By Joyce Webb 2026
John Chp. 8 Vs. 48-59
Vs. 48 The Jewish leaders said to Jesus—Isn’t it true when we said you are a Samaritian and you have a devil?
Vs. 49 Jesus said—I do not have a devil. I honor my father—but you do not honor me.
Vs. 50 I do not seek my own glory. There is “one” (God) who seeks to honor me and judges me.
Vs. 51 Truly, I tell you that whoever does what I am saying (and teaching) will not see death. (Jesus was talking about “spiritual death”—going to heaven or hell.)
Vs. 52 The Jewish leaders said: Now we know you have a devil. Abraham is dead, and so are all the prophets. You say if people do what you say—they will never see death. (Meaning—All those good righteous people died.) (Jesus is not talking about physical death.)
Vs. 53 The Jewish leaders asked: Are you greater than Abraham and the prophets—-all of them are dead. Who do you think you are?
Vs. 54. If I honor myself—that means nothing. It is my Father who honors me. Of Him, you say that he is your God.
Vs. 55 You have not known Him, but I know Him. If I would say I do not know Him—I would be a liar, like you. I know Him and I do what he tells me to do.
Vs. 56 Your “father” Abraham saw my day coming and he was glad (happy).
Vs. 57 The Jewish leaders said: You not yet 50 years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?
Vs. 58 Jesus said: Before Abraham was—I Am.
(I AM is the name of God. In the Old Testament, when Moses saw the burning bush, he asked God —-”who are you? What god are you? (Moses had grown up in Egypt where they believed in many gods.) God answered Moses and said—I AM.
Meaning—God has always been. He will always be forever. He has no beginning and no end. He is eternal. He is always “now” in being.
Vs. 59 This is God’s holy name, Jesus was saying he was God—the same I AM as who spoke to Moses long ago. Jesus and God the Father are one and the same.
The Jewish leaders thought this was terrible that a man standing in front of them would say he was God. To them this was blasphemy—calling yourself equal with God was a terrible thing to do.
They picked up stones to throw at Jesus to kill him for saying such an awful thing.
But Jesus hid himself from them. And then got out of the temple. He went through the group of people there and passed by.
(It makes a person wonder about how this happened. Did Jesus make himself invisible for a time? Did Jesus make himself look differently for a time? Did Jesus make the leaders and people not able to really see him?
There is a story in the Old Testament in II Kings 6:18-23 about a time an enemy army was coming to fight. Elisha the prophet told them they were going the wrong way. He said he would lead them to the right place. Elisha prayed that the Lord would make them “blind” so they would not recognize where they were going.
Elisha led them to the King of Israel. Then prayed God would “open” their eyes and they saw they were all standing in the King’s city with the King before them. This was not where they wanted to be.
The army of men were not made “blind” in a way that they could not see at all—but God made it so they were not recognizing where they were—and so were surprised to see where they were in the end.
Perhaps that is how Jesus “hid” himself and walked through the crowd of people and no one recognized him.
I am just wondering.)
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Questions—-Gospel of John—–Lesson 26
John Chp. 8 Vs. 48-59
1. See vs 52 Why did the Jewish leaders say Jesus had a devil?
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2. Vs. 58 When Jesus said he was “I AM”—-why did that make the Jewish leaders angry? ___________________________________
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