John 8

SUMMARY.--The Woman Taken in Adultery. The Light of the World. The Father's Witness. Freedom by the Truth. Abraham's Seed. The Son of Man before Abraham.

      1. Went unto the mount of Olives. For the night, as he was wont to do the last week of his life.

      3. The scribes and Pharisees. The scribes were theologians. They brought this woman to Jesus for trial to see what he would decide, and to criticise him. They wished grounds for charges ( verse 6 ).

      5. Moses . . . commanded. See Deut. 22:22 , and Lev. 20:10 .

      6. Jesus stooped down, and . . . wrote. As though to say he understood their purposes and would pay no attention to them. This is the only time in the New Testament that our Lord is described as writing.

      7-9. He that is without sin among you. When they persisted, saying, What sayest thou? he said what was an awful rebuke. They knew that he knew their lives, that they were as guilty as the woman they had brought. They forgot the demand of Moses ( Deut. 17:5-7 ) that the witnesses should cast the first stone, and his answer was like a bolt of lightning. Covered with shame, when he stooped and wrote again, they went out one by one.

      11. Neither do I condemn thee. Here is mercy. Go, and sin no more. Here is admonition; the condition of her final pardon. He is very merciful, but does not excuse sin.

      12. I am the light of the world. He then began his discourse to the people assembled. See notes on Matt. 5:14 and John 1:7-10.

      13, 14. My record is true. The Pharisees disputed this. Ordinarily the testimony of a man that he is sent from God is insufficient. He may be deceived, or a deceiver. But Jesus could not be deceived, for he knew all things; nor a deceiver, for he was Truth. Besides, he had other testimony ( verse 18 ).

      15. Ye judge after the flesh. According to appearances. I judge no man. He lets their lives and consciences judge them.

      17. It is written in your law. Deut. 19:15 . Observe Jesus says not our, but your law.

      18. The Father . . . beareth witness. By the prophets, by the works that Jesus does, by his voice at the baptism, and by John the Baptist.

      19. Where is thy Father? Asked in scorn, because he said "the Father beareth witness of me." If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father. The knowledge of Christ leads to a knowledge of the Father. See John 14:8 .

      20. These words spake Jesus in the treasury. Of the temple. See notes on Mark 12:41 and Luke 21:1 .

      21. Whither I go, ye cannot come. Because they shall die in their sins, and he will return to heaven, where the sinner cannot enter.

      22. Will he kill himself? They understood that he referred to his death, but parried the thought that he would die at their hands. Their words were partly mockery.

      23, 24. I am from above. He shows more clearly that he returns to heaven, where they never can enter on account of their sins. This leads them to ask:

      25. Who art thou? No doubt asked with a sneer; hence, he only refers them to his past words.

      28. When ye have lifted up the Son of man. Lifted him up on the cross. His "lifting up" would be the means of breaking down unbelief. We can see how this was verified. In fifty days after he was lifted up three thousand believed in a single day, and the work of faith went on until the civilized world acknowledged him as King.

      29. The Father hath not left me alone. The Father was with him. He was with him and in him. He was "the brightness of the Father's glory." He did those things that please him, and God was with him.