John 8
8
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2At sunrise he arrived again in the temple courtyard. All the people gathered around him there. He sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman. She had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of the group. 4They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who was not her husband. 5In the Law, Moses commanded us to kill such women by throwing stones at them. Now what do you say?” 6They were trying to trap Jesus with that question. They wanted to have a reason to bring charges against him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7They kept asking him questions. So he stood up and said to them, “Has any one of you not sinned? Then you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8He bent down again and wrote on the ground.
9Those who heard what he had said began to go away. They left one at a time, the older ones first. Soon only Jesus was left. The woman was still standing there. 10Jesus stood up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Hasn’t anyone found you guilty?”
11“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then I don’t find you guilty either,” Jesus said. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Challenge to What Jesus Says About Himself
12Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness. They will have that light. They will have life.”
13The Pharisees argued with him. “Here you are,” they said, “appearing as your own witness. But your witness does not count.”
14Jesus answered, “Even if I am a witness about myself, what I say does count. I know where I came from. And I know where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge by human standards. I don’t judge anyone. 16But if I do judge, what I decide is true. This is because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17Your own Law says that the witness of two people proves the truth about something. 18I am a witness about myself. The other witness about me is the Father, who sent me.”
19Then 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.” 20He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple courtyard. He was near the place where the offerings were put. But no one arrested him. That’s because the time for him to die had not yet come.
Challenge to Who Jesus Claims to Be
21Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. You can’t come where I am going.”
22This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘You can’t come where I am going’?”
23But Jesus said, “You are from below. I am from heaven. You are from this world. I am not from this world. 24I told you that you would die in your sins. This will happen if you don’t believe that I am he. If you don’t believe, you will certainly 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 a lot to say that will judge you. But the one who sent me can be trusted. And I tell the world what I have heard from him.”
27They did not understand that Jesus was telling them about his Father. 28So Jesus said, “You will lift up the Son of Man. Then you will know that I am he. You will also know that I do nothing on my own. I speak just what the Father has taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” 30Even while Jesus was speaking, many people believed in him.
Challenge to the Claim to Be Children of Abraham
31Jesus spoke to the Jews who had believed him. “If you obey my teaching,” he said, “you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.”
33They answered him, “We are Abraham’s children. We have never been slaves of anyone. So how can you say that we will be set free?”
34Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35A slave has no lasting place in the family. But a son belongs to the family forever. 36So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free. 37I know that you are Abraham’s children. But you are looking for a way to kill me. You have no room for my word. 38I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. You are doing what you have heard from your father.”
39“Abraham is our father,” they answered.
Jesus said, “Are you really Abraham’s children? If you are, you will do what Abraham did. 40But you are looking for a way to kill me. I am a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do the things you want to do. 41You are doing what your own father does.”
“We have the right to claim to be God’s children,” they objected. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me. I have come here from God. I have not come on my own. God sent me. 43Why aren’t my words clear to you? Because you can’t really hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil. You want to obey your father’s wishes. From the beginning, the devil was a murderer. He has never obeyed the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his natural language. He does this because he is a liar. He is the father of lies. 45But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me! 46Can any of you prove I am guilty of sinning? Am I not telling the truth? Then why don’t you believe me? 47Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you don’t hear is that you don’t belong to God.”
Jesus Makes Claims About Himself
48The Jews answered Jesus, “Aren’t we right when we say you are a Samaritan? Aren’t you controlled by a demon?”
49“I am not controlled by a demon,” said Jesus. “I honor my Father. You do not honor me. 50I am not seeking glory for myself. But there is one who brings glory to me. He is the judge. 51What I’m about to tell you is true. Whoever obeys my word will never die.”
52Then they cried out, “Now we know you are controlled by a demon! Abraham died. So did the prophets. But you say that whoever obeys your word will never die. 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died. So did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54Jesus replied, “If I bring glory to myself, my glory means nothing. You claim that my Father is your God. He is the one who brings glory to me. 55You do not know him. But I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him. And I obey his word. 56Your father Abraham was filled with joy at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad.”
57“You are not even 50 years old,” they said to Jesus. “And you have seen Abraham?”
58“What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus answered. “Before Abraham was born, I am!” 59When he said this, they picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus hid himself. He slipped away from the temple area.
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John 8: NIrV
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John 8
8
1#Mt 21:1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2#Mt 26:55; Lk 4:20Early in the morning He returned to the temple. All the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. When they had put her in the middle, 4they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5#Lev 20:10Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such, but what do You say?” 6#Mt 19:3; Lk 10:25They said this, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.
But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear them. 7So when they continued asking Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9Being convicted by their conscience, those who heard it went out one by one, beginning with the eldest even to the last. Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had stood up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”
11#Jn 3:17; 5:14She said, “No one, Lord.”
Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”
Jesus the Light of the World
12#Jn 12:35; Job 33:28; Isa 49:6Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
13The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself. Your testimony is not true.”
14#Jn 13:3; 16:28Jesus answered them, “Though I bear witness of Myself, My testimony is true. For I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15#Jn 7:24; 1Sa 16:7You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. 16#Jn 8:29; 16:32Yet if I do judge, My judgment is true. For I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17#Dt 17:6; Mt 18:16Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true. 18#Jn 8:58; 10:30I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me bears witness of Me.”
19#Jn 16:3; 7:28Then they said 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#Jn 7:30; Mk 12:41Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as He taught in the temple. No one arrested Him, for His hour had not yet come.
Where I Am Going You Cannot Come
21#Jn 7:34; 8:24; 13:33Again, Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and you will die in your sins. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
22#Jn 8:48; 8:52So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself? For He said, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ”
23#Jn 3:31; 17:14He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24#Jn 8:21Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
25#Jn 1:19They said to Him, “Who are You?”
Jesus said to them, “Just who I have been telling you from the beginning. 26#Jn 7:28; 15:15I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true. So I tell the world what I heard from Him.”
27They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. 28#Jn 3:14; 5:19So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing of Myself. But I speak these things as My Father taught Me. 29#Jn 4:34; 8:16He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” 30#Jn 7:31As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
The Truth Will Set You Free
31#2Jn 1:9Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. 32#Ro 8:2; Jas 2:12You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
33#Mt 3:9; Jn 8:39They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s seed and have never been in bondage to anyone. Why do You say, ‘You shall be set free’? ”
34#Ro 6:16; 2Pe 2:19Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35#Ge 21:10Now a slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever. 36Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. 37#Jn 7:1I know that you are Abraham’s seed. But you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38#Jn 5:19; 8:41I am telling what I have seen with My Father, and you are doing what you have seen with your father.”
Your Father the Devil
39#Gal 3:7; Jn 8:37They answered Him, “Abraham is our father.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40#Jn 8:26But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41#Isa 63:16; 64:8; Jn 8:38You are doing the works of your father.”
Then they said to Him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father: God.”
42#Jn 17:8; 17:25; 3:17Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and proceeded into the world. I did not come of My own authority, but He sent Me. 43#Jer 6:10; Jn 7:17Why do you not understand My speaking? Because you cannot bear to hear My word. 44#Jn 8:38; 8:41You 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. When he lies, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46#Heb 4:15Which of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47He who is of God hears God’s words. Therefore, you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
The Preexistence of Jesus
48#Jn 7:20; 4:9The Jews answered Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon. But I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50#Jn 5:41; 8:54I do not seek glory for Myself. There is One who seeks it and judges. 51#Lk 2:26; Jn 5:24Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he shall never see death.”
52#Heb 2:9Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham and the prophets died, and You say, ‘If a man keeps My word, he shall never taste death.’ 53#Jn 4:12“Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets are dead! Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
54#Jn 8:50; 17:1Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 55#Jn 8:19; 7:28–29Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. If I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word. 56#Heb 11:13; Mt 13:17Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day. He saw it and was glad.”
57Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old. Have You seen Abraham?”
58#Ex 3:14; Jn 17:5; 17:24Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” 59#Jn 11:8; Lev 24:16Then they took up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. Going through their midst, He passed by.
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