John 8:12–30

Jesus’ Witness Is True

¹²Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Those who follow me will never walk in darkness. They will have the light that leads to life.”

¹³The Pharisees argued with him. “Here you are,” they said, “appearing as your own witness. But your witness does not count.”

¹⁴Jesus answered, “Even if I give witness about myself, my witness does count. I know where I came from. And I know where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵You judge by human standards. I don’t judge anyone.

¹⁶“But if I do judge, what I decide is right. This is because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷Your own Law says that the witness of two is what counts. ¹⁸I give witness about myself. My other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

¹⁹Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

²⁰He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area. He was near the place where the offerings were put. But no one arrested him. His time had not yet come.

²¹Once more Jesus spoke to them. “I am going away,” he said. “You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. You can’t come where I am going.”

²²This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘You can’t come where I am going’?”

²³But Jesus said, “You are from below. I am from heaven. You are from this world. I am not from this world. ²⁴I told you that you would die in your sins. Do you believe that I am the one I claim to be? If you don’t, you will certainly die in your sins.”

²⁵“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied. ²⁶“I have a lot to say that will judge you. But the One who sent me can be trusted. And I tell the world what I have heard from him.”

²⁷They did not understand that Jesus was telling them about his Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “You will lift up the Son of Man. Then you will know that I am the one I claim to be. You will also know that I do nothing on my own. I speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”

³⁰Even while Jesus was speaking, many people put their faith in him.