John 8:36 is one of the most inspirational phrases in all of Scripture. While sin enslaves us (John 8:34), true freedom is found only in Christ (John 8:31–32). Sin deceives by promising freedom, but all it does is control and corrupt us. Those who don't have faith in Christ are bound by sin (Romans 6:18) and subject not only to slavery but to spiritual death (John 3:36). Those who find Christ, the one and only source of spiritual truth (John 8:12), will be "truly" free.

The context of this comment is a discussion about Abraham and the concept of a spiritual "father." The religious leaders of Jerusalem, and their followers, are referred to as "the Jews" in this part of the gospel of John. When Jesus claimed to be doing the will of His "father," these critics responded by laying claim to their ancestry through Abraham. Christ's reply is that biological fatherhood is not as important as spiritual fatherhood. Jesus has just used the example of a household servant, who is not a permanent part of a family, in contrast to a son, who is always guaranteed access to his father (John 14:15–16). This was an analogy to the difference between those who merely know "about" God—including the spiritually obstinate Pharisees—in contrast to those who truly know God because they know Christ (John 8:31–35).

Christ is the real, promised "son" of Abraham (Galatians 3:16). So, the "real" children of Abraham are those who obey God, by accepting Christ (Galatians 3:26–29). This is the subtext behind the rest of Jesus' dialogue with the crowd.

John 8:31–59 dovetails with John 2:13–22. There, Jesus drove corrupt businessmen from the temple. These Scriptures disprove any myths that Jesus was weak, timid, passive, or soft. In this exchange with the Pharisees, Jesus pulls no punches. Jerusalem's religious leaders, and their followers, continue to resist Jesus' preaching. They rely on arrogance and insults, to which Jesus responds with blunt, unfiltered condemnation. This culminates in Jesus making an overt statement of His own divinity, punctuating the debate by declaring ''before Abraham was, I am!''

This begins with the story of the adulterous woman, a well-known but controversial passage. Most scholars believe this story is authentic, but not originally found in this exact spot in Scripture. The rest of chapter 8 continues Jesus' preaching during the Feast of Booths, where He once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. Here, Christ will make His second ''I am" statement, using the analogy of light, which is a common theme in Hebrew theology. This conversation will become more and more heated. Jesus' opponents become so enraged that they attempt to kill Him right then and there.

Jesus is attending the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. There He once again conflicts with local religious authorities. Previously, Jesus referred to Himself as a source of living water (John 7:37–38). That built on the festival's ritual pouring of water in the temple. In this chapter, Jesus will do something similar with the imagery of lights also related to festival traditions. This demonstrates Jesus' willingness to be direct, even aggressive, with His critics. The next few chapters will complete Jesus' public ministry, as He prepares for His impending death.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

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