John 8:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

NIV: The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.'

NASB: And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.'

CSB: The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him."

NLT: And the one who sent me is with me — he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.'

KJV: And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

NKJV: And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

A major theme of Jesus' teaching in this debate with the Pharisees is the fact that He has been sent by God. The miracles Jesus has done, in and of themselves, should tell these critics that He is operating with the blessing of God (John 5:36). Jesus has also been consistent in professing to have God's judgment (John 8:16), power (John 5:19), and knowledge (John 7:16). He has overtly stated His role as the one and only source of spiritual truth (John 8:12). And yet, critics such as the Pharisees reject Jesus—they fail to grasp His message (John 7:17), not because they cannot know, but because they do not want to know.

Even when human friends abandon Him, Jesus will still be with God the Father (John 16:32). This ties directly into Jesus' constant reminders that His mission is to do the will of God (John 6:38). This makes those who reject Him all the more rightly condemned; to reject Jesus Christ is to reject God Himself (John 3:36).

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 5/5/2024 12:07:41 PM