John 8:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.

NIV: But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.

NASB: But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.

CSB: And if I do judge, my judgment is true, because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.

NLT: And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.

KJV: And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

NKJV: And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.

A common claim of those who reject Jesus' divine nature is that "He never claimed to be God." Verses such as this show that to be false. When a person claims to do what only God can do, or to know what only God can know, that is the same as claiming to be God. Jesus' enemies know this all too well, and it's the reason He is accused of blasphemy by those who seek to have Him killed. Here, Jesus claims to speak with divine authority—that His judgment is identical to that of God the Father, and that He was in fact sent by God the Father.

According to the prior verse, this makes Jesus' judgment, and His moral authority, far superior to that of the religious leaders who are opposing Him. Even by human standards, they are using the wrong kind of discernment: they are judging "by the flesh." Jesus is not only using "right judgment" (John 7:24), He has access to judgment based in the very will of God.

John 8:12–30 includes the second of Jesus' seven ''I AM'' statements, as recorded in the gospel of John. Jesus' reference to light was probably playing off of a ritual performed during the Feast of Booths, where lamps would be lit using wicks made from the robes of priests. This continues the dialogue of chapter 7, picking up where John 7:52 left off. The exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees will escalate, in part showing that Jesus was not afraid to directly castigate those who misled the people.

John chapter 8 includes 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. This chapter 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. Eventually, Jesus' opponents are enraged enough to attempt killing Him right then and there.

Jesus is attending the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem, and has once again come into conflict with the local religious authorities. In the previous chapter, Jesus referred to Himself as a source of living water, playing off of the festivals' ritual pouring of water in the temple. In this chapter, Jesus will use the imagery of lights, also related to festival traditions. This chapter 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/3/2024 5:03:35 AM