John 8:21–45

²¹Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. He said, “I’m going away, and you’ll look for me. But you will die because of your sin. You can’t go where I’m going.” 

²²Then the Jews asked, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means when he says, ‘You can’t go where I’m going’?” 

²³Jesus said to them, “You’re from below. I’m from above. You’re from this world. I’m not from this world. ²⁴For this reason I told you that you’ll die because of your sins. If you don’t believe that I am the one, you’ll die because of your sins.” 

²⁵The Jews asked him, “Who did you say you are?” 

Jesus told them, “I am who I said I was from the beginning. ²⁶I have a lot I could say about you and a lot I could condemn you for. But the one who sent me is true. So I tell the world exactly what he has told me.” ²⁷(The Jews didn’t know that he was talking to them about the Father.) 

²⁸So Jesus told them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you’ll know that I am the one and that I can’t do anything on my own. Instead, I speak as the Father taught me. ²⁹Besides, the one who sent me is with me. He hasn’t left me by myself. I always do what pleases him.” 

³⁰As Jesus was saying this, many people believed in him. ³¹So Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples. ³²You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

³³They replied to Jesus, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. So how can you say that we will be set free?” 

³⁴Jesus answered them, “I can guarantee this truth: Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin. ³⁵A slave doesn’t live in the home forever, but a son does. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free. ³⁷I know that you’re Abraham’s descendants. However, you want to kill me because you don’t like what I’m saying. ³⁸What I’m saying is what I have seen in my Father’s presence. But you do what you’ve heard from your father.” 

³⁹The Jews replied to Jesus, “Abraham is our father.” 

Jesus told them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰I am a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. But now you want to kill me. Abraham wouldn’t have done that. ⁴¹You’re doing what your father does.” 

The Jews said to Jesus, “We’re not illegitimate children. God is our only Father.” 

⁴²Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me. After all, I’m here, and I came from God. I didn’t come on my own. Instead, God sent me. ⁴³Why don’t you understand the language I use? Is it because you can’t understand the words I use? ⁴⁴You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵So you don’t believe me because I tell the truth.