Preface
The first verse of this chapter links with the last verse of the previous chapter. After the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, the crowd returned to their individual homes. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives was a favorite site of Jesus Christ. A description of this significant geographical location is found in the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary, edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer, Howard F. Vos and John Rea, with the specific rendition of the site written by R. Laird Harris, Ph.D., Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO.
The term [Mount of Olives] is sometimes applied to the four hills E of Jerusalem which form a ridge running in a N-S direction. Popularly, it refers only to the central pair of these hills directly E of the temple area. The northernmost of the four hills is Mount Scopus. The southernmost is S of the road to Jericho and is called the Mount of Offense. It was the place of houses and idol temples of Solomon’s foreign wives (II Kgs 23:13), if they were not on Olivet proper. The two central hills, with a slight dip between, have an elevation of 2,723 feet. Jerusalem’s elevation is 2,550 feet. . . . From the name of the hill it is inferred that the slopes were once wooded. Now they are rocky and eroded because of the deforestation of the two world wars with only a few trees on the W slope and fewer yet to the E.
The Mount of Olives is named in connection with David’s flight from Absalom (II Sam 15:30) and in Zech 14:4, which speaks of the Lord’s coming when the mount will split from E to W. It is referred to as a stage in the departure of God’s presence from Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s day (Ezk 11:23). In the NT it is mentioned as the favorite resort of Christ as He withdrew from Jerusalem. It was the start of His triumphal entry (Mt 21:10), the scene of His weeping over Jerusalem (Lk 19:37-41), His eschatological instruction (Mt 24--25), His agony in Gethsemane (Mt 26:30), and His ascension (Acts 1:9-12). It will be the mount of His return (Acts 1:11; cf. Zech 14:4).
John 8:1-11
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" This they said, 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. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
As the crowd returned to their homes, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, which was located near and to the east of the temple in Jerusalem. True were the words of Christ when He declared, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20). He found this location a favorite and accessible place affording Him solitude where He could enjoy communion with God the Father.
The next day He went back to the temple courts, where He sat down to continue His teachings to those who gathered around Him. At this time certain scribes (transcribers and teachers of the law) and Pharisees approached Jesus.
Pharisees were staunch religious leaders of the day. They championed strict observance of the Law of Moses, yet they were hypocrites--because they did not live up to their high standards, which they forced on others. They were unwilling to bear the burden that they, out of an evil heart, laid upon the masses (Matthew 23:4). They focused on the “letter of the law,” while totally ignoring the “spirit of the law” (Matthew 23:16-22; Mark 7:9-13). They gloried in their own righteousness and did good works only to be seen by men (Matthew 23:5-12; 6:1-6, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14). John the Baptist called them a “brood of vipers (Matthew 3:7), as did Jesus (Matthew 23:33). Jesus also called them “whitened sepulchers” or “white-washed tombs” filled with “dead men’s bones and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27). They were “blind leaders of the blind” who sought many proselytes but in reality kept men out of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 15:14; 23:13-15). Yet they were truly “religious.”
Although it has been said previously, it bears repeating. Religion is NOT Christianity. Religion is man’s attempt to secure the favor and approval of God through self-efforts, e.g., good works, religious ceremony and other deeds of good-will. If this were at all possible, there would never have been a need for Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on Calvary. Christianity is a union with Jesus Christ--Holy God, an eternal relationship. It is solely based on what Christ did for the individual and never on anything the individual does for God. It is never of works. It is only of Grace.
These scribes and Pharisees brought to Christ a woman they had caught in an adulterous act. Their purpose in this was to test Christ, hopefully to trip Him up and find something of which they could accuse Him. True to their nature, they cared nothing for the woman or her plight. They sought only their evil agenda. Aside from the fact that they were hoping Jesus would contradict the Law of Moses, they targeted unfairly this woman while completely ignoring the man’s complicity (participation) in the sin.
Man is always “unfair” when it comes to sin. He will almost always look outward, but hardly ever inward. As long as he can focus on the sins of others, he can then ignore the depravity of his own heart. This is a condition applicable not only to those without Christ, but also to Christians. Many local churches (congregations) have been torn apart when “Christians” see only the evil of others. For the Christian, the Bible way is to confess (own up to--take responsibility for--admit to) one’s own (known and specific) sins before God. When this is done, God promises to not only forgive those known and specific sins, but to also cleanse the believer of any unknown or forgotten sins in his life (1 John 1:9).
But the religious leaders of the day cared not for the condition of their own spirits and souls. They only wished to entrap Jesus Christ. If He excused the woman and her adultery, they could accuse Him of transgressing the Law. If He insisted on her being stoned, as the Law prescribed, they could point out that He had no mercy--a primary feature of His teachings--and was therefore a hypocrite.
What did Jesus do? He bent down and wrote something in the dirt with His finger. The Bible doesn’t reveal what He wrote, and this writer will not offer conjecture. It is noteworthy though that He reached down and touched the earth, the very substance from which man was formed. Whatever proceeded from the lips of Christ in that moment emanated from God who was totally in touch with His creation. And this is as true today as it was then.
And what did Jesus then say? He did not avoid the law, but He focused His remarks on the woman’s accusers. He told them that anyone who was without sin should stone her. This cut them to their hearts. This brought immediate conviction to everyone who heard His words. He then bent down and again wrote something in the dirt. These two instances are the only recorded references of Jesus Christ writing anything.
Upon hearing these words, they departed the scene one by one, the older (wiser) ones first until all had gone--leaving Jesus alone with the woman at which point Jesus asked her if there was anyone left to accuse (condemn) her. She replied, no one. Jesus then declared that neither did He and that she should depart and turn from her life of sin. This was not excusing the woman of her sin, but it was Christ’s admission that He did not have civil authority in such matters. This power rested in the Roman government.
On the other hand, it was an expression of mercy and grace. This was in stark contrast to the harshness of the law as promulgated (disseminated) by the religious leaders of the day. This contrast was exemplified in Jesus Christ while He lived and walked in human flesh, but even more so by His sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary. Whereas the law condemns man--since he cannot possibly keep the law, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross satisfies the justice and holiness of God (with full payment for man’s sin) and thereby makes it possible for man to have eternal life by faith alone in Christ alone. This was and is the message of Jesus Christ--one of mercy and grace.
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
Volumes could be written on the topic of light and darkness as they relates to Jesus Christ. He established physical light at the creation of the universe, since He is the author of all things (John 1:3). Some characteristics of light are noteworthy. Light is the opposite of darkness. Light illuminates and reveals; it does not cover or conceal. Light brings hope and lifts the spirit, whereas darkness is foreboding and discouraging. Light has a source, and darkness has no source--it is only what is left when the source of light is extinguished.
Specifically in this verse, Jesus declares Himself as the “light of the world” and anyone who follows Him will not walk in darkness but will have the “light of life.” A study of God’s Word makes it very clear that to “follow Christ” is “believe in Him,” i.e., to place one’s faith in Him for one’s personal salvation. Only then will a person experience the “light of life” (John 1:4). The fact is that before a person can walk, he must be born. Jesus said to Nicodemus most emphatically that to receive eternal life a person must be born again or from above (John 3:3-7, 16).
Yet men refuse the light of Christ, because their deeds are evil and they prefer to love the darkness (John 3:19). As long as man chooses this path he can never know God, because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). But to accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior is to become a “son of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). This is the purpose of God for mankind, to deliver him from the dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of Light, which is the Kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:12, 13; 1 Peter 2:9).
It is comforting to know that Jesus is not only the light for every believer today, but He will be the Lamp of Light in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23). To the believer Jesus Christ must be everything. The believer’s focus must always and only be on Jesus Christ. If the believer is to know truth in any situation in life, e.g., a “spiritual” message or presentation whether in a church, on television or in a book, he can do so only by evaluating the message or presentation in the bright light of Jesus Christ. Any message truly from God will focus on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and their application to man. It is easy to be sidetracked by emotionalism, healings and various other flamboyant spectacles. The vast world of “religion” competes for the hearts and souls of man. It is so easy to be “religious.” But only in Christ is [eternal] life, which is the true light that is intended for man.
John 8:13-18
The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true." Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
The religious leaders (Pharisees) approached Jesus, attempting to ensnare Him again. They challenged Him on a legal point by reminding Him that He was testifying about Himself. A person’s own testimony was considered biased and therefore not sufficient. In essence they were calling Him at best an embellisher and at worst a fabricator (liar). Jesus responded by saying that His own testimony was indeed sufficient, given the fact that He knew where He came from and where He was going--another way of stating His Deity, which was an ability that the Pharisees did not possess.
Jesus went on to accuse the Pharisees that their judgment was limited by their worldly perspective. Jesus never judged in this fashion. He actually came to offer a sacrifice for the salvation of man--not to judge man. His capacity for judgment would some day be demonstrated at His Second Coming, but until then He would be the recipient of judgment on Calvary’s cross. On the other hand if He were to judge, His judgment would be true. Why? Because He was One with God the Father and He did nothing apart from His Father. In fact He told them He did bear witness in accordance with the law of two witnesses. Since He and His Father bore witness together, they did in fact satisfy the law. His continuous claims to Deity kept frustrating and infuriating the religious leaders that sought Him out.
John 8:19-24
Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come. Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.” So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?” And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
Then in jest or sincerity, it is not known, the Pharisees asked Jesus for the location of His Father. More than likely it was a challenge for Christ to produce His Father. To Jesus the answer to their question was both simple and logical. They could not know the Father, unless they would first come to know Jesus. Only by going through Jesus Christ can man know God. This was not the case with Pharisees. They were too occupied in their own “righteous” acts and self-serving activities. Jesus again claims Deity by stating the fact that to know Him is to know God the Father.
As He spoke these words in the treasury and as He taught in the temple, no one could arrest or detain Him, because it was not His time to be taken. He alone controlled this event. Next He further frustrated the religious leaders by specifically telling them that He would eventually go and be out of reach of them. Why? Because they were of the world and He was from heaven. They would die in their sins, because they refused to believe that He was the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
John 8:25-27
Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.” They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
The Jews were perplexed over the comments made by Jesus. They asked Him to further identify Himself. Or maybe they asked Him this out of sarcasm, as if to say, “Who do You think You are that You should speak to us in such a high and mighty manner?” How tiring this may have been to Jesus. He answered by basically saying that He had been telling them who He was over and over again from the very beginning. Again he claimed Deity by His identification with God the Father, but they did not understand this.
John 8:28-30
Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Jesus is speaking of being physically elevated, nailed to a Roman cross and being crucified. The Greek word for “lift up” is hupsoo, which conveys in the physical sense a “lifting up or to elevate.” In chapter 3, verse 14 the word is used by Him to refer to the raising up of the serpent on the pole in the wilderness, drawing the comparison between the typology of that event and His coming crucifixion. This confirms the use of the term in this passage. He uses His incarnate designation, “Son of Man,” which is to say “God in the flesh.” Jesus further declares His Deity by saying that when He is crucified, then He will be recognized as “I AM.” The personal pronoun “he” is not in the transcript, but was added by translators in an effort of clarification. To add it in this passage is to cloud the issue. Just as the term “I AM” is used by God to designate Himself in Exodus 3:14, Jesus uses it here and in verse 58 of this chapter to designate Himself as God.
He further verifies His Deity by clearly stating that in all matters He is one with God the Father. Everything He thinks, speaks or does is done in complete union with, with total approval by and for the sole pleasure of God the Father. As Jesus spoke these words, many in the audience believed in and accepted Him as the Messiah, the Son of God.
John 8:31-36
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?” Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Even though Jesus was speaking in the temple to many unbelievers, in this verse He turns His direction to those who in verse 30 believed on Him, i.e., accepted Him as the Messiah, the Son of God. He turns His primary focus from His coming crucifixion and its meaning to the kind of life a believer is to achieve once he has accepted the meaning of the crucifixion, which is the substitution death by Christ in order to pay everyone’s sin-debt to God .
Christ speaks of “discipleship.” This is a term denoting more than simply salvation, i.e., becoming a “child of God.” Salvation is an instantaneous event, based upon “faith alone in Christ alone.” It occurs in a nanosecond when a person becomes convinced by the convicting power of God’s Holy Spirit that (1) he is indeed a sinner bound for an eternity separated from God, (2) he cannot do ANYTHING--good works, religious practice, moral behavior, etc.--to save himself or achieve the approbation (approval) of God, and (3) he genuinely turns from anything and everything--works, religion, morality, etc.--and turns only to Jesus Christ, trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross alone for his personal and eternal salvation.
Jesus is now addressing the concept of true discipleship and, at least in this passage, He connects it to ONLY ONE product--the Word of God (Bible doctrine). He unequivocally says that if they (those who have come to believe on Him) abide in His Word, they will be His “disciples indeed.” A study of the original Greek in regards to these very carefully selected words by our Lord is enriching. So as not to be too technical, a summation is offered. The word, “abide” is meno, and here it is used to convey the meaning of “remaining, dwelling or living in, to persist.” It means to “keep on keeping on,” and “never letting up.” A “disciple indeed” is to denote a truly devoted and genuine follower of Jesus Christ. This is not just a “surface Christian.” It is one who truly elevates the Lord Jesus Christ in his life and in all that he thinks, says and does. It reflects the spiritual state that Jesus desires for all His children. Whereas salvation is a one-time permanent event, discipleship is an on-going and often irregular process. For it to be stable and concrete, it must be united to (1) a thirst for and (2) a dwelling/persisting in Bible doctrine.
Although many other aspects of the Christian life are important, e.g., prayer, giving, attending church, etc., nothing ranks higher than the study of God’s Word. It is not a one-time panacea that can take place in a brief amount of time. Remember the advice given to Timothy by the Apostle Paul, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). The word, “study,” here means “to strive and to labor” in the absorption of Bible doctrine. Remember, the study of God’s Word is always connected to true discipleship.
And what is the advantage to a believer who diligently and protractedly studies God’s Word. In the first place a believer will know the truth. He will know the truth of God’s Word as opposed to the various erroneous and false teachings that are proliferated by numerous sects and cults throughout the world. He will be able to observe various “religious ministers and ministries” on television and other public media, knowing which ones are and which ones are not truly of God. He will find also that he is able to know what is right (of /from God) for his personal efforts in living the Christian life.
As he becomes established in “truth,” he will then find this “will make him free.” Here Christ is speaking of the freedom that comes to a believer when he finds true “rest” in Christ and no longer is subject to the “struggle” of trying to live a righteous life under his own power. Just as man always wants “to do something” to achieve eternal salvation, a believer who is shallow in Bible doctrine, will always attempt to please God through his own self-efforts. He believes that if he will just pray longer, go to church more, give to the poor more, deny himself pleasures more often, etc., etc., he will then achieve the level of spirituality meant for him by God. This is entirely the wrong approach. It is not supported by Bible doctrine. And it is always a struggle.
As a Christian continuously and persistently studies God’s Word, he matures in understanding God’s plan for his life. He learns that the Christian life is not to be binding or a struggle. It is to be a life of “freedom” and joy, based solely on God’s power, which is exercised through a believer who is under the control (“filling”) of the Holy Spirit. When this occurs, the Christian is truly “free.” The point Jesus is making here is that this freedom is primarily linked with “abiding in His Word.”
But even while Jesus was speaking such truth, there were those who were not believers (as we see in verse 37) and couldn’t understand. They did not understand the spiritual elements of Christ’s words. They boasted that as descendants of Abraham they were never in (physical) bondage to anyone. But this was not true. Israel had been in bondage to Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and now Rome. But even more than that, they had been in bondage to sin and Satan.
To these remarks, Christ continues His focus on the spiritual and directs some very specific remarks to these unbelievers. He says that the person who practices sin is a slave to sin. He then compares the relationship of a slave and a son within a home. Whereas a slave is not permanent and can be cast out at any time, a son is permanent and remains. He then declares that if “the Son” (referring to Himself) makes a person free, that person will be “free indeed” (totally free). Jesus Christ does this (1) for the unbeliever by His salvation grace and work on the cross and (2) for the believer through an in-depth understanding of His Word.
John 8:37-40
"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God.” Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.”
Jesus spoke only truth, which emanated from and was commissioned by God the Father. Jesus and God the Father were One, so all that He spoke were the words of God the Father. Jesus perfectly represented His Father while He lived in human form on earth. Likewise, the Jews did those things that they had learned from their father. This is the issue of this passage.
Jesus recognized that they were Abraham’s descendants, but He also recognized that they were not Abraham’s spiritual seed (children). Although they were descendants of Abraham according to the flesh, they were morally and spiritually children of the devil. They proved this over and over again in their failure to recognize Christ for who He was, for failing to love Him and for always attempting to murder Him.
Yet there was one overriding feature that marked these Jews, which Christ identified first in this passage. The Word of Christ (God’s Word) had no place in them. It has always been, and will always be, the cornerstone of Satan’s master plan to reject the Word of God, both by himself and by his subjects. Satan has orchestrated religion and (bogus) science from time immemorial to lead mankind away from the Word of God. Not only does he accomplish this end with unbelievers, but he relentlessly does this with believers. His targets of priority are new believers. If he can keep them from learning Bible doctrine and deepening their spiritual state, he can then nullify their testimony by robbing them of their joy of salvation and dragging them back into the captivity of their sin nature. It is well for believers, both young and old, to recall the Apostle Paul’s words to the believers at Ephesus--“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” A key element in a Christian’s armor is God’s Word. Read it! Study it! Consume it! Live it!
Most importantly for the local church, there must be a program and/or programs for introducing new believers to Bible doctrine. Often the local church is only concerned with getting someone to accept Christ as Savior. Once this is accomplished, the new believer is summarily forgotten while the pastor, the deacons and the membership look to make another “convert.” They miss the point that the best way to make other converts is to make new converts “converters.” This can only be accomplished as the new child of God grows in God’s Word. Not only should the local church endeavor to match up each new believer with a spiritual mentor, but it should go out of its way to provide in-depth Bible study classes (NOT just Sunday school) for him. And finally, the pastor must go out of his way to pay additional attention to each new believer during the early stages of his spiritual life, i.e., checking with him on a weekly basis, such as inviting him for coffee and discussing the problems that the new believer will face in his new life. As the church spiritual leader, he will have significant impact on the direction that the new believer takes in his newly acquired “born again” life.
John 8:41-47
"You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."
Now Jesus came out openly and told them that the devil was their father. It wasn’t that they were “born of the devil,” but they were the devil’s children by “imitation” and by their complete surrender to the sin nature. There father was a murder and a liar from the very beginning. The Jews imitated him in these two areas, by trying to murder Christ and by lying about their relationship to God. They pretended to be godly, spiritual men, as most religious men do, but they were wicked and deceitful.
The Believer’s Bible Commentary says this about them.
It was very clear who their father was because they acted just like him. They did the deeds of their father, that is, the devil. The Jews may well have been accusing the Lord of being born of fornication. But many Bible students see in the word fornication a reference to idolatry. The Jews were saying that they had never committed spiritual adultery. They had always been true to God. He is the only One they ever acknowledged as their Father.
In this passage Jesus makes a distinction between His Word and His speech. Whereas His Word is the truth (Bible doctrine) He always taught, His speech referred to the words with which He expressed His truths. These religious Jews could not even understand His speech. When He spoke of bread, they thought only of literal bread. It was same when He spoke of water. They never connected it with spiritual water. The reason they could (or would) not understand His speech was because they were unwilling to tolerate His teachings (His truths--Bible doctrine).
John 8:48-55
Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.' Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.” Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
This passage of Scripture is paramount in showing that Jesus Christ is equal to God the Father. Its primary significance is the fact that Jesus in no uncertain terms declares Himself to be God. He does this in a number of ways--(1) by declaring that it is God’s judgment that Christ is God and the Father seeks to glorify Him, (2) by stating that He has the power to grant spiritual life eternally, (3) by asserting that God the Father honors Him, (4) by insisting that He personally and intimately knew God, (5) by revealing that He was the object of prophecy, i.e., the coming Messiah and (6) by emphatically declaring Himself as the “I AM,” that is, that He had always existed--as God.
Even while the Jews attempted to insult Him by calling Him a Samaritan and suggesting He was insane by saying He had a demon, Jesus steadily and calmly made His case. As He continued to demonstrate His Deity, the crowd grew ever more frustrated and angry. When Christ declared Himself as the “I AM,” it was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.” The crowd erupted and took up stones hoping to kill Him--but to no avail.
The phrase revealing that Jesus “hid Himself” from them and yet “passed through” them as He exited the temple may well indicate that He was able to make Himself invisible. It was not His time to face death. That occurrence had to take place on the cross. So by whatever means He was able to hide Himself and still pass through them, He kept on course--the course of redemption for all mankind.
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