John 8:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

NIV: Once more Jesus said to them, 'I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.'

NASB: Then He said again to them, 'I am going away, and you will look for Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.'

CSB: Then he said to them again, "I'm going away; you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I'm going, you cannot come."

NLT: Later Jesus said to them again, 'I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.'

KJV: Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

NKJV: Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

Jesus is debating with the Pharisees, standing in the temple during the Feast of Booths (John 8:12). Earlier, as Jesus taught the crowd, these same men had sent temple guards to arrest Him (John 7:32). Instead, they came back empty handed, speaking of Jesus' profound words (John 7:45–46). Those men were, in part, stymied by Jesus' comments about leaving to a place where others could not follow Him (John 7:33–36). In this verse, Jesus makes a very similar remark by telling the Pharisees that He will be going somewhere they cannot go.

As with His prior comments, this might have made the religious leaders hope that Jesus intended to leave Jerusalem. It also seems to have been interpreted as a reference to suicide (John 8:22). It was not entirely uncommon for philosophers and spiritual gurus to commit suicide, and this would have been perfectly fine with the Pharisees.

However, in this case, Jesus specifically condemns the Pharisees and their lack of faith. Sooner or later, their time to accept Christ would end, and even though they might seek Him, they'd be damned for their sins. Later, Jesus will re-emphasize this point, telling those who reject Him that they are destined to die for their spiritual stubbornness (John 8:24).

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.