John 8

Ancient Textual Tradition: The Woman Caught in Adultery

1Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 4They said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say?” 6They said this to test him so they would have grounds to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept asking him, he stood up and said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Then he bent down again and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard this, they went out one by one, beginning with the older ones, until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing there. 10Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

The Light of the World

12Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will certainly not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 13The Pharisees said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” 14Jesus answered, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is valid because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent me. 17Even in your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is valid. 18I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.” 19They asked, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20Jesus spoke these words in the treasury while teaching in the temple, but no one arrested him because his hour had not yet come.

Unless You Trust That I Am

21Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22So some Jewish people asked, “He is not going to kill himself, is he, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23Jesus told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world. 24That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. Unless you trust that I am, you will die in your sins.” 25They asked him, “Who are you?” Jesus said, “What I have been telling you from the beginning. 26I have many things to say and judge concerning you. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I speak to the world.” 27They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and that I do nothing from myself. I speak just as the Father taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” 30As he was saying these things, many trusted in him.

The Truth Will Set You Free

31Jesus said to the Jewish people who had trusted him, “If you remain in my word, you are truly my disciples. 32You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. 35A slave does not remain in the household forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will truly be free. 37I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are seeking to kill me because my word has no place in you. 38I speak what I have seen with the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39They answered, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do Abraham’s works. 40But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41You are doing your father’s works.” They said, “We were not born from sexual immorality. We have one Father—God.” 42Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and am here. I did not come from myself; he sent me. 43Why do you not understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to my word. 44You are from your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I speak the truth, you do not trust me. 46Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not trust me? 47Whoever is from God hears God’s words. This is why you do not hear: you are not from God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

48They answered him, “Are we not right to say you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon. I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it and judges. 51Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, they will certainly never see death.” 52They said to him, “Now we know you have a demon! Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, they will never taste death.’ 53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. My Father is the one who glorifies me—the one you say is your God. 55You have not known him, but I know him. If I said I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57They said, “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I tell you, before Abraham came into being, I am.” 59Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.