| Back to Home Page | Back to
Book Index |
John Chapter Eight
I. Content of the Chapter
The Son of God the Savior------
the Light of Life
A. The woman caught in adultery (v. 1-11) ---- the light reveals that every
one has sins.
B. The Lord is the light of Life (v.12-20) ---- for God the Father is with
Him.
C. He who does
not believe the Lord will die in his sins (v.21-30) ---- he
who does not believe Him does not believe the Father.
D. The Lord is the truth, which shall make one free (v.31-36) ---- He has been substantiated in
His word.
E. Abraham's descendants regarded the devil as their father (v.37-47) ---- for they refused to
listen to the Lord
F. Christ is greater than Abraham
(v.48-59) ---- for He is the great “I AM”.
II. Verse by Verse commentary
John.
8:1 “And
everyone went to his own house, but Jesus went to the
YLT: “And at dawn he came again
to the temple,”
Literal Meaning: “and everyone went to his own house”, it was put in the end of chapter seven in some
old Scriptures. Men who came to
“But Jesus went to the
Enlightenment in
the Word: the foxes have holes and the
birds of the heaven roosting-places, “but”
the Son of man has not where he may lay his head (Luke 9:58).
John.
8:2 “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.”
YLT: “and all the people were
coming unto him, and having sat down, he was teaching them;”
Meaning of Words:
“early in the morning”: at dawn;
Literal Meaning: “He sat down and taught them.” ---- The rabbi was usually seated when he was
teaching. “Taught”, the tense in the original indicated He began to teach.
Enlightenment in
the Word:
1) “All the people” were drawn near by the Lord, so they “came to Him”. If the assembly (“the temple”) can
manifest the Christ, many people will be naturally drawn to come.
2) The chief work of
the Lord in the assembly is to “teach”. Believers should receive more the Lord’s
teaching so that they can walk in His will.
John.
8:3 “Then the scribes and
Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her
in the midst,”
YLT: “and the scribes and the
Pharisees bring unto him a woman having been taken in adultery, and having set
her in the midst,”
Meaning of Words:
“in adultery”:
sex between a married person and somebody who is not their husband or wife.
Literal Meaning:
“the scribes and Pharisees”, here, it is the only place that mentions “scribes”
in the Book of John.
“Brought to Him a woman caught in
adultery”, this sin could
not be committed unilaterally, but the man was not here. Obviously, the whole
case was deliberately schemed to test the Lord Jesus (see v.6).
“When they had set her in the midst”, they took her as the object of judgment.
Spiritual
Meaning:
“The scribes and Pharisees”, they represented the religionists, who
had rich knowledge about the Scriptures and were apparently moral and
righteous.
“Brought to Him a
woman caught in adultery”, “woman” stands for every one in the world, for the
status of woman is usually used to typify that of all men before God in the Scriptures.
This woman committed
the sin of “adultery”, and it typifies that all the men in the world have
committed adultery before God, namely, men are not chaste virgins before God,
for they cling to other things outside of God (see 2Cor 11:2-3).
Enlightenment in
the Word:
1) In the view of
God, the entire world has committed the sin of adultery. Man, the spouse of
God, is created for the will of God. Therefore, if a man does not live for God
but seeks other things besides God, he has committed the sin of spiritual
adultery.
2) What the
religionists (“the
scribes and Pharisees”) have done are
seemingly right (catch the woman in adultery) ---- uphold the
righteousness and maintain the law (namely, defend the law). But if we search
carefully, it will be easy to find that there hides the unrighteous fact (not
catch that man in adultery) behind the hypocritical mask.
John.
8:4 “they said to Him,
"Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.”
YLT: “they say to him, `Teacher,
this woman was taken in the very crime -- committing adultery,”
Enlightenment in
the Word:
1) People in the world
often focus the faults of others instead of that of themselves.
2) Anyone of the
fallen race has been seriously corrupted, especially in his bowel. If one of
them can find another man worse than him, he will feel comforted and calm and
think the sin of that man is worse than him, and then he will forgive himself.
John.
8:5 “Now Moses, in the law,
commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"”
YLT: “and in the law, Moses did
command us that such be stoned; thou, therefore, what dost thou say?'”
Literal Meaning: “that such should be stoned”, actually, the law commanded that the woman and man should be both put to death (see Lev
20:10; Deut 22:22-24).
Enlightenment in
the Word: when the scribes and Pharisees brought that woman to the Lord, they were simultaneously
bringing themselves to the Lord to be judged (see v.7), for there were not any
distinct differences between the condition of their own and that of the woman.
John.
8:6 “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.”
YLT: “and this they said, trying
him, that they might have to accuse him. And Jesus, having stooped down, with
the finger he was writing on the ground,”
Meaning of Words: “test”: prove, scrutinize; “write”:
describe;
Literal Meaning: “testing Him, that they might have something of which to
accuse Him”, what they asked
was a trap, intending to make the Lord Jesus be involved in a dilemma ----
whatever He answered, they would always catch something to accuse Him ---- if
He advised to forgive this woman, they would accuse Him of losing justice and
disobeying the Law of Moses. However, if He held that the woman should be put
to death according to the Law of Moses, they would accuse Him of violating the civil
law of
“But Jesus stooped down and
wrote on the ground with His finger.” ---- Many people guessed what the Lord
had written: (1) some guessed he wrote: “who was without sin among you?” (2) Some
guessed he wrote: “do not extend your hand to the wicked to be an unrighteous
witness (see Ex 23:1).” (3) Some guessed he wrote: “Jehovah said they that
departed from Him should be written in the earth (see Jem 17:13).” (4) Some
guessed He listed the whole sins in the Ten Commandments; etc.
There were at least two
intentions that the Lord Jesus wrote on the earth: (1) to calm the people and
give them a chance to be introspected. (2) His attitude of paying little
attention seemed to express that He judged no one (see v.15).
Enlightenment in
the Word:
1) When we encounter
difficulties, we should look upon the guidance of the Lord instead of saying
something hastily.
2) Sometimes, silence,
better than voice, can not only calm others, but also express one’s inner
status.
3) Brother Spark said:
“the actions of the Christ’s stooping down and writing
on the ground typified that God
wrote His will on the ground in detail ---- the finger of God had ever written
His holy thought on the stone (see Ex 31:18)”.
John.
8:7 “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."”
YLT: “and when they continued
asking him, having bent himself back, he said unto them, `The sinless of you --
let him first cast the stone at her;'”
Meaning of Words: “continue”: stay over, remain; abide in; “without sin”: without the losing the goal;
The Background: “let him throw a stone at her first.” ---- The Law of Moses commanded the hands of the witnesses
should be “first” upon him to put him to death when they stoned
the sinner with stones (see Deut 17:6-7).
Literal Meaning: “they continued asking Him”,
they would not give up until the Lord declared His standpoint clearly.
“He who is without sin among you”, “sin” here
refers to the general sins ---- He meant: “who had not committed any sin?”, not
“who had not committed this sin?”
“Let him throw a stone at her first.” ---- There
were two meanings in the answer of the Lord Jesus: (1) no one could accuse Him
of setting aside the law; (2) He proposed that who was qualified to execute the
law, and thus prevented the action of anyone.
Enlightenment in
the Word:
1) God established the
law for the purpose of helping man to see that he was unable to keep it and thereby
turned to the salvation of God. The law was established to bring men into sin
and present the proof to condemn others.
2) If one condemns
others for a certain matter, he has been exactly condemned himself for that
matter.
3) The Lord Jesus
never answered “yes” or “no” to the questions raised by men (see 4:20, 24;
9:2-3). For controversy was the principle of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, but the Lord would always lead men to the tree of life. As long as a
man seeks and obeys his life within, all the problems will be resolved.
John.
8:8 “And again He stooped down
and wrote on the ground.”
YLT: “and again having stooped
down, he was writing on the ground,”
Literal Meaning: He was soundlessly waiting for the working
of His words in the heart of everyone.
John.
8:9 “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.”
YLT: “and they having heard, and
by the conscience being convicted, were going forth one by one, having begun
from the elders -- unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman
standing in the midst.”
Literal Meaning: “beginning with the oldest even to the last”, the oldest men earliest found they did
not conform to the standard that established by the Lord, so they shrank back
from difficulties.
“Went
out one by one”, it indicated that
they were convicted
by their conscience that they had all
sinned.
“And
Jesus was left alone”, only the Lord
Jesus had not sinned, and could not sin.
Enlightenment in
the Word:
1) Evil people are similarly
bad all over the world. No one is qualified to condemn others, for everyone
will see that he unexceptionally is a sinner like others in the light of God.
2) The one who has
been condemned is a sinner, and the one who condemns him is a sinner, too. Not
only is the one who apparently sins a sinner, and the one who does not
apparently sin as well.
John. 8:10 “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?" ”
YLT: “And Jesus having bent
himself back, and having seen no one but the woman, said to her, `Woman, where
are those -- thine accusers? did no one pass sentence upon thee?'”
Literal
Meaning: “woman”, it was not a severe or dishonorable
call (see 2:4; 19:26).
“Has no one condemned you?” ---- “Condemn” was a judicial word.
John. 8:11 “She said, "No one, Lord."
And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no
more." ”
YLT: “and she said, `No one,
Sir;' and Jesus said to her, `Neither do I pass sentence on thee; be going on,
and no more sin.'”
Literal
Meaning: “Lord”, she might have
ever heard Jesus, which granted her faith.
“Neither do I condemn you”, it indicated that the Lord Jesus granted
the sinner a chance to repent. The Lord did not condemn men, for He had borne
men’s sins on the cross.
“Go and sin no more”, it showed that He never connived at the
sin. Instead of ignoring the sin or compromising with the sin, He had to condemn
the sin on account of the righteousness of God.
“Sin no more”, in the original, it meant that she had to stop
committing the sin habitually.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The scribes and Pharisees who caught the woman in adultery wanted to
condemn the woman, but were not qualified, for they were sinner too ---- “He who is without sin among
you (v.7)”. The Lord Jesus who was the only qualified
one said to her, however: “neither do I condemn you.”
Oh! How gracious the word was! This was the good news for sinners!
2) The Lord not only
forgave the woman’s sins in the past,
and said to her: “go and
sin no more.” These gracious words would provide her much
power to overcome the power of sin.
3) The principle of
the Law of Moses: being held ---- “being
caught” (v.4) and being put
to death ---- “being stoned”
(v.5). The principle of the salvation of Christ: being delivered ---- “go”
and “being saved” ---- “Neither do I condemn you”.
4) “Go and sin no more”, this is a command by the Lord Jesus for
us. Since we have been saved, we shall neither sin any more, nor live in it
(see Rom 6:2)
5) The Lord did not
say: “go, sin as less as
you can”. The Lord can not
bear any sin at all, and He commands those who are of Him to be blameless. But
such a command will never be fulfilled in our own abilities, but continually in
the power of His life.
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." ”
YLT: “Again, therefore, Jesus
spake to them, saying, `I am the light of the world; he who is following me
shall not walk in the darkness, but he shall have the light of the life.'”
The Background: during the Feast of Tabernacles, in the women’s house of the temple, there
was a ceremony of kindling four great candles, for the purpose of remembering
that God had led the people of Israel to walk in the wilderness by the a pillar
of fire (see Ex 13:21-22; Neh 9:12).
Literal
Meaning: “then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the
light of the world.” ---- Some Bible
exegetes held
that the next paragraph was spoken in the Feast of Tabernacles, and there were
two reasons as follows: (1) in some old Scriptures, verse one to eleven were an
appendix at the end of this book. And
some one removed and inserted them to the beginning of this chapter. (2) When
the Feast of Tabernacles started, the temple was illuminated by the candles.
Just like the Lord’s announcement that He is the rivers of living water (see
7:37-38), the Lord’s declares that He is the “light” also in the background of the
Feast of Tabernacles.
However, the Lord here declared: “I am the light of the
world”. It verified the Pharisees had found their guilt conscientiously in the enlightenment in verse nine.
It was said by Augustus and Jerome that verse one to
eleven were verily recorded in many old Scriptures, but later the scribes deleted them intentionally
for fear that their wives would be wantonly.
That was why this paragraph was not seen in many old Scriptures afterwards.
Anyway, this paragraph has been handed down till now, and its verity has been
proved and received by the churches. Therefore, any dubious attitude towards it
is improper.
“He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness”. ---- Here, it hinted that He was the pillar of fire that God led His people. “Darkness” refers
to one’s spiritual ignorance: (1) they could not judge, for they judged according to the flesh (see v.15). (2) They neither knew the
Christ, nor the true God (see v.19). (3) They did not know the truth (see
v.32). (4) They did not know they were salves of sin and would die in their sins (v. 21, 24, and 34). (5) They neither knew where
they came from, nor whom they belonged to (v. 23). (6) They did not know they
were doing what their father
the devil did (v.41, 44).
“But
have the light
of life.” ---- Here, the
light and life are connected together, indicating that the light comes from
life, and life produces light (see Ps 36:9).
From
verse twelve to twenty, the key words are light, life, witness, knowledge, send
and true.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord said: “he who follows Me shall not
walk in darkness”. ---- It unveils that he who follows the
Lord will obtain the light and be able to see and know. On the contrary, if one
neither has the light, nor is able to see or know, he must have not followed
the Lord.
2) “He who follows Me shall not
walk in darkness”. ---- When we follow the Lord, though often
being unable to expect our future, we can also follow Him in the rest, for He
can never be wrong.
3) Men’s darkness stems from men’s death ---- they had been
dead in the offences and sins (see Eph 2:1) and fell into darkness
thereafter. Any other way is unable to dissipate darkness, except for “light”. When light comes, darkness will be
dispersed immediately.
4) The Lord Jesus is
our “light of life”, which indicates that: (1) such light is
the spiritual light within oneself rather than the externally material or
natural light. (2) Such light gives forth the power of life sufficiently, which
not only enlightens us and also motivates us to walk in the pleasantness of
God.
5) Christ shows
Himself is the “light of life”, which on one hand judges all the
self-righteousness ---- “went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to
the last (v.9)”, and delivers all the sinners on the other
---- “go and sin no more (v.11)”.
6) The state of one’s life depends on whether he has “the light of life” or not. The more the light of life he has,
the more he will be judged. The more he has been judged, the more he will be
sanctified. More sanctification must bring about the increase of his life
within.
7) Christ is “the light of life”. It manifests the fullness of Christ, who
not only enlightens others ---- reveals, proves and judges, and also has the
power of life ---- provides, motivates and perfects.
8) “The light of life” means that the Lord comes to be our light.
In the past, we were
alienated from the life of
the Lord and had been fallen in the darkness. At present, we have the Lord to
be out light in us. We are able to see clearly and judge what is condemned by
God and what is justified by God.
9) When “the light of life” enlightens us, it transmits the essence of
God’s life to us and
enables us to partake increasingly in His full life and disposition.
John. 8:13 “The
Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your
witness is not true." ”
YLT: “The Pharisees, therefore, said to him, `Thou of
thyself dost testify, thy testimony is not true;'”
The
Background:
the rabbis supplemented the proofs with such
a rule: if one bore witness of oneself, it would be invalid.
John. 8:14 “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. ”
YLT: “Jesus answered and said to
them, `And if I testify of myself -- my testimony is true, because I have known
whence I came, and whither I go, and ye -- ye have not known whence I come, or
whither I go.”
Literal
Meaning: the Lord Jesus in this verse pointed out two
factors in His answer: (1) He was qualified to bear witness of Himself, but the
Pharisees were not. (2) He knew His origin and His direction, but the Pharisees
knew neither of them.
“My witness is true.” ---- Everything of
Christ is true, so He can bear witness of Himself. He is the true light. And the
light is just before men, so it is unnecessary to be witnessed.
“For I know where I came from and where
I am going”, He has clear knowledge of His origin and direction, so He can bear
witness of Himself.
“But you do not know where I come from and where I am going.” ---- What the Pharisees knew was merely
where He came from in the flesh (v.7:28), but did not know the origin of His
nature and where He was going.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
the effect and verity do not rest in being
witnessed by oneself or by others, but in the state of the testifier. If he is
true, the witness will be true. But if not true, the witness will never be
true, no matter how many testifiers there are.
John. 8:15 “You judge according to the
flesh; I judge no one. ”
YLT: “`Ye according to the flesh
do judge; I do not judge any one,”
Meaning of
Words: “judge”: avenge, conclude, condemn, damn;
Literal
Meaning: “you judge according to the flesh”, it meant that their judgment was superficial and
shallow and had not been according to the true knowledge (to grasp all the real
facts of all).
“I judge no one.” ---- There were three meanings: (1) if it
was according to the motivation and standard of the Pharisees, it would be
unnecessary for Him to make any judgment in such case at all. (2) If it was
according to the true meaning of judgment, He had already judged all the people
(see v.26). (3) He emphasized His main commission of coming to the world was
not to judge the world, but save the world (see 12:47).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The one who walks according
to the flesh does not have the revelation of faith (see 2Cor 5:7), i.e. he has
not the spiritual revelation.
2) Judge not, that you
be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the
measure you use, it will be measured back to you (see Matt 7:1-2).
John. 8:16 “And yet if I do judge, My
judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. ”
YLT: “and even if I do judge my
judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me;”
Meaning of Words: “judge”: avenge, conclude, and decide;
Literal
Meaning: “and yet if I do judge, My judgment is true”, it indicated that He did not judge then
was not on account of lacking the wisdom of judgment. If He judged, He could
still make a right judgment. For He did not judge according to sight, but judged
righteous judgment (see 7:24).
“But I am with the Father who sent Me”, it meant that He and the Father became a
double witness (see v.18). “The
Father who sent Me”, it indicated that
He was clearly conscious of His commission all the time.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is unsuitable
for a believer to take in his own hand independently. Instead, one should
always realize that the presence of the Lord and rely on Him in everything.
2) We ought to say: “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this
or that (James 4:15)”.
John. 8:17 “It is also written in your
law that the testimony of two men is true. ”
YLT: “and also in your law it
hath been written, that the testimony of two men are true;”
Literal Meaning: “it is also written in your law”, the
Lord used “your law”, for the Pharisees claimed
to know the law (see 7:49). And He did not
mean that He came to destroy the law (see Matt 5:17).
“The testimony of two men is true.” ---- It was commanded in the law that there
should be at least two witnesses when a matter was established（see Deut 17:6; 19:15）.
John. 8:18 “I am One who bears witness
of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." ”
YLT: “I am who is testifying of
myself, and the Father who sent me doth testify of me.'”
Literal
Meaning: it is in line with the law that the Lord and
the Father bear the witness together.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
the Lord says His judgment is true; for He is with the Father (see v.16) who bears the witness with the
Lord together. Likewise, we should not be cowardly when
bearing the witness of the Lord, for the Lord Himself is with us and bears
witness with us together.
John. 8:19 “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." ”
YLT: “They said, therefore, to
him, `Where is thy father?' Jesus answered, `Ye have neither known me nor my Father:
if me ye had known, my Father also ye had known.'”
Literal
Meaning: “where is Your Father?” ---- The Pharisees did not know the Lord’s metaphorical
meaning, but thought He referred to His physical father ---- Joseph, who might
be dead then. The Pharisees might also deliberately tempt the Lord to say that
His Father is in the heaven, and then accused Him of blaspheming. But His hour
had not come yet (see v.20), so the Pharisees failed to seize any handle.
“If you had known Me, you would have
known My Father also.” ---- The Word was with God, and the Word was God (see
1:1). The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (see 1:18). Therefore, if a man wants to know the Son, he will
know the Father. He that does not know the Son will not know the Father.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) He who knows Christ
has known God. Christ is the only way for men to come to the mysterious God
(see 14:6-7)
2) Any one who refuses
the Savior the Lord Jesus will never know God truly. The spirit of a man can rejoice
in God only when his soul magnifies the Lord (see Luke 1:46-47).
John. 8:20 “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. ”
YLT: “These sayings spake Jesus
in the treasury, teaching in the temple, and no one seized him, because his
hour had not yet come;”
Meaning of
Words: “treasury”: a treasure-house; a court in the
temple for the collection-boxes;
Literal
Meaning: “Jesus spoke
in the treasury”, “treasury” was set in the women’s house of the temple, and
there were 13 collection-boxes for men to offer their money. The treasury was
close to the court where the Sanhedrim gathered. Before a while, the Pharisees had
just gathered there to discuss their scheme of seizing the Lord (see 7:45-52).
John. 8:21 “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."
”
YLT: “therefore said Jesus again
to them, `I go away, and ye will seek me, and in your sin ye shall die; whither
I go away, ye are not able to come.'”
Literal
Meaning: “again” was a connecting
link between the preceding and the following.
“I am going away”. ---- “Go away” refers not only His death and
being buried and even His resurrection and ascension as well.
“You will
seek Me”. ---- It did not mean the Jews changed their ideas and came to seek
the Lord’s salvation when the Lord died, for
the majority of the Jews had not been saved by receiving and believing the Lord
so far. Instead, it indicated that they sought the hiding place of His body and
maintained his disciples came by night and stole Him (see Matt 28:13).
John. 8:22 “So the Jews said,
"Will He kill Himself, because He says, "Where I go you cannot come'?" ”
YLT: “The Jews, therefore, said,
`Will he kill himself, because he saith, Whither I go away, ye are not able to
come?'”
Literal
Meaning: “will He kill
Himself”，the Jews believed
that the one who had committed suicide would go to the hell. They thought they
would steadily go to the heaven, so they misapprehended that “the place they
could not come” said by the Lord was the hell.
John. 8:23 “And He said to them,
"You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of
this world. ”
YLT: “and he said to them, `Ye
are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am not of this
world;”
Literal
Meaning: “You
are of this world”, “of” refers to the origin. “The world” lies in Satan (see
1John 5:19).
“I am not of
this world.” ---- Though the Lord Jesus came to the world (see 16:28), but He
was not of the world.
They could
not believe Him, for they were distinct from Him in the origin, relationship
and concept.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Apart from death, there
still remain other things which can separate men (see v.47; 3:31; 15:19; 1John
3:10).
2) We should never
seek things of God through the
natural concept of material and the earthly logic. For who of men has known the
things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him (1Cor 2:11)?
John. 8:24 “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." ”
YLT: “I said, therefore, to you,
that ye shall die in your sins, for if ye may not believe that I am , ye shall
die in your sins.'”
Literal
Meaning: “if you do not believe that I am He”, “that I am He”, “I am that I am”, which
is the name of Jehovah God. The name of “Jehovah” especially emphasizes the relationship
of God with men.
The Lord indicates that He is the God
who comes into contact with men. He is everything that men need.
“Will die in your sins”, men’s faith in the One who is “I am”
becomes a crucial factor that effluences their destiny.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
“if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your
sins.” ---- In other
words, only the one who has the spiritual vision of the full Christ whose name
is “I am” can be delivered from sin and death.
John. 8:25 “Then they said to Him,
"Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been
saying to you from the beginning.
”
YLT: “They said, therefore, to
him, `Thou -- who art thou?' and Jesus said to them, `Even what I did speak of
to you at the beginning;”
Literal
Meaning: “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning”, or “I have been saying to you from the
beginning, haven’t I?” Someone
translated: “why should I have to say to you?” In the original, it carries a
meaning that I am always the one whom I have been saying to you.
John. 8:26 “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." ”
YLT: “many things I have to
speak concerning you and to judge, but He who sent me is true, and I -- what
things I heard from Him -- these I say to the world.'”
Literal
Meaning: it means that He will definitely condemn the
world, and His judgment is true, for it is the Father’s judgment.
John. 8:27 “They did not understand
that He spoke to them of the Father.
”
YLT: “They knew not that of the
Father he spake to them;”
John. 8:28 “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. ”
YLT: “Jesus, therefore, said to
them, `When ye may lift up the Son of Man then ye will know that I am ; and of
myself I do nothing, but according as my Father did teach me, these things I
speak;”
Literal
Meaning: “you lift up the Son of Man”, “life up”, it refers to His impending death on
the cross (see 3:14; 12:32, 34).
This verse disclosed that the world
would not know the real relationship of the Lord with the Father until the Lord
Jesus had been crucified on the cross (see Matt 27:54). It included three
aspects: (1) Jesus is the Christ. (2) He does nothing of Himself. (2) What He had said was taught by God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) If we have truly
known the Lord that we believe is the One who is “I am”, we will receive various provisions from
Him, thus experiencing His fullness.
2) Whatever we need,
the One who is “I am” will always satisfy us.
John. 8:29 “And He who sent Me is with
Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please
Him." ”
YLT: “and He who sent me is with
me; the Father did not leave me alone, because I, the things pleasing to Him,
do always.'”
Literal
Meaning: though the Lord Jesus came to the world, He
was not separate from God the Father. Instead of being “alone” in the world,
God the Father was always with Him (see 16:32; Matt 27:46) before His being
crucified for the sin of the world.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is also necessary for
us to live a life that pleases
God.
2) If we want to always do those things that
please Him, we should keep
living in a constant “fellowship
with” Him.
John. 8:30 “As He spoke these words,
many believed in Him. ”
YLT: “As he is speaking these
things, many believed in him;”
Literal
Meaning: “many believed in Him”, the majority of them receives His words superficially,
but is unwilling
to keep His words (see v.31). Later, they left no place in them
for the words of the Lord (see v.37), and even sought to kill Him (see v.37,
40), for they were ignorant of His
words and
unable to listen to His words (see v.43). Obviously, their “faith”, just like
the parable of sowing on the rocky places (see Matt 13:20-21), is not the real
faith.
Some
Bible exegetes said the tense of “believe” indicated a meaning of “going to start”,
so it could be translated into “began to believe”, i.e. partly believe.
Therefore, the Lord here explained
the definition and effect of the
real faith to them (see
v.31-36).
John. 8:31 “Then Jesus said to those
Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples
indeed.”
YLT: “Jesus, therefore, said
unto the Jews who believed in him, `If ye may remain in my word, truly my
disciples ye are, and ye shall know the truth,”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
if one really wants to be the true disciple
of the Lord, he should always abide in the Lord’s words. Only those who
constantly abide in the words of the Lord are His true disciples.
John. 8:32 “And you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free." ”
YLT: “and the truth shall make
you free.'”
Literal
Meaning: “you shall know the truth”, there are two meanings concerning “truth”: (1)
objectively, it refers to the revelation of God, which enables men to know the
will of God and thereby receive the salvation. (2) Subjectively, it refers to
Christ Himself (see 14:6), who is the center of the revelation of God (Gal
1:16) as well as the specific manifestation of the salvation of God (see Eph
3:6).
“The truth shall make you free.” ---- “Free” does not mean the political
freedom which prevents the people from the dominance of other nations, but
being delivered from these bonds as below: (1) it keeps men from the bonds of
the law (see v.3-11; Gal 5:1). (2) It keeps men from the bonds of sins (see
v.34-36). (3) It keeps men from the oppression of the devil (see v.44). (4) It
keeps men from the fate of dying in death (v. 21, 24).
If we put this verse and verse 36 (“if the Son makes you free,
you shall be free indeed.”) together, we will
find that “the truth” is “the Son of the Father”. Therefore, the “truth” in
this chapter does not emphasize the objective knowledge, but the fact that
Christ Himself has become believers’ subjective experiences.
Christ is the “truth” that makes one free, for the accomplished salvation by Him includes
these four aspects as follows: (1) He has fulfilled the law, enabling those who
are in Him not to be bounded by the law. (2)
His life of resurrection has overcome the sin, enabling those who are in Him
not to be bounded by sin. (3) He has annulled the devil,
enabling those who are in Him not to
be oppressed
by the devil. (4) He had been judged for us on the cross, enabling those who
are in Him not to be threatened by the death.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) To practically keep the
truth is the way to understand the truth. Knowing the truth comes from practicing
the words of the Lord (see 7:17).
2) To enjoy the presence of
God constantly is free indeed.
3) If one can see clearly
the whole facts, he will not be bound in ignorance and blindness or live in the
oppression of self-righteousness, pride, envy, prejudice and bias. Such
discernment and perceptiveness shall be generated from the enlightenment of the
truth within.
4) Many times, we come to God according to
our own feelings and experiences, not the truth of God. Many times, we are repressed
for being unable to see what the truth is or what the reality is. Once we have
seen the truth, “the truth will make us free”. The spiritual reality delivers
one from his own feeling, and makes him free.
5) When Satan comes to tempt
or attack men, it moves quietly and schemes to dust the eyes of us. Only when
the Lord reminds us that something is of Satan, will we stand against the devil. This is “truth
will make us free”.
6) Christ is truth as well
as the reality of life (see 2Cor 1:20). If one has Christ, his life has real
meaning. If one has not, it is vanity of vanities.
7) The truth is closely
linked to freedom. They are the both sides of one thing, and either of them is indispensable.
Freedom does not refer to being presumptuous. A man who acts wildly and rashly
often is a man who has been terribly oppressed and extremely lacks freedom. Only
can the one who keeps the truth inwardly walk freely outwardly and be free from the intervention
and constraint of anyone. However, he who does not walk according to the truth
will lose his freedom sooner or later.
John. 8:33 “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'?" ”
YLT: “They answered him, `Seed of
Abraham we are; and to no one have we been servants at any time; how dost thou
say -- Ye shall become free?'”
Literal
Meaning: “we are Abraham's descendants”, according to the pedigree, all the Jews are Abraham's descendants in the
flesh (see v.37), but not necessarily his “spiritual” descendants (see Rom
9:7-8).
“And have
never been in bondage to anyone”, they explained
freedom according to the political meaning, and considered themselves that they
had never been in bondage to anyone. In fact, in those several hundred years,
the Jews had been successively in bondage to
“How can You say, "You will be
made free'?" ---- They did not
comprehend the freedom spoken by the Lord was the inward freedom.
John. 8:34 “Jesus answered them,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ”
YLT: “Jesus answered them,
`Verily, verily, I say to you -- Every one who is committing sin, is a servant
of the sin,”
Literal
Meaning: “whoever commits sin”: those who commit sin in succession.
“Is a slave of sin”, “slave” refers to the one who is sold to
another person and has no freedom. It indicates that sin in men is a violent
thing with strong power and influence, which compels men to be its slaves. Being
a captive of sin, men will commit sins uncontrollably.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) One can not enjoy
freedom when he lives in sin, for a sinner can not get rid of the entanglement
of the sin through his own ability.
2) If a man
overindulges himself in sins, though seemingly follows his inclinations at
will, he will be actually a slave of sin without any true freedom ---- disobeys
his conscience and runs counter to his conscience.
John. 8:35 “And a slave does not abide
in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ”
YLT: “and the servant doth not
remain in the house -- to the age, the son doth remain -- to the age;”
Literal
Meaning: the status of a “slave” is different from
that of a “son”. The former may be extruded at any time, but the latter lives
in his house forever.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
he who is a slave of sin has no right in the
host’s house, for only the son has such right. He who does not believe the Lord
has no right to inherit the promise of God or abide in the house of God.
John. 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes
you free, you shall be free indeed.
”
YLT: “if then the son may make
you free, in reality ye shall be free.”
Literal
Meaning: one’s true spiritual freedom is obtained
through the Son. The Son of God can deliver men from being slaves of sin (see
v.34), and this is true freedom.
John. 8:37 “"I know that you are
Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in
you. ”
YLT: “`I have known that ye are
seed of Abraham, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you;”
Literal
Meaning: “because My word has no place in you”, or “My word can not run in you” ---- His
word had encountered opposition.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
the true descendants of Abraham have two features:
(1) they never seek to kill men. (2) They must believe the word of God (see Rom
4:16).
John. 8:38 “I speak what I have seen
with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father." ”
YLT: “I -- that which I have seen
with my Father do speak, and ye, therefore, that which ye have seen with your
father -- ye do.'”
Literal
Meaning: He walked according to His Father, but they
were walking according to their father. Here, it focused on the difference of
the origin ---- “My
Father … your father”. “Your father” was neither Abraham (see
v.39), nor God the Father (see v.41-42), but the devil (see v.44).
Pay
attention to the comparisons in this verse: (1) “I” vs. “you”; (2) “My Father”
vs. “your
father”.
John. 8:39 “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. ”
YLT: “They answered and said to
him, `Our father is Abraham;' Jesus saith to them, `If children of Abraham ye
were, the works of Abraham ye were doing;”
Literal
Meaning: the Jews disputed again that they were Abraham's descendants, so the Lord Jesus made a comparison
between these two fathers, namely, Abraham and their father. Their actions manifested their father’s
works, which did not conform to the nature of Abraham (v.40).
Enlightenment in the Word: the pedigree in the flesh is different from the
spiritual origin and works.
John. 8:40 “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. ”
YLT: “and now, ye seek to kill
me -- a man who hath spoken to you the truth I heard from God; this Abraham did
not;”
Literal
Meaning: the Lord Jesus regarded His teachings as the
same of God, thus arousing their hostility.
John. 8:41 “You do the deeds of your
father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we
have one Father--God." ”
YLT: “ye do the works of your
father.' They said, therefore, to him, `We of whoredom have not been born; one
Father we have -- God;'”
Literal
Meaning: “we were not born of fornication”, it might slander the
Lord Jesus and hint obliquely that He was born from a virgin instead of a
woman. But it was of more possibility that it might refer to the faithfulness
of faith (see Hos 1:2) ---- they held that they had never been idolatrous in
private in the relationship with God. Therefore, they
said they had one father.
When they said it, they might remember
the “Samaritans” (see v.48), whose religion was a filthy mixture produced from
the paganism and Judaism.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
men’s acts manifest that where they come
from and whose sons they are.
John. 8:42 “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. ”
YLT: “Jesus then said to them,
`If God were your father, ye were loving me, for I came forth from God, and am
come; for neither have I come of myself, but He sent me;”
Literal
Meaning: the Lord Jesus emphasized the spiritual kindred
instead of that in the flesh. If they were true daughters of God, they would
love Jesus like the Father.
John. 8:43 “Why do you not understand
My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. ”
YLT: “wherefore do ye not know
my speech? because ye are not able to hear my word.”
Meaning of
Words: “speech”: talk;
Literal
Meaning: “why do you not understand My speech?” ---- “my speech” refers to the way of
expression ---- wording and phrasing.
“You are not able to listen
to My word.” ---- “My word” refers to the content of his word.
The Jews were so convinced of their prejudices that
they could not understand what the Lord Jesus really said (see v.47).
John. 8:44 “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. ”
YLT: “`Ye are of a father -- the
devil, and the desires of your father ye will to do; he was a man-slayer from
the beginning, and in the truth he hath not stood, because there is no truth in
him; when one may speak the falsehood, of his own he speaketh, because he is a
liar -- also his father.”
Meaning of Words:
“devil”: false accuser, devil, slanderer; “desire”: concupiscence,
lust;
Literal
Meaning: “You are of your father the devil”, the Jews refused the truth of the Lord Jesus and
schemed to kill Him, showing that they were of the devil, not God. Their actions
revealed their evil paternity that they belonged to “their father the devil”.
“The desires of your father you want to
do”, “want” referred to one’s choice of his
will.
“He was a murderer from the beginning,” the devil had forced Cain kill Abel (see
Gen 4:8; 1John 3:12). It suggested that the Jews were so manipulated by the
devil that they tended to murder Him (see v.37).
“When he speaks a lie, he speaks from
his own resources”, its lies stem
from a sort of specific evil nature in it.
“He is a liar.” ---- The devil had enticed Eve by a lie to
disobey the command of God (see Gen 3:1-6 Rom 5:12, 14).
“He is the father of it”, the devil
itself is the father of lies and the origin of sin.
This verse also pointed out the relation
of the Jewish leaders with the devil: (1) they were of their father the devil. (2) They wanted to do the desires of their father. (3) The devil was the
father of these who lied.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We believers were of the
devil in the past. However, when believing and receiving that grate “I AM” (v. 24, 28), we have received the light of
life and truth (see v.12, 32) and been delivered out of darkness and vanity.
2) Satan is “the father of lies”. In other words, those who lie are all
descendants of Satan. Falsehood exists much more common than any other thing in
the world. Any one who is of Satan will inevitably lie for Him in the world.
3) All the children of God
should never give place to falsehood, but make up their mind to deal with their
sins. Only when we want to refuse to lie, will we find that how many falsehoods
there are in us.
4) Any falsehood among the
children of God should be eliminated. If there is a lie lingering in you, there
will be a handle for Satan to manipulate you. It is most miserable that the
lying seed even lingers in the children of God.
John. 8:45 “But because I tell the
truth, you do not believe Me. ”
YLT: “`And because I say the
truth, ye do not believe me.”
Enlightenment in the Word: good advice may sound harsh to
the ears. Today, we may encounter objections from others when we preach the truth and spiritual realities to others.
John. 8:46 “Which of you convicts Me of
sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? ”
YLT: “Who of you doth convict me
of sin? and if I speak truth, wherefore do ye not believe me?”
Literal
Meaning: “which of you convicts Me of sin?” ---- Such question hints
that the answer should be “nobody”. The Lord
Jesus is the only perfect man who is holy, undefiled and apart from sin (see
Heb 7:26), so He can ask such a question in boldness.
“And if I tell the truth”, He not only teaches others the truth and
He is even the vivid incarnation of truth.
“Why do you not believe Me?” ---- Why do men not give forth the living
faith in such One who is the vivid manifestation of God? Their unbelief proves
they are not of god (v.47), but the devil (see v.44)
John. 8:47 “He who is of God hears
God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." ”
YLT: “he who is of God, the sayings
of God he doth hear; because of this ye do not hear, because of God ye are
not.'”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
the depth of a believer’s spirit shall often
love the words of God. But when we fall into our natural mind, we will feel boring.
Therefore, when we take no interest in the words of God, we should return to
the spirit and touch God’s words in the spirit and truth.
John. 8:48 “Then the Jews answered and
said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a
demon?" ”
YLT: “The Jews, therefore,
answered and said to him, `Do we not say well, that thou art a Samaritan, and
hast a demon?'”
The
Background:
“
Literal
Meaning: “you are a Samaritan”, this is an insulting saying, which is used to describe the “apostasy”. The Jews
insulted others by such saying.
John. 8:49 “Jesus answered, "I do
not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. ”
YLT: “Jesus answered, `I have
not a demon, but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me;”
John. 8:50 “And I do not seek My own
glory; there is One who seeks and judges. ”
YLT: “and I do not seek my own
glory; there is who is seeking and is judging;”
Literal
Meaning: “there is One who seeks and judges.” ---- It unveils that God will come to
justify His Son.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We shall not care
about being judged by men, but seek the judgment of God, for His judgment is
true.
2) We should not seek our
own glory, and then God will glorify us.
John. 8:51 “Most assuredly, I say to
you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death." ”
YLT: “verily, verily, I say to
you, If any one may keep my word, death he may not see -- to the age.'”
Literal
Meaning: “if anyone keeps My word”, it refers to believing and keeping the words of
the Lord.
“He shall never see death”, “death” here referred to the spiritual
death, not the physical one. “See”, it meant in the original being interest in
beholding or paying attention to, so it also meant seeing and establishing a relationship.
“He shall never
see death”, it meant that he
would be always kept from the threat and bond of death.
“The words of the Lord are spirit, and they are life (see
6:63)”, so he who keeps the word of the Lord will obtain the spiritual life. Though
he has been dead in the flesh, the Lord will raise him up at the last day (see
6:40).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
He who believes the Lord Jesus and keeps His teachings shall have the eternal
life and rise in the future.
2) Believers obtain
the provision of the life of God through keeping in fellowship with the Lord
and abiding in His words. Therefore, we should desire earnestly the pure mental
milk of the word that we may grow up to salvation by it (see 1Pet 2:2).
John. 8:52 “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.'”
YLT: “The Jews, therefore, said
to him, `Now we have known that thou hast a demon; Abraham did die, and the
prophets, and thou dost say, If any one may keep my word, he shall not taste of
death -- to the age!”
Literal
Meaning: the Jews interpreted the Lord’s word that “he shall never see death (v.51)” literally, and thereby
misapprehended that He would not die in the flesh.
John. 8:53 “Are You greater than our
father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make
Yourself out to be?" ”
YLT: “Art thou greater than our
father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?'”
Literal
Meaning: “Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?” ---- The tone of this question may bring
about a negative answer.
John. 8:54 “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. ”
YLT: “Jesus answered, `If I
glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who is glorifying me, of
whom ye say that He is your God;”
Literal
Meaning: the Lord denied that He had glorified
Himself, but told them that He walked only for fulfilling the will of God.
John. 8:55 “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. ”
YLT: “and ye have not known Him,
and I have known Him, and if I say that I have not known Him, I shall be like
you -- speaking falsely; but I have known Him, and His word I keep;”
Meaning of
Words: “know (the first one)”, it refers to the objective knowledge that one
obtains outward progressively. “Know (the second one)”, it refers to the
subjective knowledge that one obtains inwardly directly.
Literal
Meaning: God will definitely be glorified by His Son,
for the Son has the supreme excellency of the knowledge of God. (If the Lord
Jesus denies it, he will also deny the rightness of His commission.) Being
faithful to His commission, the Lord Jesus also keeps the word of God.
John. 8:56 “Your father Abraham
rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." ”
YLT: “Abraham, your father, was
glad that he might see my day; and he saw, and did rejoice.'”
Meaning of
Words: “see”: perceive, tell, and understand;
Literal
Meaning: “your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day”, “My day”, it is different from the day of Christ
who comes again to judge the world, which mentions in other scriptures (see Phi
1:6; 2:16). Here, it might refer to the period that He was incarnated to the
world to accomplish the salvation.
This verse did not mean Abraham rejoiced to “hope” the day of the Lord, but “see” the day of the Lord.
“And he saw it and was glad.” ---- It showed that he got the vision in
faith (see Heb 11:13).
John. 8:57 “Then the Jews said to Him,
"You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" ”
YLT: “The Jews, therefore, said
unto him, `Thou art not yet fifty years old, and Abraham hast thou seen?'”
Literal
Meaning: “you are not yet fifty years old”, when the Lord Jesus began to preach, He was only
30 years old (see Luke 3:23), so at most 33 years old at this time. They
guessed that He was not yet fifty years old according to the flesh. However, it
proved that he grew up as a root out of dry ground and had neither forms nor
lordliness. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief (see Is 53:2-3).
Therefore, his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than
the children of men (see Is 52:12), thus appearing older than His real age.
John. 8:58 “Jesus said to them,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." ”
YLT: “Jesus said to them,
`Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham's coming -- I am;'”
Literal
Meaning: “before Abraham was, I AM”, here, the revelation of the Lord about Himself
has reached the
summit ---- it emphasizes that the Lord Jesus is entirely different from
Abraham. The creature (Abraham) was restricted by time, but
the Lord Jesus existed before Abraham, and existed early in the past eternity
and exists forever. His life is characterized by the divine nature of transcending time. The Lord Jesus said “I
AM” instead of “I was”, indicating that He existed from the past eternity.
This saying seemed from “I AM THAT I AM”
in the Exodus (3:14), and suggested the Lord Jesus saw eye to eye with Jehovah
---- the Lord is that “I AM THAT I AM”. The Jews knew the meaning of His word
---- the one who absolutely existed before all things was equal with God. It
was no wonder that the Jews took
up stones to throw at Him (see v.59).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
the Lord is the One “I AM”. No matter in the
past, at present, in the future, He is always that “I AM”. Therefore, all of us
can enjoy His being at any time.
John. 8:59 “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.
”
YLT: “they took up, therefore,
stones that they may cast at him, but Jesus hid himself, and went forth out of
the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
Literal
Meaning: the Jews had not any other explanation for
the Lord’s declaration, except for blasphemy, so they thought it was the right penalty
to take up
stones to throw at Him (see Lev 24:16).
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
I.
To Know Sin
A. The State of
B. The Origin of Sin ---- the devil (v.44).
1. It forces men to do its desires.
2. It is the father of lies.
C. The Three Main
Forms of Sin:
1. Fornication (v.3, 41).
2. Murder (v.44).
3. Lie (v.44).
D. The Result of
Sin:
1. To be a slave of sin (v.34).
2. One will die in his
sins (v.21, 24).
E. The Salvation of
Sin:
1. Only is the Lord Jesus not a sinner
(v.9).
2. He has the right of condemnation, but He does not condemn men (v. 11, 15).
3. He should be lifted
up for men’s sin on the cross (v.28).
4. He makes the one who believes Him to be free indeed (v.36).
5. He can deliver men from the eternal
death (v.24, 51-52).
F. The Content of
the Lord’s Salvation
1. He bears men’s
iniquities on the cross (v.28) ---- to remove the penalty of sin.
2. He comes to be
the light of believers’ life (v.12) ---- to get rid of the sins by
enlightenment.
3. He makes men to
be free through the truth of His word (v. 31-32, 34) ---- the Lord Himself has
become the truth for men in His word.
4. He enables men to
know increasingly this great “I AM” in men’s practical experience (v. 24, 28,
58) ---- whatever we need, the One that “I AM” will satisfy us.
II. The Witnesses that the Lord Jesus has Made
for Himself
A. He declares: “I am the light of the
world. (v.12)”
B. He declares: “I am from above. (v.23)”
C. He declares: “I AM. (v.24, 28, 58)”
D. He declares that He is the truth
which shall
make one free. (v.32)”
E. He declares that He is the Son of the
Father. (v.36)”
F. He declares: “I proceeded forth and came
from God. (v.42)”
G. He declares that He is innocent
(v.46).
H. He declares that there is life in His
words (v.51-52)
I. He declares that He was early existed
---- i.e. the eternity of God (v.58).
III. The Jews Opposed and Rejected the Lord
Concerning the Matters as Follows
A. They denied the witness of the Lord
and said His witness was not true (v.13).
B. They denied the fact that the Lord
came from God the Father (v.19).
C. They denied they
had never been
in bondage to anyone (v. 33).
D. They denied they were born of fornication (v.41)
E. They cursed the
Lord was a
Samaritan and even had a demon (v.48, 52).
F. They denied the
Lord was greater
than Abraham (v.53).
G. They took up stones to throw
at the Lord (v.59).
IV.
The Reasons that the Jews Opposed and Rejected the
Lord
A. They did
not know where He came
from and where He was going (v.14).
B. They judged
according to the flesh (v.15).
C. They knew neither the Lord, not the
Father (v.19).
D. They gave no place to the words of the Lord (v.37).
E. They did what they had seen with their father (v.38).
F. They did
the deeds of their father (v.41).
G. They did not understand the Lord’s speech, for they were not able to listen
to His word. (v.43)
H. The desires of their father they wanted to do (v.44).
I. They did not believe Him, because the Lord told them the truth (v.45).
J. They did
not hear the words of God, because they were not of God (v.47).
K. They dishonored the Lord (v.49).
V. The Relation of the Lord Jesus with God
A. God is the Lord’s Father (v.16, 18,
19, 28, 49).
B. God sent the
Lord, and the Lord was sent to the world by God (v.16, 18, 29, 42).
C. God is with the
Lord, and the Lord is not
alone (v.16, 29).
D. God bears witness
of the Lord, and the Lord also does those things that please God (v. 18, 29).
E. God teaches the
Lord, and the Lord preaches God (v.26-28).
F. God glorifies the
Lord, and the Lord does not seek His own glory (v. 50, 54).
VI. The “True”s in Chapter Eight
A. God who sent the Lord is true (v.26) ---- the true origin.
B. The works of the Lord are true:
1. His witness is true (v.14, 17).
2. His judgment is
true (v.16).
C. He who believes the Lord will be
true:
1. He who believes
and keeps the word of the Lord is His true disciple (v.31).
2. He shall be free indeed (v.36).
3. He becomes the
true child of God (v.42).
VII. To Know the Words of the Lord
A. The
Lord spoke according to what
the Father
taught Him (v.28).
B. He who believes in His words believes in Him (v.30).
C. He who believes and keeps the word of
the Lord is His true disciple (v.31).
D. His word is truth, which shall make one free. (v.32).
E. Those who oppose against the Lord seek to kill Him, because the
Lord’s word
has no place in them. (v.37).
F. The Lord speaks
what He has
seen with the Father (v.38).
G. The Lord speaks the truth that He has
heard from God (v.40).
H. Men do not understand the Lord’s speech, for they are not able to listen to His word. (v.43).
J. Men do not hear the Lord’s word, because they are not of God
(v.47).
K. If anyone keeps the Lord’s word he shall never see or taste death (v. 51-52).
L. The Lord takes the lead in keeping the word of God (v.55)
VIII. The Four Sorts of Status
of the Religionists
A. They are the slaves of sins (v.34).
B. They are not the true descendants of
Abraham (v.39).
C. They are not the sons of God (v.42).
D. They are the sons of the devil
(v.44).
VIII. The Characteristics of the
Natural Life
A. They have the inclination of
committing sins ---- for men are slaves of sins (v.34).
B. They refuse God ---- they neither
love the Son of God, nor hear the word of God (v. 42, 47).
C. They are controlled by the disposition of the devil
---- they want to do the desires
of their father the devil (v.44).
IX. The Proofs of being the Sons of the Devil
A. They do not love the Lord Jesus (v.42).
B. They neither understand, nor hear the
word of the Lord (v.43)
C. They do the devil’s desires (v
D. They do not stand in the truth, for they have no truth within (v.44b)
E. They do not believe the Lord Jesus
(v.45-46).
F. They do not hear the word of the Lord
(v.47).
G. They dishonored the Lord Jesus (v.49).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou