John 8:12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I Am the light of the world. Isaiah 60:1 He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. 16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. 17 It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15) 18 I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
19 They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
The previous day Jesus had been teaching in the temple during the Feast of Booths saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!” At the end of the day everyone went home, and Jesus retired to the Mount of Olives. The next morning Jesus returned to the temple to resume his teaching, when he was interrupted by the Pharisees. They had brought the woman caught in adultery to him. After defusing their trap Jesus again resumed his teaching.
As we have seen previously the Feast of Booths commemorated God leading Israel through the wilderness. Do you remember how God led the Israelites?
God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on their way, and at night a Pillar of Fire to give them light. Exodus 13:20-22
According to Jesus’ brother, Jude, Jesus was the Pillar of Fire: Jesus delivered his people out of the land of Egypt, Jude 1:5, giving Israel light in the wilderness, delivering them out of Egypt. Now, in the temple during the Feast of Booths, Jesus announces that he is the light of the world.
Have you been able to follow Christ’s teaching up to this point?
Christ was the bread of life, John 6:35, that sustained Israel in the wilderness. Christ was the living water, John 7:38, that refreshed Israel in the wilderness. Christ was the light of life, John 8:12, that led Israel in the wilderness.
Those who follow Jesus, just as Israel followed Jesus in the wilderness, will not walk in darkness but have the light of life. They will be delivered from the lies of Satan, from the bondage of sin and death, given life, and be sustained by Christ.
How did the Pharisees respond to Christ’s amazing offer?
They said, in effect, “Prove it.” “The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” They said this because the law of God always requires more than one witness to confirm a matter. Deuteronomy 19:15 As Jesus had done back in John 5:31, Jesus provided another witness. Jesus begins by saying that he testifies about himself. In other words, as God incarnate, the Word became flesh, you can trust what Jesus says. But in keeping with Biblical Law, Jesus provides a second witness: the Father who sent [Jesus] testifies about [him].” The second witness is the revelation of God the Father to mankind as recorded in the writings of the Old Testament. The Law and the prophets all point to Christ.
Rather than accept Christ’s second witness, the Pharisees attempted to embarrass Jesus with a cutting insult, asking, “Where is your Father?” Because they rejected the teaching of the virgin birth, Isaiah 7:14, they believed the rumor that Jesus was the bastard child of Mary. They attempted to shame him into silence by asking, in other words, “Jesus, where is your father, this other witness?”
Jesus responded to their question with a devastating answer, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” If they had truly been students of God’s Word, they would have recognized and embraced their Messiah. As Christ had taught the Pharisees earlier:
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. 40 Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.” John 5:39
As experts in the Scriptures, they should have known God the Father. But instead, they were blinded by errant traditions – the traditions of man, Mark 7:7-13, and by ambition. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12:43
John 8:20 Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21 Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”22 The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”
The Pharisees wanted to arrest Jesus, but because he was in a very public place, the treasury, and because he had the approval of the people, having offered them the bread and water of truth, and the light of life, the Pharisees dared not arrest him. When Jesus told them that he was going away saying “Where I go you can’t come” they responded by again insulting him, asking aloud, “Will he kill himself…?” In Jewish tradition, those who committed suicide were thought to be condemned to the lowest reaches of hell. Turning their words on them, Jesus responded.
John 8:23 He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am He, you will die in your sins.”
Jesus’ response was devastating. Jesus turned their insult back on them, explaining that it was the Pharisees who were actually representing hell, “You are from beneath.” And unless the Pharisees believed that Jesus was the Messiah, “I Am He,” they would die in [their] sins. In contrast, Jesus was not going to be condemned to hell. Remember, Jesus had offered the Pharisees the gift of eternal life, but they insisted on earning heaven on their own by the combination of ancestry and good works. They rejected the fact that Jesus was from heaven, “I am from above.” Taken aback by his condemnation, the Pharisees again asked:
John 8:25 They said therefore to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”
27 They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. 28 Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14), then you will know that I Am He, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 29 He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
30 As he spoke these things, many believed in him. 31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my Word, then you are truly my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Psalm 119:45
In answer to their question, “Who are you?” Jesus tells them in other words, “I don’t have a new answer for you, I Am the one that I have been telling you about from the beginning.” Jesus was sent to do the will of God the Father to be the sacrificial Lamb of God. Isaiah 53:7 Jesus offers to take away the sins of all who repent and believe in him. When they didn’t understand, Jesus explained to them by referencing Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree. They would finally understand who he is after they crucified him. When you have lifted up the Son of Man then you will know that I Am He.
In response, as he spoke these things, many believed in him. Their minds and hearts were opened and some of those present now understood that Jesus was the Messiah. By understanding, they had taken the first step toward faith. But because true faith is more than intellectual assent to the facts and more than an emotional response, Jesus had a warning for these new believers. In order to be truly…disciples, they had to remain in [his] Word. To be a disciple, one must be willing to make a life-changing commitment, yielding to the teaching of Jesus and following in his footsteps, imitating him. Following Christ is much more than saying a prayer and then living life as you please.
By our fallen nature, our default setting is to want to do things our way. Our culture reinforces our narcissism.
Disney taught… “follow your heart.”
Instagram taught… “self-love” is the highest love.
TikTok taught…that anyone who challenges you is toxic.
The creed is clear: You do you.
Your truth matters most.
No one gets to judge you.
When you’ve absorbed that message long enough, a friend’s loving rebuke feels like hate. A pastor’s correction feels like abuse.
And if you can slap a cherry-picked Bible verse on top, you can baptize rebellion in the language of righteousness. Victor Walker, Sola Veritas
We may appreciate the fact that Jesus, speaking the truth, is offering us eternal life but here in this earthly life we still think that we can find contentment following our own path. But Jesus essentially says, “No, discipleship doesn’t work that way.” Contrary to our natural inclination to define freedom as doing whatever we want, those disciples who remain in Christ’s Word, walking in obedience to him, will discover true freedom. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
I once challenged a pastor who was molesting women in his congregation. To defend himself, he argued that intimacy between consenting adults was true freedom, and to make his case, he ended by “slapping a cherry-picked verse on top”, “The truth will set you free.” I responded by reminding him of the first part of the verse that he had conveniently omitted. By ignoring “If you remain in my Word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth…” he had destroyed many families. Infuriated, he opened his office door and demanded that I leave. The end of the story was that there was a court case where his victims testified against him. He is no longer a pastor.
True freedom is only to be found in living within the design parameters of our Designer… remaining in [God’s] Word. Living the truth in obedience to our Designer’s Law brings true freedom.
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts3:19
Repenting is turning away from the shackles of your sin before your sins consume you and enslave those around you.
… let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles … Hebrews 12:1-2
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17
But the Pharisees disagreed. They were not slaves. They didn’t need to be made free. After all they were the descendants of Abraham.
John 8:33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 A slave doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever. 36 If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38 I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.” 39 They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this. 41 You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”
Jesus explained that though they were the physical descendants of Abraham, because they rejected Christ, they were not the spiritual descendants of Abraham. They were, in fact, only slaves. By rejecting Christ, they were slaves to sin. Unlike the true Son, a slave has had no inheritance in the household of God. If they were truly Abraham’s children, they would do the things that Abraham did. But they were not doing the will of Abraham, who “rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad.” They did not really love and honor the God of Abraham; instead, they were honoring and doing the works of [their] father.
Rather than considering Christ’s claim, the Pharisees were furious at Jesus and again tried to insult him, accusing him of being a bastard child, born of sexual immorality. Ignoring their insult, Jesus goes on to explain.
Who was their father?