John 8:26–42

²⁶“I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but ^aHe who sent Me is true; and ^bthe things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.”

²⁷They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father.

²⁸So Jesus said, “When you ^alift up the Son of Man, then you will know that ^1bI am He, and ^cI do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.

²⁹“And He who sent Me is with Me; ^aHe ¹has not left Me alone, for ^bI always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

³⁰As He spoke these things, ^amany came to believe in Him.

The Truth Will Make You Free

³¹So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “^aIf you continue in My word, then you are truly ^bdisciples of Mine;

³²and ^ayou will know the truth, and ^bthe truth will make you free.”

³³They answered Him, “^aWe are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^aeveryone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

³⁵“^aThe slave does not remain in the house forever; ^bthe son does remain forever.

³⁶“So if the Son ^amakes you free, you will be free indeed.

³⁷“I know that you are ^aAbraham’s descendants; yet ^byou seek to kill Me, because My word ¹has no place in you.

³⁸“I speak the things which I have seen ¹with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from ^ayour father.”

³⁹They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is ^aour father.” Jesus said to them, “^bIf you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.

⁴⁰“But as it is, ^ayou are seeking to kill Me, a man who has ^btold you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.

⁴¹“You are doing the deeds of ^ayour father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; ^bwe have one Father: God.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, ^ayou would love Me, ^bfor I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have ^cnot even come on My own initiative, but ^1dHe sent Me.