John 8:50 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.

NIV: I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.

NASB: But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges.

CSB: I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and judges.

NLT: And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge.

KJV: And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

NKJV: And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.

Jerusalem's local religious leaders are committed to reject Jesus' message because it is not what they want to hear (John 8:43). That hatred for the truth, along with dishonesty and violence, prove that these men are the spiritual children of the Devil, not of God (John 8:39, 44). They are more interested in protecting their reputation and destroying their enemies than they are in following the actual truths revealed by God (John 8:40). Jesus, on the other hand, has shown that His every word and deed are meant to bring glory to God, not to Himself.

At the same time, "there is One who seeks [to glorify Jesus]," and this is God the Father (John 8:54). That will be accomplished as Jesus continues to follow the timetable God has set (John 7:6–8), and by submitting to the work God has given Him to do (John 8:28–29).

Jesus' comment here about God being the judge is brief and often overlooked. However, in the context of this conversation, it is extremely important. The men arguing with Jesus at this moment are beyond reason (Matthew 7:6) and have begun to use vile insults (John 8:41, 48). Jesus' remark defers judgment for those actions to God (Romans 12:19). Instead of becoming flustered or enraged, Jesus shrugs those slurs off and leaves the consequences to the Father.

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.