The Gospel of John Made Easy
Chapter 8
Verses 31 – 59
Verse 31, 32
Jesus said to the people who believed on him: “If you continue to do the things I have said to you, then you are my true disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Truth makes people free. We make decisions based on what we know. If we believe a lie, we will make a decision that will not be good for us in the end.
People have believed a lie about drugs. They think using drugs one time, just to try it, will not hurt them. Yet we see people on TV who tell how they used drugs one time, and how it changed their brains–their brains were hurt by one time of drugs.
People have believed lies about other things, but in the end they have found that it was not a good way.
The Holy Spirit helps us to know the truth about things. He helps us know the truth about God. He helps us know the truth about ourselves. Knowing the truth helps us make better decisions.
Truth helps keep us free from “lies” that would bring us down and destroy us.
Verses 33- 36
The Jewish leaders said to Jesus: “We are the children of Abraham, we were never in bondage (slavery) to any man. Why do you say, ‘You will be made free’ “
(I do not know why these leaders would have said this because they all knew the Hebrew people were slaves in Egypt for 430 years.)
Jesus said, “Whoever does sin is the servant of sin.”
Sin has a way of growing in us. It makes a habit that is hard to break. Think of some sins: lying, cheating, not being honest, sex sins, getting drunk, drugs, giving into anger, complaining, and criticizing people.
All of these things start small, but they grow bigger, stronger, more often, and after awhile we have such a habit we cannot stop. That thing controls us. We are in bondage to it.
We are like a slave to it.
Jesus said: “A servant or slave is not part of the household or family forever, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the son makes you free, you are truly, really free.”
(This is a good verse to memorize.)
Verses 37 -51
Jesus said, ‘I know you are the children of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because you do not believe what I say.”
“I tell you what I have seen with my Father, and you do the things you have seen of your father.”
The leaders said, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said, “If you were really Abraham’s children, you would do the things of Abraham. But you are trying to find a way to kill me. I am a man who has told you the truth which I have heard from God. Abraham would not be trying to kill me. That is why I say you do the works of your father” (Jesus is trying to show them that their ‘father’ is Satan. Satan is the one who first tempted Cain to murder.)
The leaders tried to show Jesus that they were more holy than he. So they said, “We are not a child of sexual sin.” (They were calling Jesus a ‘bastard’, one who does not know who his father is. Mary was pregnant before she married Joseph. These Jewish leaders did not believe that the Holy Spirit made Mary pregnant.)
The leaders said, “We have one Father, he is God.”
Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love me. Because I come out of God.
I did not come of myself, but He sent me.”
Jesus said, “Why can you not understand what I am saying? You can not understand me because your are of your father, the devil, Satan. The lust and sins of your father is what you will do. Satan was a murderer from the beginning. He did not stay with the truth. He hated the truth. There is no truth in him. He speaks lies. This is his character. He is the father of lies.
When I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you can blame me or accuse me of any sin? So, if I say the truth, why do you not believe me?”
If a person had the right spirit to listen to God’s words, he would listen to me. You will not listen to me because you have the spirit of your father and it is not God.”
The people became angry and they said to Jesus, “You are the one who is Samaritan devil. Have we not said before that you have a devil?”
Jesus said, “I do not have a devil. I honor my father. You do not honor me.”
I do not seek honor and glory for myself. God honors me and he will judge.
If a man will do what I say, he will never see death.”
Verses 52 -59
The Jews said, “Now we know you have a devil. Abraham is dead and so are the prophets.. You said if any one obeyed your words (that you say are God’s words) that they would never die. (Abraham was a holy man, he obeyed God. But he is dead.)
Jesus said, “If I honor and boast about myself, my honor is nothing. But my Father honors and gives glory to me. And you say that my Father is your God.” “You have not known Him. I know Him. If I were to say that I did not know Him, then I would be telling a lie like you are. But I know Him, and I do what He wants.”
Jesus said, “Your father Abraham was happy to see my day of coming. He saw it and was glad.”
The Jews said, “How can that be? You are not even 50 years old. How can you have seen Abraham?
Jesus said, “Before Abraham lived, I Am ”
When the Jews heard Jesus say this, they took up stones to throw at him to kill him.
But Jesus hid himself and got away. He left the temple and went on his way.
The reason the Jews got so angry was because Jesus said he was “I Am”. This was the name of God. When God called Moses to go to Egypt to lead the Hebrews out ——Moses said to God, “When I talk to the people and to the king, Who will I say has sent me to do this?
God said, “Tell them “I Am” has sent you to do this.” “I Am” is God’s most holy name.
Exodus 3: 13, 14
“I Am” shows that God always has been. God always “is”. He never had a beginning, He will never end. God is always in a state of “Is”.
Jesus called himself but this same never beginning, never ending name. Jesus was saying that he was God.
The Jews did not believe that Jesus was God. So when Jesus used this most holy name for himself . They became very angry. They thought it was awful for a person to call himself God.