There is so much going on in John 8. The first part of the chapter is devoted to the story of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Jesus had spent the night on the Mount of Olives and had returned to the temple at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles to teach in the temple. Before He could get started, however, the Jewish religious leaders tried to trap Him so that they could accuse Him of a crime worthy of death.
Their attempt involved this adulterous woman, whom they were using for this purpose. They were not so much interested in justice for the woman as they were in putting an end to Jesus. Notice that in His rescue of the woman from a death of stoning, He instructed her to put an end to her practice of adultery. Jesus was not overlooking her sin, nor does He overlook ours. He said the same to the man He healed at the Pool of Bethesda.
Then, Jesus began to teach.
This situation reminds me of experiences I've had, talking to parents about their children's school performance. It took finesse to keep the lines of communication open, in some delicate situations, so that both sides would hear each other. If certain facts were stated baldly and frankly, the offense taken would have been so great that the parents would have totally stopped listening. Similarly, there were times I had to struggle to overcome my emotions as parents spoke with me.
Jesus did not come right out at first and say, "I am the Messiah". He began by using a metaphor of light/darkness (vs. 12).
Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Now, why did he use this particular metaphor? We find this theme echoed in other places, most notably the other writings of John who stated in 1 John 1:15 - - "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all."
But...why "light" and why then, at the Feast of Tabernacles?
According to the IVP New Testament Commentary, the Feast of Tabernacles featured a lamp-lighting ceremony in the Temple's "Court of Women" every evening of the feast. Every night, there was singing and dancing and great celebration as the people remembered God's faithfulness in liberating them, leading them out of Egypt. It was against this backdrop, with this theme in their minds, that Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Light of the World.
The Pharisees responded by calling Him a "flat-out liar", as we would say around here (vs. 13). Jesus told them that His Father, God the Father, was in full agreement with Him about Jesus' identity.
Jesus was a master of all things, including the spoken word. Still, the religious leaders thought they could trap him into saying something they deemed blasphemous. I fully believe some of them understood who He was claiming His Father to be, but wanted him to come out and say it. Others just simply did not "get it".
In the dialogue, Jesus references His death by crucifixion, saying in vs. 28 that when the Son of Man would be "lifted up", many would understand and believe that He had been sent by the Father, i.e. that Jesus was who He had previously claimed to be. John says that many believed on Him at this time.
The Jews believed in hereditary salvation. Basically, they believed that anyone who was a physical "child of Abraham", a Jew, was automatically "chosen of God" for Heaven. It is on this point that Jesus transforms Judaism by proclaiming that Abraham was a man who believed God. "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3) He made a distinction between being a genetic child of Abraham and a spiritual child of Abraham - - - That if these people were truly spiritual children of Abraham, then, they would believe Jesus. Jesus pointed out that, rather than being spiritual descendants of Abraham, they were spiritual descendants of the Devil.
I just want to point out that similar practices still continue today. There are many, many "Christians" who claim that name because they were born into a family that attends a Christian church, or because they were baptized as an infant. Yet, this designation is like a piece of clothing they wear; it is not a foundational part of who they are....to Whom they belong. Their lives may or may not exhibit what most would call "godliness". Regardless of their actions, if their hearts have not been transformed by the willful acceptance of Jesus as their Savior, they are not spiritual children of God (or of Abraham, for that matter).
In this case, Jesus called the Jews' "good deeds" evil, because at their core was unbelief in His message. It is all about the believing, folks - - - a "knowing God", a belief that transforms. Jesus models this for us in verse 55: "I do know him, and I obey his teaching."
Good works apart from that transformative "knowing God" are dreck...dead, even.
Jesus begins to speak more plainly in verses 53-59:
53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Yet you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his teaching. 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”
57 Then the Judeans replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden from them and went out from the temple area.
If there had been any true doubt about Who Jesus was claiming as His Father, he clears that up in verse 54, by plainly stating that His Father is the one the Jews called their God Jehovah. In verse 56 Jesus states that Abraham, either during his lifetime, or after his death while in Paradise, foresaw the ministry of Jesus - - His birth, life, death, burial, resurrection - - - Christ's finished work, "and was glad." The Jews were appalled at such a statement, because it implied Christ's eternal existence. To be sure they understood, they challenged Him on this. And, then Jesus brought the hammer down:
"Before Abraham came into existence, I AM."
We see the name, "I AM", first in Exodus 3. This is the story of the "burning bush", where Moses is called into service by I AM. In verse 13, Moses asks God's name.
13 Moses said to God, “If I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’—what should I say to them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
There it is, plainly said. Jesus is saying that He is God, the One who has no beginning and no end, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. Incontrovertible, unmistakable, clear. And, at that proclamation, the Jews had what they needed to put Him to death for blasphemy. But, it was not yet God's timing for Jesus to be captured; and, He again slipped through their fingers.
There's more to eke out of John 8, but let's save that for tomorrow.
O Great I AM, it is so inconceivable that You should love us, and love us to such an extent that You would make the greatest of sacrifices so that we can have Your perfect salvation, not through right of our human birth, but through our spiritual "re-birth" in Your Son, Jesus. Help us to examine our hearts to see if we have made that very personal decision for or against Your Son. Does each of us KNOW Him? In Jesus' name, amen.
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