John 8:54 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’

NIV: Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.

NASB: Jesus answered, 'If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’;

CSB: "If I glorify myself," Jesus answered, "my glory is nothing. My Father—about whom you say, ‘He is our God’—he is the one who glorifies me.

NLT: Jesus answered, 'If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’

KJV: Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

NKJV: Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.

Jesus has already pointed out that the words and works He does are under the commands of God the Father (John 8:26). He is not seeking attention or self-promotion and has always given credit to God (John 8:50). Since He is supported by evidence from God, such as miracles (John 5:36) and Scripture (John 5:39–40), Jesus' words ought to be accepted. Instead, those who seek to have Jesus killed (John 5:18; 7:1) are being stubborn. They keep misinterpreting Jesus' words because they do not want to know the truth (John 7:17; 8:43).

Prior to this, Jesus has pointed out that His critics act more like the Devil than they do like Abraham (John 8:44). They lie, they use violence, and they reject God by rejecting Christ (John 6:29). Here, Jesus will begin to make this condemnation even more direct, literal, and pointed. This begins with Jesus confronting their claims to follow God. As pointed out before, those who truly follow God are meant to listen to His message (John 6:37). Those who reject God's Word cannot claim to be part of His family (John 8:37–38) and are damned to die for their sins (John 8:21).

As continued in the next verse, Jesus will directly call this claim—that Jerusalem's religious leaders follow God—a lie. These men, who hypocritically protect their own power instead of following the truth, do not know God.

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.