John 8:42

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.

John 8:42 in Other Translations

42 Jesus said unto them,If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.

42 "If God was your father," said Jesus, "you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn't come on my own. He sent me.

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.

John 8:42 Meaning and Commentary

John 8:42

Jesus said unto them, if God were your Father
By adoption; and this was discovered by the grace of regeneration; or in other words, if they had been born of God,

ye would love me;
for in regeneration love to Christ is always implanted: it is a fruit of the Spirit, which always comes along with the superabounding grace of God in conversion; whoever are begotten again, according to abundant mercy, love an unseen Jesus; and where there is no love to Christ, there can be no regeneration: such persons are not born again; nor is God their Father, at least manifestatively:

for I proceeded forth; and came from God;
the former of these phrases is observed by many learned men to be used by the Septuagint, of a proper natural birth, as in ( Genesis 15:4 ) ( 35:11 ) ; and here designs the eternal generation of Christ, as the Son of God, being the only begotten of the Father, and the Son of the Father in truth and love; and the other is to be understood of his mission from him, as Mediator:

neither came I of myself;
or did not take the office to himself, without being called unto it, and invested with it, by his Father:

but he sent me;
not by force, or against the will of Christ, or by change of place, but by assumption of nature; he sent him at the time agreed upon, in human nature, to obtain eternal redemption for his people: and upon both these accounts Christ is to be loved by all regenerate persons, or who have God for their Father; both on account of his being the Son of God, of the same nature and essence with him, see ( 1 John 5:1 ) ; and on account of his mission into this world, as Mediator, since he was sent, and came to be the Saviour of lost sinners.

John 8:42 In-Context

40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.

41 You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.

43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.

44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Cross References

• 1. 1 John 5:1
• 2. S John 13:3; John 16:27; John 17:8
• 3. John 7:28
• 4. S John 3:17