HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1333
JOHN 9
page 963
example.* 40 Instead, you are trying to kill me
because I told you the truth, which I heard from
God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 No, you
are imitating your real father.”
They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”
42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father,
you would love me, because I have come to you
from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent
me. 43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For
you are the children of your father the devil,
and you love to do the evil things he does. He
was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his
character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally
don’t believe me! 46 Which of you can truthfully
accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you
the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Anyone
who belongs to God listens gladly to the words
of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t
belong to God.”
48 The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil!
Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed
by a demon?”
49 “No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me.
For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me.
50 And though I have no wish to glorify myself,
God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge.
51 I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my
teaching will never die!”
52 The people said, “Now we know you are
possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the
prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys
my teaching will never die!’ 53 Are you greater
than our father Abraham? He died, and so did
the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who
will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’* 55 but
you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said
otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I
do know him and obey him. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”
57 The people said, “You aren’t even fifty
years old. How can you say you have seen
Abraham?*”
58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before
Abraham was even born, I Am!*” 59 At that point
they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus
was hidden from them and left the Temple.
8:39 Some manuscripts read if you are really the children of
Abraham, follow his example. 8:54 Some manuscripts read
You say he is your God. 8:57 Some manuscripts read How
can you say Abraham has seen you? 8:58 Or before Abraham
was even born, I have always been alive; Greek reads before
Abraham was, I am. See Exod 3:14. 9:4 Other manuscripts
read I must quickly carry out the tasks assigned me by the one
who sent me; still others read We must quickly carry out the
tasks assigned us by the one who sent me.
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man
who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,”
his disciples asked him, “why was this man
born blind? Was it because of his own sins or
his parents’ sins?”
3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’
sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the
power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must
quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the
one who sent us.* The night is coming, and then
no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the
world, I am the light of the world.”
6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with
the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind
9
• Presence of God
JOHN 8:1-11
The woman is guilty of adultery—caught
in the act. Her sin is indefensible and,
according to the Law, worthy of death.
The religious men are itching to stone her,
and it gives them great pleasure to put
Jesus in the middle of a controversy. If he
allows the adulteress to be executed, he
is no longer the “friend of sinners.” If he
acquits her, he can be accused of being
soft on sin.
With his finger, Jesus writes on the
ground. Some say he may have been listing the sins of the self-righteous men with
the stones in their hands. Perhaps he was
even listing the names of the ones who
had sinned with this very woman (after
all, how did they manage to catch her in
the act?). We do not know. But nowhere
is the Lord’s rejection of sin and his
acceptance of the repentant sinner more
beautifully portrayed than in his refusal
to condemn the woman, along with his
firm parting words, “Go and sin no more.”
Although God rejects our sin, he never
rejects the sinner.
• Bible
JOHN 8:32
A prisoner sits behind bars. In prison he
accepts Christ. While he is physically
imprisoned, he is spiritually free, freed
from the bondage of sin. Another man
sits in his easy chair at home. He continues to reject Christ and the truth of
the Scripture. Spiritually, he is a prisoner
of his own sins. Which is better? Which
would you rather be?