Chapter 8
The Jews’
Feast of Tabernacles was at hand and his brothers said to Him, “Go to Judea so
that Your disciples may see the works that You are doing. Because no one does
anything in secret while he seeks to be known openly. If You do these things
show Yourself to the world.” for even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Then JESUS said to them, “My time has not yet
come but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you but it hates Me because I
testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast I am not going up yet for My time
has not fully come.” When He said these things to them He remained
in Galilee.
When His
brothers had gone up then He went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were
in secret. Then the people sought Him at the feast and said, “Where
is He?” There was much complaining among the people concerning
Him. Some said, “He is good” others said, “No, on the contrary He deceives
the people.” However no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews. Now
about the middle of the feast JESUS went up into the temple
and taught. The Jews marveled saying, “How does this Man know letters
having never studied?”
JESUS
said, “My doctrine is not Mine but His who
sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will he shall know concerning the doctrine
whether it is from GOD or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory but He
who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true and no
unrighteousness is in Him. Did not Moses give you the law yet none of you keeps the
law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” The people said, “You have a demon who is seeking to kill You?” JESUS
answered, “I did one work and you all marvel.
Moses gave you circumcision not that it is from Moses but from the fathers
and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the
law of Moses should not be broken are you angry with Me because I made a
man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance but
judge with righteous judgment.”
Some of
them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? Look! He
speaks boldly and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know that this is
truly the CHRIST? However we know where this Man is from yet when the CHRIST
comes no one will know where He is from.”
Then JESUS
cried out as He taught in the temple saying, “You
both know Me and you know where I am from, I have not come of Myself but
He who sent Me, whom you do not know. is true, I know Him for I
am from Him and He sent Me.”
Then they
sought to take Him yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not
yet come. Many of the people believed in Him and said, “When the CHRIST
comes will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?” The Pharisees
heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him and the Pharisees and the
chief priests sent officers to take Him. Then JESUS said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer and then I go
to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me and where I am
you cannot come.” Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does
He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the
Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this thing that
He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me and
where I am you cannot come’?”
Then the
officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, “Why have
you not brought Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this
Man!” Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you deceived? Have any of the
rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? This crowd that does not know the law
is accursed.” Nicodemus; he who came to JESUS by night being one of them;
said to them, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what
he is doing?” They
answered him, “Are you from Galilee? Search and look for no prophet has
arisen out of Galilee.” Then everyone went to his own house and JESUS went to
the Mount of Olives.
On the
last day, that great day of
the feast, JESUS stood and cried out saying, “If
anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has
said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” This
He spoke concerning the Spirit whom those believing in Him would receive; for
the Holy Spirit was not yet given because
JESUS was not yet glorified. Then many from the crowd when they heard this
saying said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the CHRIST.”
Some said, “Will the CHRIST come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture
said that the CHRIST comes from the seed of David and from the town of
Bethlehem where David was?” So there was a division among the
people because of Him. Some of them wanted to take Him yet no one laid
hands on Him.
Early in
the morning He came again into the temple and all the people came to Him and He
sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to
Him a woman caught in adultery. When they had set her in the midst they
said to Him, “Teacher this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Moses
in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. What do You say?” This they
said testing Him that they might have something of which to accuse Him. JESUS stooped down and
wrote on the ground with His finger as though He did not hear. So when they
continued asking Him He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you throw the first stone at
her.” Again He stooped down and wrote
on the ground. Then those who heard it being convicted by their conscience went out one by
one beginning with the oldest even to
the youngest. Then JESUS was left alone with the woman, when JESUS had raised
Himself up and saw only the woman He said to her, “Woman
where are your accusers, has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one LORD.” JESUS
said to her, “Neither do I condemn you
go and sin no more.”
Then JESUS spoke again saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in
darkness but have the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself, Your
witness is not true.” JESUS answered them, “Even
if I bear witness of Myself My witness is true for I know where I came from and
where I am going. You do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge
according to the flesh I judge no one and yet if I do judge My judgment is
true; for I am not alone but I am with
the Father who sent Me. It is written in your law that the testimony of two men
is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself and the Father who sent Me
bears witness of Me.” Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” JESUS
answered, “You know neither Me nor My
Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father.” These
words JESUS spoke in the treasury as He taught in the temple.
Then JESUS
said to them again, “I am going away
and you will seek Me and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot
come.” So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from beneath I am from above. You are of
this world I am not of this world. So I said to you that you will die in your sins if you do
not believe that I am He, you
will die in your sins.” Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” JESUS said
to them, “Just what I have been saying to
you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you
because He who sent Me is true and I speak to the world those things
which I heard from Him.” They did not understand that He spoke to them
of the Father.
Then JESUS
said to them, “When you lift up the
Son of Man then you will know that I am He and that I
do nothing of Myself but as My Father taught Me I speak these things. He who sent Me
is with Me, the Father has not left Me alone for I always do those things
that please Him.” As He spoke these words many believed in Him.
Then JESUS
said to those Jews who believed Him, “If
you abide in My Word you are My disciples indeed and you shall know
the truth and the truth shall make you free.” They answered
Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been in bondage to
anyone. How can You
say, ‘You will be made free’?” JESUS
said, “Truthfully I say to you whoever commits
sin is a slave of sin and a slave does not abide in the house
forever, yet a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free you
shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants yet you
seek to kill Me because My Word has no place in you. I speak what I
have seen with My Father and you do what you have seen with your father.”
They
answered Him, “Abraham is our father.” JESUS said, “If you were Abraham’s children you would do the works of Abraham. You seek to kill
Me a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from GOD, Abraham did not do this, you do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of
fornication we have one Father, GOD.” JESUS said to them, “If GOD were your Father you would love Me
for I proceeded forth and came from GOD neither have I come of Myself but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because
you are not able to listen to My Word, you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you
want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does 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. Because I tell the truth you do not believe Me. Which of you
convicts Me of sin? If I tell the truth why do you not believe Me? He who is of GOD hears GOD’s Words but you do not hear because
you are not of GOD.”
Then the
Jews said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have
a demon?” JESUS answered, “I do not have a
demon for I honor My Father and you dishonor Me. I do not seek
My own glory there is
One who seeks and judges. Truly I say to you if anyone keeps My Word he shall
never see death.” Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that
You have a demon! Abraham is dead and the prophets and You
say, ‘If anyone keeps My Word he shall never
taste death.’ Are You greater
than our father Abraham who is dead and the prophets who are dead? Who do
You make Yourself out to be?”
JESUS
answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is
nothing. It is My Father who honors Me of whom you say that He
is your GOD. Yet you have not known Him but I know Him. If I say, ‘I do
not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you but I do know Him and keep His
Word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see
My day and he saw it and
was glad.” Then the
Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old and have You seen Abraham?” JESUS
said, “Truthfully I say to you before Abraham
was I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him so JESUS
went out of the temple going through the midst of them unseen.
As JESUS was passing by He saw a
man who was blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi who
sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind?” JESUS answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned this is so the
works of GOD should be revealed in him. I must do the works of Him who
sent Me while it is day, the night
is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.” When He had said these things He spat on the
ground and made clay with the saliva and He anointed the eyes of the blind man
with the clay. He said to him, “Go,
wash in the pool of Siloam”; which is translated Sent. So he
went and washed and came back seeing. Then the neighbors and those who
previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and
begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I
am him.” They asked him,
“How were your eyes opened?” He answered, “A Man called JESUS made clay
and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go
to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and I
received sight.” Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not
know.”
They
brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees. It was a Sabbath when JESUS
made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees asked him again how
he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes and I
washed and I see.” Then some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not
from GOD
because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is
a sinner do such signs?” and there was a division among them. They said to
the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.” The Jews did not believe concerning him that he had
been blind and received his sight until they called the parents of him who had
received his sight. They asked them, “Is this your son who you say was
born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this
is our son and that he was born blind but by what means he now sees we do
not know or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age ask him he will
speak for himself.” His parents said these things because they feared the
Jews for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that JESUS was CHRIST
he would be put out of the synagogue. So his parents said, “He is of age
ask him.” So they again called the man who was blind and said to him, “Give GOD the
glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” The man said, “Whether He is a
sinner or not I do not know. One thing I
know that though I was blind now I see.” Then they said to him again, “What did
He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already
and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?” Then
they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple but we are Moses’
disciples. We know that GOD spoke to Moses as for this fellow we do not know where He
is from.” The man answered, “Why this is a marvelous thing that you do not
know where He is from yet He has opened my eyes! We know that GOD does not
hear sinners only if anyone is a worshiper of GOD and does His will does GOD hear
him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the
eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from GOD He could
do nothing.” They said to him, “You were completely born in sins and are you
teaching us?” and they threw him out.
JESUS
heard that they had thrown him out and went and found him, He said to
him, “Do you believe in the Son
of GOD?” The man answered, “Who is He LORD that I may believe in Him?” JESUS said to
him, “You have both seen Him and it is He
who is talking with you.” Then he said, “LORD I believe!” and he worshiped
JESUS.
JESUS
said, “For judgment I have come into this
world that those who do not see may see and that those who see may be made
blind.” Then some of
the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words and said to Him, “Are we
blind also?” JESUS said to them, “If you were
blind you would have no sin yet you say, ‘We see.’ so your sin remains.
Truly I say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the
door but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. He who enters by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he
calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brings out his own
sheep he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow
a stranger they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of
strangers.” JESUS
used this illustration but they did not understand the things which He spoke to
them.
Then JESUS
said again, “Truthfully I say to you I am the
door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and
robbers but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door, if anyone enters by Me he will be saved
and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and
to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the
good shepherd the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. A hireling who is not the shepherd, one who
does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and
flees and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling
flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good
shepherd and I know My sheep and am known by My own. As the Father
knows Me even so I know the Father and I lay down My life for the sheep. Other sheep I
have which are not of this fold them I must also bring and they will hear My
voice and there will be one flock and one
shepherd. My Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may take it
again, no one takes it from Me I lay it down of Myself. I have power to
lay it down and I have power to take it again, this command I have received
from My Father.”
There was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. Many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
