John 8:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.

NIV: Who are you?' they asked. 'Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,' Jesus replied.

NASB: Then they were saying to Him, 'Who are You?' Jesus said to them, 'What have I even been saying to you from the beginning?

CSB: "Who are you? " they questioned."Exactly what I've been telling you from the very beginning," Jesus told them.

NLT: Who are you?' they demanded. Jesus replied, 'The one I have always claimed to be.

KJV: Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

NKJV: Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

The Greek phrasing used in this verse is not entirely clear. The Pharisees might be asking this as a sincere question. They might be saying it as a rhetorical attack: "just who do you think you are, anyway?" Either way, Jesus' response goes to further support the Christian view that Jesus is not only God, but consistently presented Himself as God to others. Here, Jesus makes this very observation. He has been saying who and what He is since "the beginning" of His earthly ministry.

In the course of His teachings, Jesus will claim to have equal power to God (John 5:36), equal judgment to God (John 8:16), and equal authority with God (John 7:16–18). He will say He has been sent by God (John 8:18) and approved of by God (John 6:27). Jesus professes to be the one and only way to know spiritual truth (John 8:12), and that those who reject Him do not know God (John 8:47), and will die in their sins as a result (John 8:24). Earlier, Christ pointed out His miracles (John 5:36), the evidence of Old Testament Scriptures (John 5:39–40), and the testimony of other people to support His status. And yet, out of stubbornness and disobedience (John 8:43), the Pharisees claim to not know who Jesus is.

It's important to note that, at this point, Jesus does not offer additional proof or argument. This is a useful principle for modern Christians to keep in mind: at some point, those who ask for even more proof are not being honest. Those who refuse to accept what they've been given won't benefit from being given even more (Matthew 7:6). As Jesus will point out in the next verse, there is much more which could be said, but hardened hearts like theirs would make such efforts a waste of time.

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.