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JOHN 8
page 962
speaking, the teachers of religious law and
the Pharisees brought a woman who had been
caught in the act of adultery. They put her in
front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman
was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of
Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying
something they could use against him, but
Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with
his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so
he stood up again and said, “All right, but let
the one who has never sinned throw the first
stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote
in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped
away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until
only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd
with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again
and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no
more.”
— promises —
from God
“I am the light of the world.
If you follow me, you won’t
have to walk in darkness.”
JO H N 8:1 2
Jesus, the Light of the World
12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,
“I am the light of the world. If you follow me,
you won’t have to walk in darkness, because
you will have the light that leads to life.”
13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making
those claims about yourself! Such testimony is
not valid.”
14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid
even though I make them about myself. For I
know where I came from and where I am going,
but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge
me by human standards, but I do not judge
anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be
correct in every respect because I am not alone.
The Father* who sent me is with me. 17 Your
own law says that if two people agree about
something, their witness is accepted as fact.*
18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent
me is the other.”
19 “Where is your father?” they asked.
Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who
I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you
knew me, you would also know my Father.”
20 Jesus made these statements while he was
teaching in the section of the Temple known as
the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because
his time* had not yet come.
The Unbelieving People Warned
21 Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going
away. You will search for me but will die in your
sin. You cannot come where I am going.”
22 The people* asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot
come where I am going’?”
23 Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am
from above. You belong to this world; I do not.
24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins;
for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to
be,* you will die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you?” they demanded.
Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed
to be.* 26 I have much to say about you and
much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only
what I have heard from the one who sent me,
and he is completely truthful.” 27 But they still
didn’t understand that he was talking about his
Father.
28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the
Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he.* I do nothing on my own
but say only what the Father taught me. 29 And
the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”
30 Then many who heard him say these things
believed in him.
Jesus and Abraham
31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him,
“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they
said. “We have never been slaves to anyone.
What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not
a permanent member of the family, but a son
is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son
sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And
yet some of you are trying to kill me because
there’s no room in your hearts for my message.
38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with
my Father. But you are following the advice of
your father.”
39 “Our father is Abraham!” they declared.
“No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really
the children of Abraham, you would follow his
8:16 Some manuscripts read The One. 8:17 See Deut 19:15.
8:20 Greek his hour. 8:22 Greek Jewish people; also in 8:31, 48,
52, 57. 8:24 Greek unless you believe that I am. See Exod 3:14.
8:25 Or Why do I speak to you at all? 8:28 Greek When you
have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am. “Son
of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.