JOHN CHAPTER 8

OBSERVATION STAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand in accordance with the framework in which it was written: a framework which is defined by the normative rules of language, context and logic. Rules which do not impose undue, unintended meanings to the text , and which largely limit the observer to the content offered by the Gospel of John. In order for any passage from elsewhere to be considered, it must have a relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or a specific cross reference in the passage at hand by the author. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

****** EXCERPTS FROM JN CHAPTER 7

OR MOVE ON TO JN CHAPTER 8

(7:45-53) THE OFFICERS WHO WERE SENT BY THE JEWISH RULERS TO SEIZE JESUS, CAME BACK WITHOUT HIM. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THEIR FAILURE, THE OFFICERS ANSWERED, "NO MAN EVER SPOKE LIKE THIS MAN!" THE PHARISEES ANSWERED THEM SARCASTICALLY AND UNJUSTIFIABLY, "ARE YOU ALSO DECEIVED? HAVE ANY OF THE RULERS OF THE PHARISEES BELIEVED IN HIM?" THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER WAS THAT A NUMBER OF THEM HAD BELIEVED IN JESUS. FURTHERMORE, THE RULERS ARROGANTLY AND ERRONEOUSLY DECLARED THAT BECAUSE THE CROWD DID NOT KNOW THE LAW THEY WERE ETERNALLY ACCURSED. NICODEMUS, A FELLOW RULER, DEFENDED JESUS' RIGHT TO HAVE HIS DAY IN COURT. THE JEWS RESPONDED TO NICODEMUS WITH AN UNJUSTIFIED PERSONAL ATTACK, "ARE YOU ALSO FROM GALILEE? SEARCH AND LOOK, FOR NO PROPHET HAS ARISEN OUT OF GALILEE?" THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER WAS THAT A NUMBER OF PROPHETS WERE FROM GALILEE. THE MATTER WAS NOT PURSUED ANY FURTHER THAT DAY

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM JN CHAPTER 7 ******

I) [Jn 8:1-11]:

A) (7:53-8:11) THE LAST VERSE OF CHAPTER SEVEN, (JN 7:53), AS WELL AS JN 8:1-11 DO NOT APPEAR IN THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS AND MOST LIKELY ARE NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF THE BIBLE

B) (8:1-11) THE PHARISEES INTERRUPTED JESUS' TEACHING TO MANY IN THE TEMPLE TO BRING A WOMEN CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF COMMITTING ADULTERY AND PLACE HER BEFORE JESUS. THEY DECLARED HER GUILT AND ASKED A QUESTION OF JESUS IN ORDER TO FIND A MEANS IN HIS ANSWER TO CONDEMN HIM TO DEATH. THEY SAID TO HIM, "NOW MOSES, IN THE LAW, COMMANDED US THAT SUCH SHOULD BE STONED. BUT WHAT DO YOU SAY?" JESUS STOOPED DOWN AND WAS WRITING ON THE GROUND AS THEY PERSISTED IN ASKING THEIR TEST QUESTION. FINALLY, HE STOOD UP AND SAID "THE SINLESS [ONE AMONG] YOU - LET HIM FIRST CAST THE STONE AT HER," WHEREUPON HE STOOPED DOWN AND WAS WRITING ON THE GROUND UNTIL ALL OF THEM HAD LEFT, LEAVING HIM ALONE WITH THE WOMAN. JESUS STOOD UP AND ASKED THE WOMAN IF ANYONE PASSED SENTENCE UPON HER? SHE SAID NO AND JESUS SAID, "NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU; GO AND SIN NO MORE," IN THE SENSE OF NOT TO COMMIT ADULTERY ANYMORE

II) [Jn 8:12]:

A) JESUS SAID 'I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD; HE WHO IS FOLLOWING ME SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS, BUT HE SHALL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE:

1) [Compare Isa 42:1-9]:

****** EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER 1

OR MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION IN JN CHAPTER 8 ******

IN HIM WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE LIFE, FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND CREATION. HE WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE SOURCE AND SUSTAINER OF THE LIFE (TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL) OF ALL THINGS, AND THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE. HE WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE CREATOR, ETERNAL AND GOD

IN HIM WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE LIFE FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND CREATION. HE WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE SOURCE AND SUSTAINER OF THE LIFE OF ALL THINGS, AND THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE. HE WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE CREATOR, ETERNAL AND GOD; AND HE - THE LIFE - WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE LIGHT OF MEN - THE ILLUMINATION TO MEN OF HIMSELF AS CREATOR, ETERNAL AND GOD AND OF TRUTH ABOUT GOD

[Compare Jn 1:9-14]:

[Compare Jn 1:1, 4-5, 12-18]:

****** END OF EXCERPTS FROM JOHN CHAPTER 1 ******

III) [Jn 8:13-19]:

A) (Jn 8:13-14) THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES SAID TO JESUS, "YOU BEAR WITNESS OF YOURSELF; YOUR WITNESS IS NOT TRUE. JESUS ANSWERED "EVEN IF I BEAR WITNESS OF MYSELF, MY WITNESS IS TRUE, FOR I KNOW WHERE I CAME FROM AND WHERE I AM GOING; BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW WHERE I COME FROM AND WHERE I AM GOING]

1) [Compare Jn 5:31]:

2) [Compare Num 35:30]:

3) [Compare Dt 17:6]:

III cont.) [Jn 8:13-18 cont.]:

B) (8:15-19) JESUS DECLARED THAT THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES JUDGED ACCORDING TO THE FLESH - THE FLAWED HUMAN NATURE. BUT HE DECLARED THAT HE JUDGED NO ONE IN THAT MANNER. WHEN HE JUDGED, HIS JUDGMENT WAS TRUE, FOR HE WAS NOT ALONE: HE AND THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM JUDGED TOGETHER. FURTHERMORE, JESUS INDICATED THAT THE MOSAIC LAW DECLARED THAT THE TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN WAS TRUE. SO THEN JESUS AND THE FATHER WERE TWO WHO TESTIFIED OF JESUS, CORROBORATING ONE ANOTHER. HENCE JESUS' TESTIMONY ABOUT HIMSELF WAS TRUE. THEN THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A POINT OF CONTENTION WITH JESUS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT WAS OBJECTIVE, RELEVANT OR TRUTHFUL, ASKED, "WHERE IS YOUR FATHER," AS IF JESUS HAD NOT MADE IT CLEAR TO WHOM HE WAS REFERRING WHEN HE USED THE WORD "FATHER" - WHICH HE REPEATELY HAD DONE SO. JESUS ANSWERED, "YOU KNOW NEITHER ME NOR MY FATHER. IF YOU HAD KNOWN ME, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN MY FATHER ALSO." IN EFFECT SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES WERE WILLFULLY IGNORANT OF THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD AND HIS SON - DESPITE THEIR "EXPERTISE" IN SCRIPTURE

1) [Compare Jn 7:19-24]:

2) [Compare Dt 19:15 NKJV]:

3) [Compare Jn 5:17-18]:

4) [Compare Pr 30:4]:

****** EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER FIVE

OR MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION OF JN CHAPTER 8

*****

(JN 5:15-18) WHEN THE UNGRATEFUL MAN WHO WAS HEALED AT THE BETHESDA POOL LEFT THE TEMPLE, HE VOLUNTARILY POINTED JESUS OUT TO THE JEWS AS THE ONE WHO MADE HIM WELL, EVIDENTLY TO CURRY FAVOR WITH THEM. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO REAL VIOLATION OF THE LAW, THE JEWISH LEADERS THOUGHT OTHERWISE, AND SOUGHT JESUS TO KILL HIM. JESUS' ANSWER REFERRED TO GOD AS HIS FATHER IN A UNIQUELY INTIMATE WAY ON THE SAME PLANE WITH GOD, MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD. HE THEN EQUATED THE WORK OF GOD, HIS FATHER, WITH HIS OWN WORK IN KIND, QUALITY AND DURATION: GOD'S WORK HAS NEVER CEASED FROM THE BEGINNING - NOT EVEN ON THE SABBATH; AND IT CONSISTS OF WORKS OF GRACE AND MERCY, OF JUDGMENT, OF MAINTAINING THE UNIVERSE

(JN 5:19-21) JESUS CONFIRMED TO THE JEWS THAT HE WAS CLAIMING EQUALITY WITH GOD WHEN HE STATED TO THE JEWS THAT HE, THE SON, CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF, BUT WHAT HE SEES THE FATHER DO; FOR WHATEVER THE FATHER DOES, THE SON ALSO DOES IN LIKE MANNER. FURTHERMORE, THE FATHER LOVES THE SON AND SHOWS HIM ALL THINGS THAT HE HIMSELF DOES; AND HE WILL SHOW HIM GREATER WORKS THAN THESE THAT THE JEWS MAY MARVEL. FOR AS THE FATHER RAISES THE DEAD, SO THE SON GIVES LIFE TO WHOM HE WILL

(Jn 5:22-23) JESUS STATES FURTHER TO THE JEWS WHO WERE SEEKING HIM THAT THE FATHER JUDGES NO ONE FOR HE HAS COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT TO THE SON, MEANING JESUS HIMSELF, SO THAT ALL SHOULD HONOR THE SON AS THEY HONOR THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM. HE WHO DOES NOT HONOR THE SON DOES NOT HONOR THE FATHER

(Jn 5:24) JESUS SAID, EMPHATICALLY TO THE JEWS, THAT HE WHO HEARS AND BELIEVES IN HIS MESSAGE THAT GOD SENT HIS SON TO BE AN ATONING SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE AND SHOULD NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT, BUT HAS PASSED OUT OF ETERNAL DEATH TO ETERNAL LIFE

(Jn 5:25-27) JESUS EMPHATICALLY DECLARED THAT THE HOUR WAS IMMINENT WHEN THOSE OF THE DEAD WHO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD, JESUS - ALL THOSE WHO ARE BELIEVERS, WILL BE RAISED TO ETERNAL LIFE. FOR JUST AS THE FATHER HAS LIFE IN HIMSELF, SO HE HAS GIVEN THE SON IN HIS HUMANITY TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IN HIMSELF. FURTHERMORE, GOD GAVE HIS SON AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT BECAUSE HE, JESUS, IS THE SON OF MAN

[Compare Jn 1:1-4]:

(JN 5:28-30) JESUS TELLS THE JEWS NOT TO MARVEL (NOT TO QUESTION) THAT THE FATHER HAS GIVEN THE SON - HIMSELF - ALL AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT UPON ALL MANKIND; FOR HE SAID THAT AN HOUR WAS COMING WHEN THIS WILL BE MANIFESTED - WHEN ALL WHO REMAIN IN THE GRAVE, (EVERY UNBELIEVER), WILL HEAR HIS VOICE AND COME FORTH - THOSE WHO DID NOTHING BUT GOOD DEEDS TO A RESURRECTION OF ETERNAL LIFE, (WHICH WILL BE NONE OF THEM); THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED ANY EVIL DEED TO A RESURRECTION OF ETERNAL CONDEMNATION, (WHICH WILL BE ALL OF THEM). HIS JUDGMENT WILL NOT BE OF HIS OWN ACCORD, FOR HE IS NOT ABLE OF HIMSELF TO DO ANYTHING BUT THAT WHICH IS ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM. AS HE HEARS THE WILL OF GOD, HE JUDGES ACCORDINGLY. HIS JUDGMENT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHTEOUS, BECAUSE IT IS THE JUDGMENT OF GOD

JESUS SAID TO THE JEWS WHO WERE SEEKING TO KILL HIM THAT IF HE BORE WITNESS OF HIMSELF, (ALTHOUGH ACCURATE), IT WOULD NOT BE TRUE IN THE SENSE OF IT BEING VALID TESTIMONY

HE THEN SAID THAT ANOTHER BORE WITNESS OF HIM WHOSE WITNESS HE HAD KNOWN WAS TRUE: JOHN THE BAPTIST, TO WHOM THE JEWS WERE SENT TO INVESTIGATE

BUT JESUS SAID HE RECEIVED TESTIMONY FROM NO MAN, FOR ONLY HIS FATHER'S TESTIMONY WILL DO. HE SAID THESE THINGS BECAUSE THERE WAS GREATER TESTIMONY FROM THE FATHER WHICH THE JEWS MIGHT CHOOSE TO BELIEVE AND BE SAVED; FOR JOHN WAS THE BURNING AND SHINING LAMP OF TRUTH; BUT THE JEWS WERE ONLY WILLING FOR A WHILE TO REJOICE IN HIS LIGHT UNTIL THEY FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS NOT THE CHRIST, OR THE PROPHET WHO WAS TO COME. SO THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS' AND JOHN'S TESTIMONY

HENCE JESUS DECLARED THAT HE HAD GREATER TESTIMONY THAN JOHN'S - THE FATHER'S:

THE WORKS THAT HE DID WHICH THE FATHER HAD GIVEN HIM TO FINISH BORE WITNESS OF WHO HE WAS - THAT THE FATHER HAD SENT HIM;

AND JESUS SAID THAT THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM TESTIFIED OF HIM.

SINCE THE JEWS NEITHER BELIEVED THAT THE WORKS HE PERFORMED WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE FATHER TO DO, NOR BELIEVED THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHOM GOD SENT SO THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE; JESUS CONCLUDED THAT THE JEWS HAD NEITHER HEARD THE FATHER'S VOICE NOR SEEN HIS FORM, NOR HAD THEY HIS WORD ABIDING IN THEM IN THE SENSE OF IT OPERATING IN THEIR LIVES.

HE SAID THAT THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES THINKING THAT IT WOULD BRING THEM ETERNAL LIFE - SCRIPTURES WHICH TESTIFIED ABOUT JESUS WHOM THEY WERE UNWILLING TO COME TO SO THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE

JESUS SAID THAT HE WAS NOT MOTIVATED TO SEEK GLORY FROM MAN BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT THE CHARACTER OF MAN WAS NOT TRUSTWORTHY. HE DECLARED THAT THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES DID NOT HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD IN THEM. HE RECEIVED GLORY FROM GOD AND HE CAME IN HIS FATHER'S NAME AND YET THEY DID NOT RECEIVE HIM. BUT IF ANOTHER CAME IN HIS OWN NAME, THE JEWS WOULD RECEIVE HIM. HE DECLARED IN A RHETORICAL QUESTION, 'HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE WHEN YOU RECEIVE GLORY FROM ONE ANOTHER AND DO NOT SEEK THE GLORY THAT IS FROM THE ONE AND ONLY GOD?'

IN CONCLUSION, JESUS SAID FOR THEM NOT TO THINK THAT HE WOULD ACCUSE THEM BEFORE THE FATHER, FOR THE ONE WHO ACCUSES THEM IS MOSES, IN WHOM THEY HAVE SET THEIR HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. IF THEY HAD BELIEVED IN MOSES, THEY WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IN JESUS, BECAUSE MOSES WROTE CONCERNING JESUS. AND SINCE THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE WRITINGS OF MOSES, HOW WOULD THEY BELIEVE IN JESUS' WORDS?

[Compare Jn 3:31-32]:

[Compare Jn 5:19 NKJV]:

[Compare Jn 3:1 YLT]:

[Compare Jn 2:23-25 ]:

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER FIVE ******

IV) [Jn 8:20-59]:

A) (8:20-24) AUTHOR JOHN DECLARED THAT THE WORDS WHICH JESUS SPOKE TO THE PHARISEES (JN 8:12-19) WERE SPOKEN TO THEM IN THE TREASURY DURING THE TIME HE WAS TEACHING. AND NO ONE LAID HANDS ON HIM FOR HIS TIME HAD NOT YET COME. THEN AGAIN JESUS SPOKE TO THE PHARISEES, TELLING THEM HE WAS GOING AWAY, AND THEY WILL SEEK HIM, AND WILL DIE IN THEIR SIN; AND THAT WHERE HE GOES THEY CANNOT COME. WHEREUPON, THE PHARISEES SAID, "WILL HE [NOT] KILL HIMSELF, BECAUSE HE SAYS, 'WHERE I GO YOU CANNOT COME?' " JESUS ANSWERED THAT THEY WERE FROM BELOW, HE FROM ABOVE - NOT OF THIS WORLD; AND THAT THEY WOULD DIE IN THEIR SINS IF THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM (FOR ETERNAL LIFE)

1) [Compare Jn 7:33-35]:

2) [Compare Ex 3:14]:

3) [Compare Isa 43:10-11]:

B) (Jn 8:25-27) THE PHARISEES WERE SAYING TO JESUS "WHO ARE YOU?" IN ORDER TO ENSNARE HIM INTO SAYING SOMETHING THEY COULD USE TO TRY TO CONDEMN HIM TO DEATH. BUT JESUS AVERTED THEIR ATTEMPT WITH A STATEMENT THAT HE WAS "THE BEGINNING" IN THE SENSE OF CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, FOLLOWED BY "WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING TO YOU" IN THE SENSE OF TELLING THEM THAT HE HAD BEEN SAYING THIS TO THEM ALL ALONG

BUT THEN HE MOVED ON TO "I HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY AND TO JUDGE CONCERNING YOU, BUT HE WHO SENT ME IS TRUE; AND I SPEAK TO THE WORLD THOSE THINGS WHICH I HEARD FROM HIM." BUT THEY DELIBERATELY REFUSED TO ACCEPT AND BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS SPEAKING ABOUT GOD, HIS FATHER

C) (Jn 8:28-29) THEN JESUS SAID TO THEM, "WHEN YOU SHALL [HAVE LIFTED] UP THE SON OF MAN, THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT [I AM], AND THAT I DO NOTHING OF MYSELF; BUT AS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME, I SPEAK THESE THINGS. AND HE WHO SENT ME IS WITH ME; THE FATHER DID NOT LEAVE ME ALONE, BECAUSE I, THE THINGS PLEASING TO HIM, DO ALWAYS

1) [Compare Isa 43:10-11]:

2) [Compare Dan 7:13-14]:

3) [Dan 9:26 ]:

C cont.) (Jn 8:28-29 cont.) THEN JESUS SAID TO THEM, "WHEN YOU SHALL [HAVE LIFTED] UP THE SON OF MAN, THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT [I AM], AND THAT I DO NOTHING OF MYSELF; BUT AS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME, I SPEAK THESE THINGS. AND HE WHO SENT ME IS WITH ME; THE FATHER DID NOT LEAVE ME ALONE, BECAUSE I, THE THINGS PLEASING TO HIM, DO ALWAYS, (cont.)

D) (Jn 8:30-32) AS JESUS WAS SPEAKING OF WHO HE WAS ESPECIALLY THAT HE WAS THE SON OF MAN WHO WAS TO BE LIFTED UP, MANY JEWS BELIEVED IN HIM. WHEREUPON HE SPOKE TO THOSE JEWS, "IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN YOU ARE TRULY DISCIPLES OF MINE; YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE"

1) [Compare Jn 7:28-31]:

E) (Jn 8:33-41a) THOSE JEWS OPPOSED TO JESUS - WHO HAD NOT BELIEVED IN HIM - DECLARED DESCENDANCY FROM ABRAHAM, INSISTING THAT THEY'D NEVER BEEN IN BONDAGE TO ANYONE. JESUS EMPHATICALLY DECLARED THAT ANYONE DOING SIN IS THE SLAVE OF SIN; AND THE SLAVE TO SIN DOES NOT REMAIN IN THE HOUSE FOREVER; BUT THE SON DOES REMAIN FOREVER. HE SAID TO THEM IF THEREFORE THE SON SHALL MAKE YOU FREE - FROM SIN UNTO ETERNAL LIFE - YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED. WHEREUPON HE SAID, "I HAVE KNOWN THAT YOU ARE THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, BUT YOU SEEK TO KILL ME, BECAUSE MY WORD HAS NO PLACE IN YOU. I THAT WHICH I HAVE SEEN WITH MY FATHER DO SPEAK, AND YOU THEREFORE, THAT WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN YOUR FATHER YOU DO," IMPLYING THEIR ENSLAVEMENT TO SIN AND THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN GOD AND ABRAHAM

F) (Jn 8:41b-47) THE UNBELIEVING JEWS RETORTED TO JESUS' STATEMENT, "YOU DO THE DEEDS OF YOUR FATHER," IMPLYING SINFUL DEEDS OUT OFF ALLEGIANCE TO SOMEONE ELSE BESIDES GOD OR ABRAHAM WITH, "WE WERE NOT BORN OF FORNICATION; WE HAVE ONE FATHER - GOD." BUT JESUS RESPONDED, "IF GOD WERE YOUR FATHER YOU WOULD BE LOVING ME, FOR I CAME FORTH FROM GOD ... WHO SENT ME." THEN HE STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HIM BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT HEAR HIS WORD, DECLARING THAT THEY WERE OF THEIR FATHER THE DEVIL - A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING; THE FATHER OF LIARS. JESUS EXPLAINED THAT BECAUSE HE TOLD THE TRUTH; THEY, BEING LIARS, DID NOT BELIEVE HIM. HE ASKED WHICH ONE OF THEM CONVICTS HIM OF SIN IMPLYING SINLESS PERFECTION. AND HE ASKED, "IF I TELL THE TRUTH, WHY DO YOU NOT BELIEVE ME? HE WHO IS OF GOD HEARS THE WORDS OF GOD... YOU DO NOT HEAR THEM BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF GOD

1) [Compare Dt 8:3]:

2) [Compare Jn 5:37-46]:

G) (Jn 8:48-51) THE UNBELIEVING JEWS ANSWERED JESUS' STATEMENT THAT THEY WERE NOT OF GOD WITH A VERBAL ATTACK NOT BASED UPON TRUTH, BUT INTENDED TO PERSONALLY DEGRADE HIM - ESPECIALLY BEFORE THE CROWD: "DO WE NOT SAY RIGHTLY THAT YOU ARE A SAMARITAN AND HAVE A DEMON?" JESUS ANSWERED, "I DO NOT HAVE A DEMON; BUT I HONOR MY FATHER AND YOU DISHONOR ME. AND I DO NOT SEEK MY OWN GLORY. THERE IS ONE WHO IS SEEKING AND JUDGING, [IMPLYING GOD]. I ASSURE YOU IF ANYONE KEEPS MY WORD, HE WILL NEVER SEE DEATH - EVER! [REFERRING TO SPIRITUAL DEATH]

H) (Jn 8:52-59) THE JEWISH UNBELIEVERS ARROGANTLY CONFIRMED IN THEIR OWN MINDS, WHICH MINDS REFUSED TO ACCEPT WHO HE WAS NO MATTER WHAT EVIDENCE WAS PRESENTED, THAT JESUS HAD A DEMON, FOR ABRAHAM AND THE PROPHETS HAD DIED LONG AGO WHOM THEY VIEWED AS GREATER THAN JESUS, SO THEY ASKED JESUS, HOW HE COULD SAY "IF ANY ONE KEEPS MY WORD, HE SHALL NOT TASTE OF DEATH - FOREVER?" THEY ASKED HIM: "WHO DO YOU PRETEND TO BE?" JESUS ANSWERED, "IF I GLORIFIED MYSELF, MY GLORY IS NOTHING; IT IS MY FATHER WHO IS GLORIFYING ME, OF WHOM YOU SAY HE IS OUR GOD; YET YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN HIM, BUT I KNOW HIM. YOUR FATHER REJOICED TO SEE MY DAY, AND HE SAW IT AND WAS GLAD." THEN THE JEWS SAID, "YOU ARE NOT YET FIFTY YEARS OLD, AND HAVE YOU SEEN ABRAHAM?" JESUS THEN SAID EMPHATICALLY, "MOST ASSUREDLY BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM" IMPLYING DIETY. WHEREUPON THE JEWS TOOK UP STONES TO CAST AT HIM, BUT JESUS WAS SUPERNATURALLY HIDDEN AND WENT FORTH OUT OF THE TEMPLE, GOING THROUGH THE MIDST OF THEM AND PASSING BY

1) [Compare Jn 5:39-44]:

2) [Compare Jn 8:24 NKJV]:

3) [Compare Jn 8:39-40]:

4) [Compare Ex 3:14]:

5) [Compare Isa 43:10-11]: