Believing In Jesus Is Not Enough (John 8:12-59) Series

Last week, we read just two verses from John 8, spending the rest of our time in Leviticus 23 and Exodus 13. I scratched my itch to get back to the OT, and I'm ready to take another shot at this.

I say that, but this is probably the most depressing chapter (I hope!) in the entire gospel of John. What we are going to see, throughout the chapter, is Jesus trying to tell the Judeans who he is, and what he came to do. And we are going to see the Judeans respond by misunderstanding him, and twisting his words, and rejecting him, and trying to kill him.

I could try to break it down, and bring out all of the misunderstandings. I started to do that. But it's horrifying. It's a miserable, thankless job. It's depressing. And I think it's designed to feel that way. You are supposed to read this chapter, and bang your head against a wall. So what I'm going to do, is try to honor that. I'm just going to read John 8:12-30, talk about one thing, and then keep reading through the end of the chapter. As I read, try to pay attention to two things: (1) how the Judeans misunderstand and reject Jesus, and (2) what Jesus offers to the world. My hope, is that you'll find yourself understanding the flow, and feel, of this chapter as we go:

(12) Then, again to them he spoke-- Jesus--, saying,

"I am the light of the world.

The one following me will absolutely not walk in the darkness,

but will have the light of life."

(13) Then, they said to him-- the Pharisees--

"You about yourself are testifying.

Your witness isn't true."

(14) Jesus answered,

and he said to them,

"Even if I testify about myself, true, my testimony is,

because I know from where I came,

and where I am going.

Now, you don't know from where I am coming

or where I am going away (to).

(15) You, according to the flesh , you judge.

I don't judge anyone.

Now, even if I judge, my judgment, true, it is,

because alone, I am not,

but I and The-One-Sending-Me-Father.

(17) Now, even in your law it is written

that the witness of two men/people, true it is.

(18) I am the one testifying about myself,

and he testifies about me--The-Sending-Me-Father.

(19) Then, they were saying to him,

"Where is your father?"

He answered-- Jesus--

"Neither me you know, nor my Father.

If me you had known, also my Father you would have known.

(20) These words he spoke by the treasury,

teaching in the temple,

and no one seized him,

because not yet it had come-- his hour.

(21) Then, he spoke again to them,

"I am going away,

and you will seek me,

and in your sin, you will die.

Where I am going (away to), you aren't able to come."

(22) Then, they were saying-- the Judeans--

"Surely he won't kill himself, right?,

because he says,

"Where I am going, you aren't able to come."

(23) and he was saying to them,

"You, from below, you are.

I, from above, I am.

You, from this world, you are.

I am not from this world.

(24) Then, I said to you,

that you will die in your sins.

For if you don't believe that I AM, you will die in your sins."

(25) Then, they were saying to him,

You, who are you?"

He said to them-- Jesus--

"From the beginning, what I am telling you.

(26) Many things I have about you to say and to judge,

but The One Sending me, true, He is,

and I, the things I heard from him, these things I say to the world."

(27) They didn't know

that [about] the Father to them, he was speaking.

(28) Then, he said-- Jesus--

"Whenever you lift up the son of man, then you will know that I AM,

and from myself I do nothing,

but just as He taught me-- the Father-- these things, I speak,

and The One Sending me, with me, He is.

He didn't leave me alone,

because I, the things pleasing to him, I do always.

(30) While he was speaking these things, many gave allegiance to him.

Throughout chapter 8, so far, the Judeans have been hopelessly lost. Their problem, ultimately, is that they haven't been born "from above." They are working, and living, from a lower, earthly, human perspective. And Jesus very obviously isn't. Jesus is "from above," and speaks of things "from above." So there is this enormous gap between them. And because they aren't willing to come to Jesus, and follow him, this gap cannot be bridged.

I say all of that, but let's reread verse 30:

(30) While he was speaking these things, many gave allegiance to him.