John
8:31-47
Lesson 185
8:31-47
Lesson 185
John 8:31-47
The children of Abraham 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. |
Margin notes:
"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples." (8:31) - A promise from Jesus. But, it's not enough to be familiar with Jesus; you must believe in and obey His word. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (8:32) - Jesus is the truth and His truth will set you free (8:36; 2 Corinthians 3:17). Another promise from the Messiah. "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man." (8:33) - The crowd didn't understand that Jesus was talking about spiritual bondage. They thought He was referring to political bondage, which makes their claim ridiculous. Even as they denied ever being in bondage, Jews were under the heel of the Romans. "Verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." (8:34) - "Truly, I'm telling you, whoever sins is a slave to sin." Only the Son of God can free us from sin. Romans 6:16 reinforces this point. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (8:36) - See Romans 8:2 and Galatians 5:1. "I speak that which I have seen with my Father." (8:38) - Jesus is repeating His teaching from John 5:19 and 5:30. He will reinforce it again in John 14:10. "Ye do the deeds of your father." (8:41) - "You obey Satan." See verse 8:44. "We have one Father, even God." (8:41) - If God was their Father, why didn't they honor Him (Malachi 1:6)? "He sent me." (8:42) - God sent Jesus to save mankind, a vital point that Jesus repeats over and over (John 16:27; 17:8; 17:23). "Why do ye not understand my speech?" (8:43) - "Why don't you understand what I am saying." "The lusts of your father ye will do." (8:44) - "The desires of Satan are your desires." "Abode not in the truth." (8:44) - "Lives not in the truth." "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (8:46) - "Which of you can honestly accuse me of sin." |