John 8:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

NIV: I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father. "

NASB: I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.'

CSB: I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; so then, you do what you have heard from your father."

NLT: I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.'

KJV: I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

NKJV: I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

A major point of pride in the nation of Israel was their descent from Abraham. As the man given a promise by God, Abraham represents an anchor point for the Jewish understanding that they are God's chosen people. In trying to dispute Jesus' claims to spiritual truth, the religious leaders of Jerusalem have misinterpreted His references to His "father." Their claim, in response, was to profess their descent from Abraham. As Jesus has pointed out, however, being a part of God's family is driven by faith and spirit, not by genealogy. The "true" children of Abraham are those who obey God, which includes following His Son, Jesus Christ (John 6:29). As Abraham followed God, so too will his spiritual children.

After claiming that the people opposing Him are not really sons of Abraham, Jesus now begins to refer to "your father," meaning the spiritual father of these obstinate critics. While Jesus comes by the will of God and does what His Father wants Him to do, the people who seek to kill Him (John 5:18) are acting in the example of their father. Jesus will subtly make this point several times before outright naming the true spiritual father of His enemies: the Devil (John 8:44)!

Unsurprisingly, this escalation leads Jesus' critics to resort to insults (John 8:41), accusations of insanity (John 8:48), and another attempt on His life (John 8:59).

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.