John 8:48 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

NIV: The Jews answered him, "Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"

NASB: The Jews answered and said to Him, 'Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?'

CSB: The Jews responded to him, "Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan and have a demon?"

NLT: The people retorted, 'You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?'

KJV: Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

NKJV: Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

This conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees dispels any myths that Jesus was weak, passive, or timid. In response to His claims, the religious leaders of Jerusalem have gone so far as to question Jesus' birth. They did this by insinuating that He was "born of sexual immorality," which could actually be seen as an attack on His mother (John 8:41). These same men have also tried to have Jesus arrested (John 7:32) and even killed (John 5:18). All of this is grounded in their refusal to accept His message (John 8:43), which they do not understand specifically because they have no intent to listen.

Here, the men opposing Jesus sink even lower in their approach. The Jewish people saw Samaritans as despised half-breeds. This cultural hatred was a major reason why Jesus' actions in the Samaritan town of Sychar were so controversial (John 4:1–9). Calling Jesus a "Samaritan" combined two insults into one: mocking His birth and accusing Him of heresy. Referring to someone as demon-possessed was, in that day, equivalent to calling them crazy. Unable to give reasonable answers to His teaching, those opposed to Jesus are resorting to petty insults. Unfortunately, this tactic is still common in debates today, where mocking and slurs take the place of actual discussion.

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.