John 8 Commentary
The term “the lost” is often used to refer to the unbelievers. The term “the confused” is less honorable but it would fit the description of the Jews in this chapter. They call the Sovereign God their Father in verse 41. Their fellow Jew, the man Jesus, is an exception! They want to kill him for calling God his father. Very strange indeed.
The term “children of the devil” is truly intense and rarely used for unbelievers but that is what they are. Verse 4. It is a house of confusion, ignorance, and deception. We can see all of this in this chapter.
They claim to be Abraham’s descendants who have never been slaves. But they are wrong, fools even. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and the latest Rome. Probably a few others including the Philistines before the times of King David. They had taken turns in enslaving Israel. A sinner really never gets to know when they are enslaved!
They claimed God was their Father. Jesus disputed this claim as they never looked and acted the type. They simply didn’t belong to God.
Jesus is the light. The Pharisees dispute this fact as there is no other reference. The Father is the reference, so responds Jesus. But they cannot know the reference (God the Father) without knowing the Son (Jesus). They are stuck.
Humanity is stuck because we don’t know who Jesus is. But “before Abraham was born, I am!” This was too much information for the Jews and they picked up stones to kill Jesus. What if they heard that Jesus was the Word and was with God at creation and was actually the Creator God!
Jesus is the Judge. Let’s observe the court session when the guilty woman is brought before His court. This is actually the first section of the chapter.
The prosecutors are not interested in justice. They know Jesus won’t sanction the stoning of the guilty woman. Getting Jesus on the wrong side of the Law is a perfect trap. And while on justice, adultery isn’t a matter of justice but holiness. Courts of Law (the world’s judiciary systems) are poorly equipped to handle holiness matters. Many have okayed them on this basis – having zero holiness.
The Pharisees address Jesus as a “Teacher” to establish a controlled environment where Jesus is obliged to respond. We know they never meant it in their hearts.
Jesus wrote on the ground. It was the writing on the wall. Yes, there is a conviction but it’s not the woman who is convicted but the Pharisees!
The fact remained that sin had been committed. Moses’ Law cannot be broken. The woman and the Pharisees and probably all of us must be stoned. Instead, Jesus offers to be ‘stoned’ in place of us all. Calvary is a story of how we have escaped the deserved stoning. Who will stand up and say, “Yes, Jesus was stoned in my place”. Who will hear Jesus’ voice, “Go now and leave your life of sin”.
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