“I Am the Light of the World”

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, i“I am the light of the world. He who jfollows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, k“You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not 3true.”

14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but lyou do not know where I come from and where I am going. 15 mYou judge according to the flesh; nI judge no one. 16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for oI am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 pIt is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and qthe Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”

Jesus answered, r“You know neither Me nor My Father. sIf you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”

20 These words Jesus spoke in tthe treasury, as He taught in the temple; and uno one laid hands on Him, for vHis hour had not yet come.

21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and wyou will seek Me, and xwill die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

22 So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?” 23 And He said to them, y“You are from beneath; I am from above. zYou are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 aTherefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; bfor if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?”

And Jesus said to them, “Just what I chave been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but dHe who sent Me is true; and eI speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you flift 4up the Son of Man, gthen you will know that I am He, and hthat I do nothing of Myself; but ias My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And jHe who sent Me is with Me. kThe Father has not left Me alone, lfor I always do those things that please Him.” 30 As He spoke these words, mmany believed in Him.

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you nabide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the otruth, and pthe truth shall make you free.”

33 They answered Him, q“We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, rwhoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And sa slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 tTherefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but uyou seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 vI speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have 5seen with your father.”

39 They answered and said to Him, w“Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, x“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 yBut now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth zwhich I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; awe have one Father—God.”

42 Jesus said to them, b“If God were your Father, you would love Me, for cI proceeded forth and came from God; dnor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 eWhy do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 fYou are of your father the devil, and the gdesires of your father you want to hdo. He was a murderer from the beginning, and idoes not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 jHe who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and khave a demon?”

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and lyou dishonor Me. 50 And mI do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Most assuredly, I say to you, nif anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You ohave a demon! pAbraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. qWho do You make Yourself out to be?”

54 Jesus answered, r“If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. sIt is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is 6your God. 55 Yet tyou have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and ukeep His word. 56 Your father Abraham vrejoiced to see My day, wand he saw it and was glad.”

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, xbefore Abraham was, yI AM.”

59 Then zthey took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, agoing 7through the midst of them, and so passed by.