John 8
CHAPTER 8
A woman taken in adultery
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he again went into the temple, and all the people came to him; and he sat down and taught them. 3 And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery; and having placed her before him, 4 they said to him: Teacher. This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery! 5 Now, in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? 6 And this they said to test him, so they might have some reason to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they continued asking him, he stood up and said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground. 9 And they, when they heard it, went out one by one, beginning from the eldest, to the last; and Jesus was left alone with the woman, with her still standing in the middle. 10 And Jesus stood up and said to her: Woman! Where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you? 11 And she said: No one, Lord. And Jesus said: Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From this time forward, sin no more.
Controversy with the Jews
12 Again Jesus spoke to the crowd, saying: I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in the darkness but shall have the light of life. 13 The Pharisees replied to him: You testify of yourself. Your witness is not true. 14 Jesus answered and said to them: Even if I testify of myself, my witness is true. For I know from where I came and where I go; but you do not know where I come from, nor where I go to. 15 You judge after the flesh. I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and He who sent me 17 Even in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true. 18 I am he that testifies of myself; and the Father that sent me testifies of me. 19 They replied 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 spoke he in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; and no one took him- because his hour had not yet come. 21 He replied again to them: I go away, and you shall seek me, and shall die in your sins. Where I go, you cannot come. 22 The Jews replied: Will he kill himself? Because he said: Where I go, you cannot come. 23 And he said to them: You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24 I replied to you, that you shall die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins. 25 They replied to him: Who are you? Jesus said to them: Even that which I have spoken to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However, He that sent me is true, and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.
27 They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. 28 Jesus continued: 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 that 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 spoke these things, many believed in him.
Controversy about Abraham
31 Jesus replied to those Jews that had believed him: If you abide in my word, then are you truly my disciples. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him: We are Abraham's seed, and have never yet been in bondage to anyone. What do you mean, you shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them: Truly, truly, I say to you: Everyone who commits sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant does not stay in the house for ever. The son stays forever. 36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
37 I know that you are Abraham's seed. Yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen with my Father, and you also do the things which you heard from your father. 39 They answered and said to him: Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them: If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You do the works of your father. They said to him: We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said to them: If God were your Father, you would love me. For I came forth and am come from God. For neither have I come of myself, but He sent me. 43 Why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot 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 has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 He that is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you do not hear them, because you are not of God.
48 The Jews answered and said to him: Say we not well that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? 49 Jesus answered: I do not have a demon. I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. 50 I do not seek my own glory. There is One that seeks and judges. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you: If a man keeps my word, he shall never see death.
52 The Jews said to him: Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets, but you say: If a man keep my word, he shall never taste of death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died, and the prophets who died? Whom do you make yourself?
54 Jesus answered: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifies me, whom you say is your God. 55 You have not known Him, but I know Him; and if I should say I know Him not, I shall be like you, a liar; but I know Him and keep His word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and rejoiced. 57 The Jews replied 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: I am of higher status than Abraham ever was.
59 Therefore they took up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Commentary
8:3 If they caught her in the act, then where was the man?
8:6 What did He write? Their sins? Or did He just doodle in the dust from sheer male embarrassment at being in the presence of a naked woman who clearly respected and loved Him?
8:12 Light- The Greek word can mean a torch, a burning flame held on a pole. There’s a similarity of ideas with crucifixion; Jesus was lifted up on the pole, and thus becomes the light of our world, we understand everything in the context of His death there and all it means for us and demands of us.
8:19 The Pharisees studied the Bible all the time and could recite much of the Old Testament. But Jesus said they didn’t know God. Knowing God is an experience, not head knowledge.
8:23 From above... not of this world- Doesn’t mean that Jesus existed in Heaven before His birth. He was not ‘of the world’ in the sense that we are not ‘of the world’ (Jn. 17:16). But He like us was born in this world; we are in the world but not “of” it (Jn. 17:15).
8:37 In one sense they were physically Abraham’s children; in another sense they weren’t (v. 39). All those who believe in Christ and have been baptized into Him are the true children of Abraham and thereby God’s people (Gal. 3:27-29).
8:44 “The devil” is a murderer. But “no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jn. 3:15). The Devil must, therefore, die - as angels cannot die (Lk. 20:35-36) they are therefore immortal, and have eternal life abiding in them. “The devil” is therefore not an Angel. Mark 4:15 identifies the children of the Devil as those who obey their evil desires - the real Devil. Cain was the first murderer (Gen. 4:8,9). Cain was not a super-human person called the Devil, but an ordinary man, having the characteristics of the serpent and manifesting the flesh. “Deceit” - i.e. lies - proceed “from within, out of the heart of men” (Mk. 7:21,22).
8:56 The only time we read of Abraham rejoicing was when he laughed for joy at the promise that he would have a descendant (Gen. 17:17). He understood that the son he was having would be in the line from which God’s Son, Messiah, would be born.
8:58 As God’s Son, Jesus carried His Father’s Name. “I am” may be a reference to this- although the same Greek phrase is used by the healed blind man in Jn. 9:9. To the Jews, Abraham was the greatest man who would ever live. Jesus is saying “I am now, as I stand here, more important than Abraham”. As they stood there, Jesus was the one to be honoured rather than Abraham. He is saying ‘I am now, more important than Abraham ever was’. Jesus does not say ‘Before Abraham was, I was’.
