John 8:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

NIV: I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.

NASB: I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

CSB: I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you.

NLT: Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message.

KJV: I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

NKJV: “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

In response to Jesus' claims of spiritual truth, His critics have professed to be children of Abraham. At this point, they still misunderstand the way in which Jesus refers to God as His "father." Their confusion lies in assuming that, as descendants of Abraham, they are part of the "house" of God. Jesus' comments over the last few verses dispute that assumption. His analogy highlights the difference between a household servant and the master's son. One is not a permanent part of the family, while the other is guaranteed a place with the master. The "true" sons of Abraham, then, are those who are spiritually the sons of God—a status only available to those who trust in Christ (Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 3:29).

Jesus is aware that the religious leaders of Jerusalem and their followers—called "the Jews" here in the gospel of John—are the descendants of Abraham. However, they are not really part of God's family since they don't accept the message of God. That message includes Christ (John 6:29). Since they reject Jesus they also reject God, and thus they cannot claim to have His truth or His light inside them. Jesus' challenge to their spiritual arrogance has led them not only to reject Him but to attempt to kill Him (John 5:18).

This leads Jesus to continue the analogy of "fatherhood" by making a brutally condemning remark. In the next verses, Jesus will suggest that the people opposing Him are following the example of their spiritual father…who is neither God nor Abraham. Rather, according to Christ, their father is the Devil (John 8:44)!

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.