John 8:21-47

Jesus Predicts His Departure

21 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."

22 So the Jews said again, "He won't kill Himself, will He, since He says, 'Where I'm going, you cannot come' ?"

23 "You are from below," He told them, "I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

24 Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am [He], ^[a] you will die in your sins."

25 "Who are You?" they questioned. "Precisely what I've been telling you from the very beginning," Jesus told them.

26 "I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the One who sent Me is true, and what I have heard from Him-these things I tell the world."

27 They did not know He was speaking to them about the Father.

28 So Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [He], and that I do nothing on My own. But just as the Father taught Me, I say these things.

29 The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him."

Truth and Freedom

30 As He was saying these things, many believed in Him.

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, ^[b] you really are My disciples.

32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33 "We are descendants^[c] of Abraham," they answered Him, "and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, 'You will become free'?"

34 Jesus responded, "I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

35 A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever.

36 Therefore if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

37 I know you are descendants ^[d] of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word ^[e] is not welcome among you.

38 I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father, ^[f] and therefore you do what you have heard from your father."

39 "Our father is Abraham!" they replied. "If you were Abraham's children," Jesus told them, "you would do what Abraham did.

40 But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this!

41 You're doing what your father does." "We weren't born of sexual immorality," they said. "We have one Father-God."

42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn't come on My own, but He sent Me.

43 Why don't you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to ^[g] My word.

44 You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, ^[h] because he is a liar and the father of liars. ^[i]

45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

46 Who among you can convict Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why don't you believe Me?

47 The one who is from God listens to God's words. This is why you don't listen, because you are not from God."

Footnotes

• [a]. Jesus claimed to be deity, but the Pharisees didn't understand His meaning.
• [b]. Or My teaching, or My message
• [c]. Or offspring; lit seed; Jn 7:42
• [d]. Or offspring; lit seed; Jn 7:42
• [e]. Or My teaching, or My message
• [f]. Other mss read of My Father
• [g]. Or cannot hear
• [h]. Lit from his own things
• [i]. Lit of it