FRAMEWORKS:
John's Gospel, Chapter 8
v.2-11
Jesus & the Woman caught in adultery
v.12-20
Dispute Over Jesus' Testimony
v.21-30
Dispute Over Who Jesus Is
v.31-47
Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus' Opponents Are
v.48-
59 Jesus' Claims About Himself
[Bible
Footnote: The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses
do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses,
wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or
Luke 24:53.]
v.1
(Jesus leaves the city) but
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
v.2-11
Jesus & the Woman caught in adultery
v.2
(next morning he's back teaching in the temple courts)
At dawn he appeared again in the
temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he
sat down to teach them.
v.3,4
(‘the opposition' bring a guilty woman) The
teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught
in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to
Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
v.5
(they cite the Law) In
the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you
say?”
v.6
(they want Jesus to condemn her before the people.
He says nothing) 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.
v.7 (he
offers whoever is without sin the chance to stone her) 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.”
v.8
(again he does nothing) Again
he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
v.9
(one by one they slip away) 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.
v.10
(soon it's only her and Jesus) Jesus
straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no
one condemned you?”
v.11
(he refuses to condemn her) “No
one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.
“Go now and leave your life of sin.”
v.12-20
Dispute Over Jesus' Testimony
v.12
(Jesus declares he is the light of the world)
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.”
v.13
(the Pharisees challenge him about his testimony)
The Pharisees challenged him, “Here
you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not
valid.”
v.14
(Jesus says he knows where he's come from) 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.
v.15
(he will not judge) You
judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.
v.16
(yet if he did the Father would support him)
But if I do judge, my decisions are
true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent
me.
v.17
(he cites the law) In
your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses
is true.
v.18
(he and his Father testify about him) I
am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father,
who sent me.”
v.19
(they question about the Father) 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.”
v.20
(although challenging them he is not arrested)
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.
v.21-30
Dispute Over Who Jesus Is
v.21
(Jesus said he was going away) 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.”
v.22
(they wonder what that means) This
made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says,
‘Where I go, you cannot come' ?”
v.23
(I'm from above) But
he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of
this world; I am not of this world.
v.24
(you will die in your sinful unbelief) 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.”
v.25
(another challenge about identity) “Who
are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from
the beginning,” Jesus replied.
v.26
(he tells what the Father has given him) “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.”
v.27 (they
still didn't understand) They
did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
v.28 (after
he dies they will know) So Jesus
said, “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 but speak just what
the Father has taught me.
v.29
(the Father is still with him) The
one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always
do what pleases him.”
v.30 (so
some believed in him) Even as
he spoke, many believed in him.
(Notes:
commentators disagree about what follows. Some suggest there are
two groups – new believers and the rest who still don't believe.
Others suggest the apparent believers merely assented to what
Jesus had said but had not come to a full heart surrender as to
his call on their lives amd jesus calls them out on this)
v.31-47
Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus' Opponents Are
v.31 (to
his believers he said obey my teaching to prove you are my disciples)
To the Jews who had believed him,
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
v.32
(when you do that you'll realise the truth and be
set free) Then you will know
the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
v.33
(they wonder about this) 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?”
v.34
(every sinner is a slave) Jesus
replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave
to sin .
v.35
(slaves have no home, a son does) Now
a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs
to it forever.
v.36
(so if he sets them free they'll be part of his
family and free) So if the Son
sets you free, you will be free indeed.
v.37
(Abraham may have been your physical ancestor but
you still don't really believe me) 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.
v.38
(we have different fathers) I
am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and
you are doing what you have heard from your father.”
v.39
(if Abraham the man of faith were their father they
would believe) “Abraham is our
father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham's children,” said
Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.
v.40
(instead you don't believe and desire my death)
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.
v.41
(your father desires my death. They challenge this)
You are doing the works of your own
father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The
only Father we have is God himself.”
v.42 (if
they believed God they would believe Jesus) 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.
v.43
(you are spiritually deaf) Why
is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear
what I say.
v.44
(Satan is the father of unbelievers) 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.
v.45
(but still you cannot believe the truth) Yet
because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
v.46
(I speak the truth) Can
any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth,
why don't you believe me?
v.47
(if you belong to God you'll hear and believe what
I say) Whoever belongs to God
hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do
not belong to God.”
v.48-59
Jesus' Claims About Himself
v.48
(they start turning hostile) The
Jews answered him, “Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan
and demon-possessed?”
v.49
(untrue says Jesus) “I
am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honour my Father
and you dishonour me .
v.50
(God will judge) I
am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it,
and he is the judge.
v.51
(the key: obey my word and receive eternal life)
Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys
my word will never see death.”
v.52,53
(they dispute this) 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. Are you greater than our
father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think
you are?”
v.54
(I'm not seeking my glory, the Father will do that)
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,
my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God,
is the one who glorifies me.
v.55
(I know Him and obey Him) 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.
v.56
(Abraham looked forward to this day) Your
father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw
it and was glad.”
v.57
(they misunderstand) “You
are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have
seen Abraham!”
v.58
(he makes an outstanding claim) “Very
truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I
am!” (note: he equates the ‘I Am' of Ex 3 with himself)
v.59
(they go to stone him for blasphemy) At
this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself,
slipping away from the temple grounds.
Continue
to Chapter 9