John 8:21–45

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

²¹Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die^q in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”^r

²²This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

²³But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.^{s 24}I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,^t you will indeed die in your sins.”

²⁵“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶“I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,^u and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”^v

²⁷They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up^a the Son of Man,^w then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.^{x 29}The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,^y for I always do what pleases him.”^{z 30}Even as he spoke, many believed in him.^a

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,^b you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^c

³³They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants^d and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.^{e 35}Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^{f 36}So if the Son sets you free,^g you will be free indeed. ³⁷I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^h because you have no room for my word. ³⁸I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,ⁱ and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^b”^j

³⁹“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^k said Jesus, “then you would^c do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^l a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^m Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹You are doing the works of your own father.”ⁿ

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”^o

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^p for I have come here from God.^q I have not come on my own;^r God sent me.^{s 43}Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴You belong to your father, the devil,^t and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^u 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.^{v 45}Yet because I tell the truth,^w you do not believe me!