Jesus was glorified by the father

JESUS WAS GLORIFIED BY THE FATHER
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 8:54 54Jesusreplied, "If I glorify myself, my
glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as
your God, is the one who glorifies me.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ And Abraham
John 8:54-59
B. Thomas
Whom makestthou thyself? In answerto this question and to the objections
made by his opponents, our Lord further reveals himself.
I. IN RELATION TO THE FATHER.
1. His entire devotion to him. This includes:
(1) His perfect knowledge ofhim. "I know him." His knowledge ofthe Father
was essential, absolute, andmost intimate. It was not merely knowledge which
he had gatheredin the past, but which he derived and possessedin the
present, then, on accountof his oneness with him.

(2) His faithful confessionof him. "I know him." He confessedhim before
men; did not hide the knowledge he possessedof the Father, but faithfully
declaredit.
(3) His thorough obedience to his will. "I keephis saying." His saying was his
will expressedin and to Christ. The Father's saying was Jesus'message;this
he faithfully kept and devotedly published. He swervednot from his Father's
command on accountof the most menacing threats of his foes, but most
minutely and enthusiasticallycarried it out.
2. Some of the features of his peculiar honour.
(1) The honour of absolute self-denial and self-forgetfulness.He honoured not
himself, but made himself of no reputation.
(2) The honour of the most devoted loyalty.
(3) Honour derived from the highest source, It was not self-sought, self-
derived, nor self-conferred. This honour, he says, would be worthless. "My
Father honoureth me." He was really what his Father made him, and he made
him what he was because ofhis essentialdignity and relationship and his
official integrity and devotion.
3. His entire contrastwith his foes.
(1) They were ignorant of him whom they calledtheir God. "Ye have not
known him." In spite of their greatadvantages, these had been lost. on them.
Christ knew him absolutely, and manifestedand proved his knowledge.
(2) They were utterly false. They were liars - false to themselves, to Jesus, and
to God. Christ was true to all. He was the faithful and true Witness.
(3) Their claimed relationship to God was an empty boast. It was disproved by
their spirit, language, actions, andwhole conduct. Christ's relationship to God
was real. His Sonship was most conclusivelyproved by his Divine knowledge,
his public ministry, his Divine miracles, by his whole life.

II. IN HIS RELATION TO ABRAHAM, AND ABRAHAM TO HIM. These
Jews claimedAbraham as their father, and attempted to cause a discord
betweenhim and Christ; but he reveals himself in relation to the patriarch.
1. In relation to his highestinterest.
(1) The incarnate life of Jesus engagedthe patriarch's most rapturous
attention. "Your father Abraham rejoicedto see my day." The incarnate life
of Jesus was revealedto him in the promise which Godrepeatedly made to
him. This excited his interest, and became the subject of his ardent study. He
meditated on it with delight, raised himself, as it were, on tiptoe to look over
the shoulders of ages to catch a glimpse of it; stretchedforward with
eagerness andjoy to behold it; made use of every light, and earnestly prayed
for more.
(2) A vision of his incarnate life was grantedhim. "And he saw it." His
faithful efforts met with success, andhis eagerfaith was rewardedwith the
desired vision. Whether this refers to the generalvision of his life of faith, or
to some specialone, is not certain. Perhaps it was speciallyenjoyedon the
summit of Moriah, and through his own experience in offering up his only son
he had a specialvision of the incarnate life of the Sonof God. This served as a
telescope throughwhich he saw the distant day close athand, and beheld its
leading features, and graspedits Divine and human bearings and import.
(3) This vision filled his soul with joy. "He saw it, and was glad." Being the
chief vision of his life, his soul overflowedwith delight and gladness. His was
the joy of overflowing gratitude, intense satisfaction, andDivine fulfilment.
Since he saw that day his joy was in his soul, a springtide which carried him at
last to the brighter visions and diviner joy beyond.
2. In relation to Abraham's age. "Before Abraham," etc. This implies:
(1) The priority of his being. It was very little for him to say that he was
before Abraham, consideredin the full light of his statement, but it was a step
in the right direction, and a reply to the objectionof his opponents.
(2) The eternity of his being. "I am." "I was" here would place him among
createdbeings, but "I am" at once reveals him as uncreated, eternal, self-

existent, and independent of time and material conditions and circumstances,
and makes him belong to the highest order of being.
(3) The unchangeability of his being. "I am." In time, and amid the changes of
his visible and earthly existence, his eternal personality and consciousnessare
preservedunchanged. He is still the "I am."
(4) His unquestionable Divinity. If his being is uncreated, eternal, self-existent,
and unchangeable, he must be Divine. This he most emphatically and
solemnly asserts:"Verily, verily," etc.
III. HIS REVELATION OF HIMSELF IN RELATION TO HIS
OPPONENTS.
1. They understood it. It was intellectually intelligible to them. They were too
acquainted with the attributes and designations ofJehovahto misunderstand
the language ofChrist, and their application to himself was felt by them, as
their conduct proves.
2. It became to them unbearable. "Theytook up stones,"etc. A proof of:
(1) Inability to refute his statement. When stone throwing begins, arguments
are at an end. Stone throwing is a sign of weakness.
(2) Inability to be convinced. Their false and malicious nature was patent
againstconviction. They could not rise to the Divinity of his Personand
mission. This inability was sad, but wilful and criminal.
(3) Inability to control themselves. Passionwas their master; hatred was on
the throne. They fail to concealthem.
3. It widened the gulf betweenhim and them. It was wide before - wider now.
As he revealedhimself in the sublimest manner as their promised Messiah
and the Son of God, they in consequence revealedthemselves in stone
throwing as his most implacable and deadly foes.
4. His revelation was suitably appended by his apparently miraculous escape.
"But Jesus hid himself," etc. Hid himself in the folds of his glory. A suitable
sequelto his revelation of himself as their Divine Deliverer. How easilyand

effectively could he defend himself, and retaliate in their fashion! But he
preferred his own. He had a royal road. He departed as a King. He could walk
through the crowdunobserved, and through the stones unhurt. The weak are
more ready to attack than the strong, but there is more majesty in the retreat
of the strong than in the attack of the weak. When stone throwing begins, it is
time for the messengerofpeace to retire. The stones may kill his person, but
cannot kill his published message,and he may be wanted elsewhere.
LESSONS.
1. Natural relationships often survive the spiritual. The natural relationship
betweenthese people and Abraham, and even betweenthem and God, still
remained, while the spiritual was all but gone. This is true of God and evil
spirits.
2. When the spiritual relationship is destroyed, the natural availeth nothing. It
is only the foundation of an empty boastand hypocritical self-righteousness,
and at last the source of painful reminiscences andcontrasts.
3. The best of fathers often have the worstof children. This is true of
Abraham, and even of God - the best Father of all.
4. Much of the religious capital of the present is derived entirely from the
past. Many claim relationship with, and boastof, the reformers and illustrous
men of bygone ages, andthis is all their stock-in-trade. Theirnames are on
their lips, while their principles are under their feet.
5. It was the chief mission of Christ to explain and establishthe spiritual
relationship betweenman and God. To establishit on a sound basis - the basis
of faith, obedience, and love. To be the real children of God and of our pious
ancestors,we must partake of their spiritual nature and principles. This Jesus
taught with fidelity, although it costhim at last a cruel cross.
6. We are indirectly indebted to the cavils of foes for some of the sublimest
revelations of Jesus ofhimself. It was so here. Their foul blasphemies, after
all, served as advantageous backgrounds to his grand pictures of incarnate
Divinity and love; so that we are not altogethersorrythat they calledhim a
"Samaritan" and a demon, as in consequence he shines forth with peculiar

brilliancy as the Friend of sinners, the Son of God, and the Saviour of
mankind. - B.T.
Biblical Illustrator
If I honour Myself, My honour is nothing.
John 8:54
The Fatherhonouring the Son
H. Bonar, D. D.
To honour is to do or to speak ofa person so as not only to show our esteem,
but to make others esteem. Thus God honoured Abel, Enoch, Abraham,
Moses,David, etc. This is specially seenin His dealings with His Son — the
purpose of His delight in Him is to secure for Him the delight of all in earth
and heaven.
I. THE BESTOWER OF THE HONOUR. The value of the honour depends
on him who bestows it. Honour bestowedfor price, or by self, unworthy
hands, or those incapable of judging, is worthless. It was no honour for Felix
to be flattered by Tertullus. The Father, however, knows what He is
bestowing, and Him on whom He is bestowing it. He is a fit judge of both the
Personand the honour. We may be well assured, therefore, that the honour
receivedby Christ is well bestowed.
II. THE RECEIVER OF THE HONOUR. The Son — very God and very
Man. The God-Man in whom the two natures meet. A new thing on earth and
in heaven. One in whom all createdand uncreated perfectionmeet. The only
one without flaw.
III. THE NATURE OF THE HONOUR.
1. It is Divine honour; but it is more. It is not only all the honour which the
Father and the Spirit receive, it is something arising out of the superadded
humanity, and which neither the Fathernor the Spirit canreceive.

2. It is human honour — honour in connectionwith His perfect manhood, of
which He is the only example, and as such is entitled to all the honour which
God intended for the race. Nay, more; honour such as Adam could not
receive, because arising from His manhood's connection with the Godhead.
Thus the Godheadgets an honour such as it could not have got save in virtue
of its connectionwith the creaturehood, and vice versa. There is in this way a
peculiar honour created, and a peculiar vesselfor receiving it. From this too
springs peculiar honour to the Father such as no one else can give.
IV. THE TIMES AND WAYS IN WHICH THIS HONOUR IS BESTOWED.
At His birth, baptism, transfiguration, resurrection, ascension, second
coming. Every day, dishonoured by man, the Father honoured Him when
here. At present, in heaven, He receives gloryand honour. Hereafterill His
kingdom, the honour is to be fully bestowed.
V. THE RESULTS OF ALL THIS. The bearings of this honour on the
universe are inconceivable. It is the pledge and measure of all the blessings the
universe shall receive forever. The results are:
1. To the Father. Through this honour the Father is more fully manifested and
glorified; for all that the Sonreceives and does is to the glory of God the
Father.
2. To the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit's office to glorify the Son, and by means
of this His Godheadis declaredand illustrated, and His wisdom and power
displayed.
3. To the whole Godhead.
4. To the Church. Christ's honour is hers; for all that He has is hers. The
Bridegroom's glory is not for Himself alone. She shares His riches, His
inheritance, His kingdom, by faith now, in reality by and by.
5. To heaven. The greatness ofthe King's honour adds to the glory of His
palace, and metropolis.

6. To angels. He is their head as well as ours, though not so closelyknit to
them as to us. They are His hosts, His servants, His royal retinue, and each
shines more brightly from the glory put upon Him.
7. To earth. At present we do not see any change, but the curse is to pass
away, and earth to be made more fair than Paradise. Forwas it not His
birthplace, and His body of its dust?
8. To the universe. Every planet and fragment of creationshall receive fresh
lustre from this newly lighted sun. Conclusion:Let us honour Christ now. He
will be honoured hereafter, but now that He receives so much dishonour let us
honour Him. Sinner, honour Him by coming to Him for salvation. The honour
which the Father puts upon Him is the security for a present pardon, and God
honours Him by blessing you.
(H. Bonar, D. D.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(54) If I honour myself, my honour is nothing.—The word rendered “honour”
is not the same as that in John 8:49. It is better to read glorify here. Following
all the better MSS. the tense is past. We have then, If I shall have glorified
Myself, My glory is nothing. Stress is to be laid upon the pronoun. “If I, for
My part, as distinct from the Father, shall have glorified Myself.”
It is my Fatherthat honoureth me.—Better, as before, . . . glorifieth Me. This
is the answerto their question, “Whom makestThou Thyself?” The attribute
of life in Himself, and the powerto communicate this to those who kept His
word, was the gift of the Fatherto the Son. (See Note on John 5:26.)
Of whom ye say, that he is your God.—Some ofthe better MSS., and most
modern editors, read . . . “He is our God.” The identification of the Father

with the Godof Israelis important. It may be, as some have supposed, that
the phrase, “He is our God,” belonged to common liturgical forms or hymns,
and was thus frequently on their lips.
BensonCommentary
John 8:54-55. Jesus answered, If I honour myself, (referring to their words,
Whom makestthou thyself?) my honour is nothing — If I should speak in
praise of myself, you would call it vain and foolish; and say to me as the
Pharisees did lately, (John 8:13,) Thou bearestrecord of thyself; thy record is
not true, nor to be regarded. Wherefore, insteadof giving a description of my
dignity, I shall only tell you, it is my Father that honoureth me, which he does
in a remarkable manner, by the miracles which he enables me to perform, by
the descentof his Spirit upon me at my baptism, and by his voice uttered from
heaven, declaring me to be his beloved Son. This I think may be sufficient to
convince you that I am able to do for my disciples what I said, especiallywhen
I tell you further, that my Father is he of whom ye say, that he is your God —
And whom you pretend to worship as such. Yet ye have not knownhim — Yet
you are ignorant of him. You neither form right conceptions ofhis attributes,
nor acknowledgehim in the manner you ought to do; so that you give the lie
to your profession. But I know him — Perfectlyand intimately; and if I
should say, I know him not — If I should retractmy pretensions to that
peculiar and intimate knowledge ofhim, which I have so often professed;I
should be a liar like unto you — And you would have reasonto doubt my
testimony as to other things. But I know him, and keephis saying — Τον
λογον, his word. I have both a perfectacquaintance with him, and obey his
laws. This clause plainly shows that Christ is not speaking here of a
speculative, but of a practical knowledge ofGod.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
8:54-59 Christ and all that are his, depend upon God for honour. Men may be
able to dispute about God, yet may not know him. Such as know not God, and
obey not the gospelof Christ, are put together, 2Th 1:8. All who rightly know
anything of Christ, earnestlydesire to know more of him. Those who discern

the dawn of the light of the Sun of Righteousness,wishto see his rising. Before
Abraham was, I AM. This speaks Abraham a creature, and our Lord the
Creator;well, therefore, might he make himself greater than Abraham. I AM,
is the name of God, Ex 3:14; it speaks his self-existence;he is the First and the
Last, everthe same, Re 1:8. Thus he was not only before Abraham, but before
all worlds, Pr 8:23; Joh 1:1. As Mediator, he was the appointed Messiah, long
before Abraham; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Re 13:8.
The Lord Jesus was made of God Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and
Redemption, to Adam, and Abel, and all that lived and died by faith in him,
before Abraham. The Jews were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he
withdrew; by his miraculous power he passedthrough them unhurt. Let us
stedfastlyprofess what we know and believe concerning God; and if heirs of
Abraham's faith, we shall rejoice in looking forward to that day when the
Saviour shall appear in glory, to the confusionof his enemies, and to complete
the salvationof all who believe in him.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
If I honour myself - If I commend or praise myself. If I had no other honor
and soughtno other honor than that which proceeds from a desire to glorify
myself.
My honour is nothing - My commendation or praise of myself would be of no
value. See the notes at John 5:31.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
54-56. If I honour myself, my honour is nothing, &c.—(Seeon[1813]Joh5:31,
&c.).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
If I honour myself, my honour is nothing; this is much the same with what our
Saviour said, John 5:31, which he seemedto contradict, John 5:14; (see the
notes on both those places);the meaning is, If I seek mine own honour and
glory; or, If I arrogate to myself what indeed doth not belong to me; or, If I
alone honour myself, which (by the next words)seemethto be the true sense of
the phrase here. My Father is he who honoureth me, by witnessing from

heaven that I am his belovedSon; by sending me into the world to accomplish
his work;by many signs and wonders: and you say, that this my Fatheris
your God. If therefore you will not give credit to me and my testimony, yet
you ought to give credit to him, whom you own as your God.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jesus answered, ifI honour myself, my honour is nothing,.... It is empty and
vain, and will not continue; see 2 Corinthians 10:18;
it is my Fatherthat honoureth me: by a voice from heaven, both at his
baptism, and transfiguration, declaring him to be his beloved Son, and by the
works and miracles he did by him; as he afterwards also honoured him by
raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand, by pouring
forth his Spirit on his disciples, and succeeding his Gospelin every place:
of whom ye say that he is your God; your covenantGod and Father, being the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;of this the Jews boasted. The Alexandrian
copy, and some others, and all the Oriental versions read, "our God".
Geneva Study Bible
{18} Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is {s} nothing: it is my
Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
(18) There is no one further from seeking glorythan Christ, but his Father
has sethim above all things.
(s) In saying this Christ grants their opinion, though not agreeing with it, as if
he had said, Be it so, let this report which I give of myself be of no force;yet
there is another that glorifies me, that is, that honours my name.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
John 8:54-55. Justificationagainstthe charge of self-exaltationcontainedin
the words τίνα σεαυτ. ποιεῖς. Jesus gives this justification a generalform, and
then proceeds to make a specialdeclarationregarding Abraham, which makes
it clearthat He is really greaterthan Abraham.

ἐγὼ
ἐμαυτόν]emphatic designationof self (comp. John 5:30-31, John 7:17);
δοξάσω, however, is not the future [see the criticalnotes] (although ἐάν with
the indicative is not absolutelyto be condemned; see on Luke 19:40; Matthew
18:19), but, according to regular usage, the Conj. Aor.: in case I shall have
glorified myself.
ἔστιν ὁ πατήρμου, etc.]my Father is the one who glorifies me, He is my
glorifier. The Partic. Praes. withthe article has a substantival force, and
denotes habitual, continuous doing; hence it refers not merely to a particular
mode and act of δοξάζεινexclusively, but to its whole course (in the works
wrought, in the divine testimonies, and in His final glorification).
ὃν ὑμεῖς λέγετε, etc.]On the construction see John10:36. Comp. on John 5:27,
John 9:19; Acts 21:29. Jesus unfolds to them why this activity of God, by
which He is honoured, is hidden from them; notwithstanding, namely, their
theocratic fancy, “it is our God,” they have not known God.[37]Jesus, onthe
contrary, is certain that He knows Him,[38] and keeps His word.
ὅμοιος ὑμῶνψεύστης] a liar like unto you. “Mendax estqui vel affirmat
neganda, vel negat affirmanda,” Bengel. The charge points back to John 8:44;
ὅμοιος with the Gen. as in Theophr. H. pl. ix. 11, also Xen. Anab. iv. 1. 17;see
Bornemann, ad h. l.
ἀλλά] but, far from being such a liar.

τὸν λόγ. αὐτ. τηρῶ]exactly as in John 8:51. The entire life and work of Christ
were in truth one continuous surrender to the counselof God, and obedience
(Php 2:8; Romans 5:19; Hebrews 5:8) to the divine will, whose injunctions He
constantly discernedin His fellowship with the Father, John 4:34. Comp. as to
the subject-matter, John 8:29.
[37] Notbecause they held another divine being, their ownnational god, to be
the highest(Hilgenfeld); but because they had formed false conceptions ofthe
one true God, who had manifested Himself in the Old Test., and had not
understood His highestrevelation in Christ, in consequenceoftheir blindness
and hardness of heart. Comp. ver. 19, and see Weiss, Lehrbegr. p. 60 f. In
Hilgenfeld’s view, indeed, John teaches that the Jewishreligion, as to its
substance, was the work of the Demiurge, and it was only without his
knowledge that the Logos hid in it the germs of the highest religion! By the
same exegesisby which this doctrine is derived from John, one might very
easilyshow it to be taught by Paul, especiallyin the sharp antagonismhe
assumes betweenνόμος and χάρις,—ifone desired, i.e. if one were willing to
bring down this apostle to the period of transition from the Valentinian to the
Marcionite Gnosis.
[38] Regarding Himself, Jesus does not sayἔγνωκα (although consideredin
itself He might have said it, comp. John 17:25), because He here speaks in the
consciousnessofHis immediate, essentialknowledgeofthe Father.—
According to Ewald, the words, “It is our God,” contain an allusion to well-
known songs and prayers which were constantly repeated. But the frequent
occurrence of“our God” in the O. T. is quite sufficient to explain their
import.
Expositor's Greek Testament
John 8:54. To their question Jesus, as usual, gives no categoricalanswer, but
replies first by repelling the insinuation containedin their question and then
by showing that He was greaterthan Abraham (see Plummer).—Ἐὰν ἐγὼ

δοξάζω. “If I shall have glorified myself, my glory is nothing; my Fatheris He
who glorifieth me.” He cannot getthem to understand that it is not self-
assertionon His part which prompts His claims, but fulfilment of His Father’s
commission. This “Father” ofwhom He speaks andwho thus glorifies Him is
the same ὃν ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι … “ofwhom you say that He is your God?”. His
witness therefore you ought to receive;and the reasonwhy you do not is this,
οὐκ ἐγνώκατε αὐτόν, ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα αὐτόν, “you have not learned to know Him,
but I know Him”. The former verb denotes knowledge acquired, by teaching
or by observation;in contrastto the latter, which denotes direct and essential
knowledge.—καὶ ἐὰνεἴπω … τηρῶ. So far from the affirmations of Jesus
regarding His connectionwith the Father being false, He would be false, a liar
and like them, were He to deny that He enjoyed direct knowledge ofGod.
“But, on the contrary, I know Him and all I do, even that which offends you,
is the fulfilment of His commission, the keeping of His word.”
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
54. If I honour myself] Better, If I shall have glorified Myself, My glory is
nothing. It is not the same word as is rendered ‘honour’ in John 8:49,
therefore another English word is desirable. There is My Father who
glorifieth Me—in miracles and the Messianicwork generally. Comp. John
8:50.
54–56.Christ first answers the insinuation that He is vain-glorious, implied in
the question ‘whom makestThou Thyself?’ Then He shews that He really is
greaterthan Abraham.
Bengel's Gnomen
John 8:54. Ἀπεκρίθη, answered)He refutes those words [of last ver.] thou
thyself.—ὃν ὑμεῖς λέγετε, ὅτι Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐστι) A very similar construction
occurs, ch. John 10:36, ὃν ὁ πατὴρἡγίασε—ὑμεῖς λέγετε, ὃτι βλασφημεῖς. Also
Galatians 1:23, “ἀκούοντες ᾖσανὃτι ὁ διώκωνἡμᾶς ποτὲ νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται
τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει, καὶ ἐδόξαζονἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν Θεὸν;” Jam 1:13, “μηδεὶς
πειραζόμενος λεγέτω ὅτι ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πειράζομαι,” andJoshua 22:34 in the Heb.,

“The children of Reuben and Gad, calledthe altar Ed: for it shall be a witness
betweenus,” etc. For the Septuag. have αὐτῶν for ἡμῶν; as in this passage
some have written ὑμῶν for ἡμῶν [So [230][231][232][233][234]Rec. Text.
But [235][236]and Vulg. have ἩΜῶΝ.—ΛΈΓΕΤΕ,ye say)] falsely.
[230]the Vatican MS., 1209:in Vat. Iibr., Rome:fourth cent.:O. and N. Test.
def.
[231]Bezæ, or Cantabrig.: Univ. libr., Cambridge: fifth cent.:publ. by
Kipling, 1793:Gospels, Acts, and some Epp. def.
[232]Vercellensis ofthe old ‘Itala,’ or Latin Version before Jerome’s,
probably made in Africa, in the secondcentury: the Gospels.
[233]Veronensis, do.
[234]Colbertinus, do.
[235]the Alexandrine MS.:in Brit. Museum: fifth century: publ. by Woide,
1786–1819:O. and N. Test. defective.
[236]Ephræmi Rescriptus:Royallibr., Paris:fifth or sixth cent.:publ. by
Tisch. 1843:O. and N. T. def.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 54. - Our Lord does not immediately or directly reply to their question.
He was not making himself to be anything. He was simply declaring the fact.

He does not return on the astounding assertionof ver. 51, but confirms it by
reaffirming his own relation to the Father, and that sense ofabsolute and
perfect union with the Fatheron which his entire ministry was based. Jesus
answered, If I glorify myself - if I, from the ground of my own human
consciousness, andapart from the Father who is with me and in me, and who
"seekethmy glory" (ver. 50), if I have no unique relation and access to the
Father, as you Jews seemto imply - then my glory - the glory of giving eternal
life, of conferring perfect freedom and sonshipupon those who continue in
and keepmy word; then all this glory which I claim - is nothing. But neither is
the hypothesis one of fact, nor is the conclusion(fair enoughon that
hypothesis) a truth. "I am not glorifying myself, making myself anything
other than I am." It is my Fatherwho is glorifying me (cf. ver. 50, both for
constructionand sense);of whom ye say, that he is our [your] God. They
claimed for themselves that they were "of God," and that the Fatherof whom
he spake was no other than their God and Fatheras wellas his. But they have
not comprehended their ownScriptures nor God's providence, nor all the
revelation which the Fatherwas making of himself in the Son; while their
specialand monopolizing claim concealedfrom them the face of the Father.
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
What does John 8:54 mean? [⇑ See verse text ⇑]
Jesus has already pointed out that the words and works He does are under the
commands of God the Father (John 8:26). He is not seeking attention or self-
promotion, and has always given credit to God (John 8:50). Since He is
supported by evidence from God, such as miracles (John 5:36) and Scripture
(John 5:39–40), Jesus'words oughtto be accepted. Instead, those who seek to
have Jesus killed (John 5:18; John 7:1) are being stubborn. They keep
misinterpreting Jesus words because they do not want to know the truth
(John 7:17; John 8:43).

Prior to this, Jesus has pointed out that His critics act more like the devil than
Abraham (John 8:44). They lie, they use violence, and they rejectGod by
rejecting Christ (John 6:29). Here, Jesus willbegin to make this condemnation
even more direct, literal, and pointed. This begins with Jesus confronting their
claims to follow God. As pointed out before, those who truly follow God are
meant to listen to His message(John6:37). Those who rejectGod's Word
cannot claim to be part of His family (John 8:37–38), and are damned to die
for their sins (John 8:21).
As continued in the next verse, Jesus willdirectly call this claim—that
Jerusalem's religious leaders follow God—a lie. These men, who
hypocritically protecttheir own power insteadof following the truth, do not
know God. https://www.bibleref.com/John/8/John-8-54.html
THE GLORY OF CHRIST
"I seek not mine own glory."--John8:50.
FROM THIS point our Lord begins to speak ofhis glory, as if He already
beheld its dawn, and pressed on with renewedspeedto where it beckoned;
although the dark ravine of death lay betweenHim and its sunny heights. The
Shekinahthat shone within the veil of his human nature was, for the most
part, veiled from all besides;except that once on the mount of transfiguration
it burst from all restraint, and saturated his human nature with torrents of
light, so that the favoured three beheld his glory. But, speaking generally, it
was veiled, and the curtains kept close drawn. The time was coming when He
should be glorified; and it shall be our task reverently to considerthe elements
of which that glory was composed, andthe conditions on which it rested.
In the olden time, Moses askedto see God's glory. It is difficult to understand
what he precisely meant by his request. Did he think that some superb

processionwouldsweepdown the mountain rent, in which the loftiest
archangels shouldtake a part, as the body-guard of Deity? Did he expectsome
supernatural unfolding of the mysteries of light, or of fire, or of the spirit-
world? We cannot tell. But we eagerlynotice that, in his reply, Godspake of
none of these things; but said, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee."
The prayer to behold God's glory was answeredby a catalogue ofthe moral
qualifies of the Divine nature. In other words, we may acceptthe affirmation
of ProfessorDrummond, and say that glory means character, or, rather, the
revelation of character;so that those who behold it, keenin their appreciation
of moral worth, may be constrainedto admire and imitate. The glory of Jesus
is, surely, the manifested beauty of his matchless character.
In speaking or thinking of the glory of the Lord Jesus, we must ever
distinguish, as He did, betweenthe glory which He had with the Fatherbefore
the worlds were made, and that glory which accruedto Him as the result of
his human life. The former was his by inherited right, as the fellow of
Jehovah;the other was given to Him by his Father as the rewardand guerdon
for his obedience to death. The one is incommunicable, the unique property of
his Deity; the other is transferable, for He graciouslyspeaksofpassing it on to
his own. For the first, see John17:5; for the second, see John17:1, 22, 24.
That He might the better preserve his incognito (if we may reverently so term
it), and become a merciful and faithful High Priest, by a through participation
in our human life, He laid aside the evidences ofhis Divine glory. To use the
expressive word of the Holy Ghost, "He emptied Himself." And so He set
Himself to win that glory which should result from a perfected character, and
from suffering even unto death. It is of this that He speaks,whenHe says, "I
seek not mine ownglory." Let it be clearlyunderstood that it is of his glory, as
the Sonof Man and the obedient servant, that we are now speaking.
I. THE MOTIVE OF CHRIST'S DESIRE FOR GLORY.
That He desiredglory is evident. Did He not directly ask for it?--"Father,
glorify thy Son." Was there not an accentof satisfactionin his twice-repeated
ejaculation--first, when He heard of the inquiry by the Greeks, andagain
when Judas went out to do the fatal deed of treachery--"Now is the Son of

Man glorified!" Are we not warranted in believing that it was the anticipation
of the glory into which He must pass through suffering that quickenedhis
pace into the valley of the Shadow? (Luke 24:26).
And yet we cannot believe that our Mastersoughtglory for any selfish end.
This He could not do. He said explicitly, "I seek notmine ownglory." There
was not the shadow of personalambition resting as a cloud over that pure and
noble heart. But He desired glory, that He might shed it back againupon his
Father.
It was the supreme passionof his being to glorify the Father. As He descended
into the dark valley, this was his one cry, "Father, glorify thy name!" Deeper
and deeperstill He went; and this same entreaty, breaking from his agonized
heart, comes back to us yet fainter, and ever fainter. "Now is my soul
troubled; and what shall I say? Father, glorify thy name!" Perhaps even the
love of the race and the desire to redeem had failed to support his fainting
soul, unless his resolution had been empoweredand maintained by this all-
master-full desire. He was greedy, therefore, of every vestige of glory that He
could win by suffering, even though it were unto death; that He might be able,
though it were with but a feather-weightadditional, to augment the revenue of
glory which, through Him, should accrue to God. "Now is the Son of Man
glorified, and Godis glorified in Him." Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may
glorify Thee."
What an example He has left us that we should follow in his steps!Human
applause, and admiration, and reward, would not hurt us, if we gathered
them all only as the vinedressers pluck the produce of the vines for
presentationto the owner of the vineyard. It is a high ideal, and yet evidently
the Apostle thought it attainable; else he would not have exhorted his converts
to seek that glory even in their meals (1Cor. 10:31). But it is only so that we
can come into the deepestfellowship with our Saviour, when we, too, have so
drunk of his spirit that we become absorbedin the same supreme object, and
seek forthe prizes of our high calling that we may castthem at the feetof
God. That God may be better understood, and admired, and loved through
our life; that men may turn from us to Him as from the jewelto the sunlight

in which it sparkles;that more hearts may be brought beneath his sway--be
this our aim, at all costs to ourselves.
II. THE DIRECTIONSIN WHICH HIS DESIRE WAS REALIZED.
The Apostle Petersays, "Godgave Him glory" (1Pet. 1:21). In what did that
glory consist?
(1) In the indwelling of God in his human nature.-
The glory of the desertacacia-bushwas in the fire that burnt there; of the
tabernacle in the Shekinah glow;of Zion that God had chosento dwell there.
And the glory of our Lord, as to his human nature, was that in Him the Divine
and human blended in perfectunion; that the Father dwelt in Him, spake and
wrought in Him; and that He was the perfect vehicle for the expressionof the
incorruptible life, which was, and is, and is to come. This was the glory which
the Apostles beheld expressedon the Holy Mount.
(2) In his perfect endurance of the severesttests.
The whole brunt of evil broke on Him, as the roll of the Atlantic breakeron
some weather-beatenrock. It is impossible to imagine tests more searching
and complete than those through which He passed;in journeyings often; in
conflicts with the Phariseesand Sadducees;in conflicts with his own brethren;
in conflict with the devils that possessedthe afflicted; in conflict above all with
the prince of this world in that last terrible duel of the cross;in weariness and
painfulness; in watchings often; in hunger and thirst; in fastings often; in
bloody sweatand nakedness;in the anguish of God-forsakennessandof
dissolution. But, so far from being overcome, He rose out of eachsuccessive
test, having setforth in perfectbeauty the appropriate grace whichit
demanded, and absorbedthe whole force of the trial with which He was
confronted; so that it passedinto Him, and became an addition to his moral
strength, as the savagewarriors think that the strength of eachfoe they slayin
battle becomes incorporatedinto themselves.
(3) In the benefits which He has conferredon men.

There is no glory so dear to the noble heart as that accruing from helpfulness
to others. When it comes we cannotbe inflated with pride, because we are
already so thankful to know of the blessing which we have been the means of
bestowing. And, ah, what glory was it to the blessedLord, that He has
delivered us from the consequencesofAdam's sin; that He has borne awaythe
sins of the world; that He has opened the kingdom to all believers; that He has
made it possible for sinful creatures to receive and be impelled by the very
Spirit of God; that He has obtained for us a life which is death-proof, sin-
proof, devil-proof, the essenceand crownof blessedness!To be loved as
Saviour, to be trusted as Priest, to be enthroned as King, to receive the
unutterable devotion of myriads, and to be able to help them to the uttermost-
-this surely is one prime elementin his glory.
(4) In the exaltation of his nature.
"The God of our fathers," said Peter, "hath glorified his Son Jesus." And in
his mouth, fresh from the scenes ofthe Ascensionand of Pentecost, these
words referred to the glory of his exaltation (Acts 2:32, 33; 3:13). We are told
that, as a guerdon for his tears and obedience, the Father gave Him a name
above every name, and set Him at his own right hand far above all creature
life. But this was only possible because his nature was already supreme in its
quality. It was no arbitrary act of enthronement; it was the recognitionof
superlative worth. And as He that descendedascends farabove all heavens,
that He might fill all things with floods of light, there is given an evidence of
the glory of his being, of which the princes of this world were ignorant, but
which now shines forth to illuminate all worlds.
These are but the guessesand babblings of a child; yet do they seemtracks
that lead our feet towards the heart of this marvellous subject. But who shall
tell of the love of the heart of God towards his Son, or of its expression? Here
are depths which must be hidden from our scrutiny. As it was the passionof
Christ to glorify the Father, so it was the passionof "the Fatherof glory" to
glorify the Son. Yes, and as yet that glorification is only in its beginnings; the
first stages alone ofthe coronationand enthronement of Jesus "in all his
glory" have takenplace:the full outburst of his meridian splendour is yet
future. Ah, we are yet to behold some wondrous scenes, whichwill ravish our

eyes and fill our hearts with an exceeding weightof glory! "God shall also
glorify Him in Himself, and shall straightwayglorify Him." And we shall
behold his glory, nay, better, share it for ever and ever (John 13:31, 32; 17:22,
23, 24).
III. THE COST AT WHICH HIS DESIRE WAS REALIZED.
The glory glistens in our view, but we are not always ready to considerits cost.
The only path to the glory is that which lies through the tangled thorn-brake
of sorrow. The corn of wheatmust fall into the ground and die, lying alone
and forsakenthrough the winter with its pitiless blasts and frost. He must
descendere He can ascend. Painmust inflict the wounds in which the pearls of
untold glory shall glisten.
Nor canit be otherwise with ourselves. We must be witnesses ofthe sufferings,
if we would be partakers of the glory to be revealed; only as we suffer canwe
reign with Him; there must be fellowshipwith his sufferings if there shall be
attainment to his resurrection;we must drink of his cup and be baptized with
his baptism, if we would sit right and left of his throne.
But let us not invent death for ourselves;let us put our hands into his, and ask
Him to lead us down one step at a time whither He will. It must be right to go
where He takes us. It cannot be dreadful when He is there. He will not give us
more than we canbear, because his own experience of pain will be a safe
guide in his dealings with us. And, as we go down with Him into darkness and
death, let us sing with assuredhope, as He did, "Thou wilt not leave my soul
in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt
show Me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand
there are pleasures for evermore."
F. B. MEYER
PINK

Christ, the Light of the World (Concluded)
John 8:33-59
The passageforour present considerationcontinues and completes the
portion studied in our last chapter. It brings before us Christ as the Light
revealing the hidden things of darkness, exposing the pretensions of religious
professors, andmaking manifest the awful depths of human depravity. We
shall miss that in it which is of most importance and value if we localize it, and
see in these verses nothing more than the recordof a conversationbetweenthe
Lord and men long since past and gone. We need to remind ourselves
constantly that the Word of God is a living Word, depicting things as they
now are, describing the opposition and activities of the carnalmind as they
obtain today, and giving counselwhich is strictly pertinent to ourselves. It is
from this viewpoint we shall discuss this closing sectionof John 8. Below we
give a Summary of our passage:—
1. Bondage and liberty: verses 33-36.
2. Abraham’s seedand Abraham’s children: verses 37-40.
3. Children of the Devil and children of God: verses 41-47.
4. Christ dishonored by men, the Fatherhonored by Christ: verses 48-50.
5. Life and death: verses 51-55.
6. Abraham and Christ: verses 56-58.
7. The Savior leaves the Temple: verse 59.
"They answeredhim, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to
any man: how sayestthou, Ye shall be made free?" (John 8:33). This was the
reply made by the Jews to the words of the Lord recordedin the previous
verses. There we find Him describing the fundamental characteristic ofa
genuine disciple of His: he is one who continues in Christ’s word (verse 31, re-
read our comments thereon). The one who continues in the Word shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make him free (verse 32). But to be told about

being made free is something the natural man does not like to hear. The plain
implication is that before he knows the truth he is in bondage. And such
indeed is the case, little as men realize or recognize the fact. There are four
things about themselves which are particularly hateful, because so humbling,
to the unregenerate. First, that they are destitute of righteousness (Isa. 64:6)
and goodness(Rom. 7:18), and therefore "unclean" (Isa. 64:6) and "vile" (Job
40:4). Second, that they are destitute of wisdom from John 3:11 and therefore
full of "vanity" (Ps. 39:5) and "foolishness"(Prov. 22:15). Third, that they are
destitute of "strength" from verse 6 and "power" (Isa. 40:29), and therefore
unable to do anything goodof or from themselves (John 15:5). Fourth, that
they are destitute of freedom (Isa. 61:1), and therefore in a state of bondage (2
Pet. 2:19).
The condition of the natural man is far, far worse than he imagines, and far
worse than the average preacherand Sunday schoolteachersupposes.Manis
a fallen creature, totally depraved, with no soundness in him from the sole of
his footeven unto the head (Isa. 1:6). He is completely under the dominion of
sin (John 8:34), a bond-slave to divers lusts (Titus 3:3), so that he "cannot
ceasefrom sin" (2 Pet. 2:14). Moreover, the natural man is thoroughly under
the dominion of it. He is takencaptive by the Devil at his will (2 Tim. 2:26). He
walks according to the Prince of the powerof the air, the spirit that now
workethin the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). He fulfills the lusts of his
father, the Devil (John 8:44). He is completelydominated by Satan’s power
(Col. 1:13). And from this thraldom nothing but the truth of God can deliver.
Ye shall be made free (John 8:33). As already stated, this signifies that the
natural man is in bondage. But this is a truth that the natural man cannot
tolerate. The very announcement of it stirs up the enmity within him. Tell the
sinner that there is no goodthing in him, and he will not believe you; but tell
him that he is completely the slave of sin and the captive of Satan, that he
cannot think a godly thought of himself (2 Cor. 3:5), that he cannot receive
God’s truth (1 Cor. 2:14), that he cannot believe (John 12:39), that he cannot
please God(Rom. 8:8), that he cannot come to Christ (John 6:44), and he will
indignantly deny your assertions. So it was here in the passagebefore us.
When Christ said "the truth shall make you free", the Jews replied "We be
Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man."

The proud boastof these Jews was utterly unfounded; nothing could have
been further from the truth. The very first view which Scripture gives us of
Abraham’s seedafter they became a nation, is in bitter and cruel bondage
(Ex. 2). Seven times over in the book of Judges we read of God delivering or
selling Israelinto the hands of the Canaanites. The seventy-years captivity in
Babylon also gave the lie to the words of these Jews, and even at the time they
spoke, the Romans were their masters. It was therefore the height of
absurdity and a manifest departure from the truth for them to affirm that the
seedof Abraham had never been in bondage. Yet no more untenable and
erroneous was this than the assertionsofpresent-day errorists who prate so
loudly of the freedom of the natural man, and who so hot]y deny that his will
is enslavedby sin. "How sayestthou, Ye shall be made free?":equally
ignorant are thousands in the religious world today. Deliverance from the
Law, emancipationfrom bad habits they have heard about, but real spiritual
freedom they understand not, and cannot while they remain in ignorance
about the universal bondage of sin.
"Jesus answeredthem, Verily, verily, I sayunto you, Whosoevercommitteth
sin is the servant [bond-slave] of sin" (John 8:34). In saying "whosoever... is
the bondslave" Christ was intimating to these Jews that they were no
exceptionto the generalrule, even though they belongedto the favored seedof
Abraham. Christ was not speaking ofa particular class ofmen more lawless
than their fellows, but was affirming that which is true of every man in his
natural condition. "Whosoevercommitteth sin," refers to the regular
practice, the habitual course of a man’s life. Here is one thing which
distinguishes the Christian from the non-Christian. The Christian sins, and
sins daily; but the non-Christian does nothing but sin. The Christian sins, but
he also repents; moreover, he does goodworks, andbrings forth the fruit of
the Spirit. But the life of the unregenerate man is one unbroken course of sin.
Sin, we say, not crime. Watercannot rise above its own level. Being a sinner
by nature, man is a sinner by practice, and cannot be anything else. A corrupt
tree cannotbring forth goodfruit. A poisonedfountain cannot send forth
sweetwaters. Because the sinner has no spiritual nature within him, because
he is totally depraved and in complete bondage to sin, because he does nothing

for God’s glory, every actionis polluted, every deed unacceptable to the Holy
One.
"Whosoevercommitteth sin is the bond-slave of sin." How different are God’s
thoughts from ours! The man of the world imagines that to become a
Christian means to forego his freedom. He supposes that he would be fettered
with a lot of restrictions which nullified his liberty. But these very
suppositions only evidence the fact that the god of this world (Satan) has
blinded his mind (2 Cor. 4:4). The very opposite from what he supposes is
really the case. It is the one out of Christ, not the one in Christ, who is in
bondage—in"the bond of iniquity" (Acts 8:23). He is impelled by the
downward trend of his nature, and the very freedom which the sinner
supposes he is exercising in the indulgence of his evil propensities is only
additional proof that he is the "bond-slave of sin." The love of self, the love of
the world, the love of money, the love of pleasure—these are the tyrants which
rule over all who are out of Christ. Happy the one who is consciousofsuch
bondage, for this is the first steptoward liberty.
"And the bond-slave abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth
ever" (John 8:35). The commentators are far from being in agreementin their
interpretation of this verse, though we think there is little room for differences
of opinion upon it. The "bond-slave" is the same characterreferred to in the
previous verse—the one who makes a constantpractice of sinning. Such an
one abideth not in the house forever—the "house" signifies family, as in the
House of Jacob, the House of Israel, the House of God (Heb. 3:5, 6). We take it
that our Lord was simply enunciating a generalprinciple or stating a well-
known fact, namely, that a slave has only a temporary place in a family. The
application of this principle to those He was addressing is obvious. The Jews
insisted that they were Abraham’s seed(verse 32), that they belongedto the
favored family, whose were the covenants and promises. But, says our Lord,
the mere factthat you are the natural descendants ofAbraham, gives you no
title to the blessings whichbelong to his spiritual children. This was
impossible while they remained the bond-slaves of sin. Unless they were
"made free" they would soonbe cut off even from the temporary place of
external privilege.

"But the Sonabideth ever." These words point a contrast. The slave’s place
was uncertain, and at best temporary, but the Son’s place in the family is
permanent—no doubt the word "abideth" here (as everywhere) suggests the
additional thought of fellowship. The history of Abraham’s family well
illustrated this fact, and probably Christ has the case ofIshmael and Isaac in
mind when He uttered these words. "The Son abideth ever." Though this
statementenunciated a generalprinciple—some-thing that is true of every
member of God’s family—yet the direct reference was clearlyto Christ
Himself, as the next verse makes plain, for "the Son" of verse 36 is clearly
restrictedto the Lord Jesus.
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).
The "therefore" here settles the application of the previous verse. "The Son"
is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is able to make free the
bond-slaves of sin because He is the Son. The Son is no bond-slave in the
Father’s family, but He is one in purpose and power with the Father; He is in
perfect fellowshipwith Him, and therefore He is fully competent to liberate
those under the tyranny of sin and the dominion of Satan. To make His people
"free" was the centralobject in view in the Divine incarnation. The first
ministerial utterance of Christ was to the effect that the Spirit of the Lord had
anointed Him to preach "deliverance to the captives... to set at liberty them
that are bruised" or "bound" (Luke 4:18). And so thoroughly are men under
the thraldom of sin, so truly do they love darkness rather than light, they have
to be made free. (cf. "maketh me to lie down" Psalm 23.)
"Ye shall be free indeed." Free from what? This brings before us the truth of
Christian freedom: a most important subject, but one too wide to discuss here
at any length.[1] To sum up in the fewestpossible words, we would say that
Christian liberty, spiritual liberty, consists ofthis: First, deliverance from the
condemnation of sin, the penalty of the law, the wrath of God—Isaiah42:7;
60:1; Romans 8:1. Second, deliverance from the power of Satan—Acts 26:18;
Colossians 1:13;Hebrews 2:14, 15. Third, from the bondage of sin—Romans
6:14, 18. Fourth, from the authority of man—Galatians 4:8, 9; 5:1; Colossians
2:20-22. So much for the negative side; now a word on the positive.

Christians are delivered from the things just mentioned that they may be free
to serve God. The believer is "the Lord’s freeman" (1 Cor. 7:22), not Christ’s
freeman, observe, but "the Lord’s," a Divine title which ever emphasizes our
submission to His authority. When a sinner is savedhe is not free to follow the
bent of his old nature, for that would be lawlessness. Spiritualfreedom is not
license to do as I please, but emancipation from the bondage of sin and Satan
that I may do as I ought: "that we being delivered out of the hand of our
enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before
him, all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74, 75). Romans 6:16-18 and 22 contains
a Divine summary of the positive side of this subject: let the reader give it
careful and prayerful study.
"I know that ye are Abraham’s seed;but ye seek to kill me, because my word
hath no place in you" (John 8:37). Our Lord’s objectin these words is
evident. He was further emphasizing the fact that though these Jews were the
seedof Abraham, they certainly were not the children of God. Proof of this
was furnished by the awful enmity then at work in their hearts. They sought
(earnestlydesired) to kill Him who was the Son. Certainly then, they were not
God’s children. Moreover, His word had no place in them—the Greek word
translated "no place" signifies no entrance. They receivedit not (contrast1
Thessalonians 2:13). They were merely wayside hearers. It is this which
distinguishes, essentially, a saved man from a lostone. The former is one who
receives with meekness the engraftedWord (James 1:21). He hides that Word
in his heart (Ps. 119:11). The believer gives that Word the place of trust, of
honor, of rule, of love. The man of the world gives the Word no place because
it is too spiritual, too holy, too searching. He is filled with his ownconcerns,
and is too busy and crowdedto give the Word of God a realplace of attention.
Unspeakablysolemn are those awful words of Christ to all such: "He that
rejectethme, and receivethnot my words, hath one that judgeth him: the
word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John
12:48).
"I speak that which I have seenwith my Father: and ye do that which ye have
seenwith your father" (John 8:38). Christ further emphasizes the infinite gulf
which separatedthese Jews from Himself. In the previous verse He had
furnished proof that these men who were the seedof Abraham certainly were

not the children of God. Here He leads up to their real parentage. In the first
part of this verse our Lord insists that the doctrine He taught was what He
had receivedfrom the Father, and its very nature and tendency clearly
showedwho His Father was. Its spirituality evidencedthat it proceededfrom
the thrice Holy One: its unworldliness testified to the fact that it came from
Him who is Spirit: its benignity showedit was from Him who is Love. Such
was His Father.
"Ye do that which ye have seenwith your father.’ . . . Your actions tell who
your father is, as My doctrine tells who My Fatheris.’ In both cases ‘father’
here seems to mean spiritual model—the being after whom the characteris
fashioned—the being, under whose influences the moral and spiritual frame is
formed. The thought that lies at the bottom of this representationis, ‘Men’s
sentiments and conductare things that are formed, and indicate the character
of him who forms them. Your actions, which are characterizedby falsehood
and malignity, distinctly enough prove, that, in a moral and spiritual point of
view, neither Abraham, nor the God of Abraham, is your father. The former
of your spiritual characteris not in heaven, whereverelse he may be foundí"
(Dr. J. Brown).
"They answeredand said unto him, Abraham is our father" (John 8:39).
These Jews surelyhad a suspicionof whither our Lord’s remarks in the
previous verse were pointing; but they pretended not to observe, and sought
to represent Him as a calumniator of Abraham. When they said, "Abraham is
our father," it was but the self-righteousnessofthe natural man exhibiting
itself. They were contrasting themselves from the heathen. ‘The heathen are in
bondage we allow;but You are now talking to those who belong to the
covenantpeople: we belong to the JewishChurch,’ this was the force of their
remarks. It is not difficult to perceive how well this describes what is a matter
of common observationtoday. Let the servantof God preachin the churches
of this land on the ruined and lost condition of the natural man; let him
faithfully apply his message to those present; and the result will be the same
as here. The greatmass of religious professors, who have a form of godliness
but know nothing and manifest nothing of its power, will hotly resent being
classedwith those on the outside. They will tell you, We belong to the true
Church, we are Christians, not infidels.

"Jesus saithunto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works
of Abraham" (John 8:39). Very simple, yet very searching was this. The
"seed" ofAbraham Christ acknowledgedthem to be (verse 37), but the
"children" of Abraham they certainly were not. Natural descentfrom their
illustrious progenitordid not bring them into the family of God. Abraham is
"the father" only of "them that believe" (Rom. 4:11). This distinction is
specificallydrawn in Romans 9:7: "Neither, because they are the seedof
Abraham, are they all children." "Children" of Abraham refers to a spiritual
relationship; "seed" ofAbraham is only a fleshly tie, and "the flesh profiteth
nothing" (John 6:63).
"If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham." Here
was and still is the decisive test. Natural descentcounts for nothing, it is a
spiritual relationship with God which is the greatdesideratum. The profession
of our lips amounts to nothing at all if it be not confirmed by the characterof
our lives. Talk is cheap; it is our works, whatwe do, which evidences what we
really are. A tree is knownby its fruits. The "works ofAbraham" were works
of faith and obedience—faithin God and submissionto His Word. But His
Word had "no place in them." Idle then was their boast. Equally so is that of
multitudes today, who sayLord, Lord, but do not the things which He has
commanded.
"But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have
heard of God: this did not Abraham" (John 8:40). "Abraham acted not thus.
If ye were Abraham’s children in a spiritual sense—ifyou were conformed to
his character—youwouldimitate his conduct. But your conduct is the very
reverse of his. You are desiring and plotting the murder of a man who never
injured you, whose only crime is that He has made known to you important
and salutary, but unpalatable truth. Abraham never did anything like this. He
readily receivedevery communication made from heaven. He never inflicted
injury on any man, far less on a Divine messenger, who was merely doing his
duty. No, no! If children are like their parents, Abraham is not your father.
He whose deeds you do, he is your father" (Dr. J. Brown).
"Ye do the deeds of your father. Then saidthey to him, We be not born of
fornication; we have one Father, even God" (John 8:41). When the Jews

replied, "We be not born of fornication,’’ we take it that they meant, ‘We are
not bastard Jews, whosebloodhas been contaminatedwith idolatrous
alliances, as is the case with the Samaritans.’It seems likely that this word
was provokedby what our Lord had said in verse 35—"the bond-slave
abideth not in the house," which was an oblique reference to Ishmael. If so,
their words signified, ‘We are genuine descendants ofAbraham; we are
children not of the concubine, but of the wife.’
"We have one Father, even God." How this same claim is being made on
every side today! Those in far-distant lands may be heathen; but America is a
Christian country. Such is the view which is held by the greatmajority of
church members. The universal Fatherhoodof God and the universal
brotherhood of man are the favorite dogmas of Christendom: "We have one
Father, even God" is the belief and boastof the greatreligious masses.How
this justifies our opening remark, that the passagebefore us is not to be
limited to a conversationwhich took place nineteen hundred years ago, but
also contains a representationof human nature as it exists today, manifesting
the same spirit of self-righteousness, appealing to the same false ground of
confidence, and displaying the same enmity againstthe Christ of God.
"Jesus saidunto them, If God were your father, ye would love me: for I
proceededforth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent
me" (John 8:42). This was an indirect but plain denial that God was their
Father. If they were the children of God they would love Him, and if they
loved Him they would most certainly love His only begottenSon, for "he that
loveth him that begat, loveth him that is begottenof him" (1 John 5:1). But
they did not love Christ. Though He was the image of the invisible God, the
brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, they despised
and rejectedHim. They were the bond-slaves of sin (verse 34); Christ’s Word
had no place in them (verse 37); they soughtto kill Him (verse 40). Their
boasttherefore was an empty one; their claim utterly unfounded.
"Why do ye not understand my speech? evenbecause ye cannot hear my
word" (John 8:43). Christ was here addressing Himself to their consciences.
His question—no doubt there was a pause before He answeredit—ought to
have exercisedtheir hearts. Why do you not understand My speech? You

claim to be the children of the Father, why then are My words so obscure and
mysterious to you? My language is that of the Father, surely then there is
something wrong somewhere!The same question comes with equal pertinency
to every one who hears the Word of God today. If that Word comes to me as
that of an unknown tongue, then this shows I am a strangerto God. If 1
understand not His speech, I cannot be one of His children. That does not
mean, of course, that I shall be able to fathom the infinite depths of His
wonderful Word. But, speaking characteristically, if I understand not His
speech—whichis addressednot to the intellect but to the heart—then there is
every reasonwhy I should gravely inquire as to the cause ofthis.
"Even because ye cannothear my word." The word "hear" (an Hebrew
idiom) signifies to receive and believe—compare John9:27; 10:3; 12:47; Acts
3:22, 23, etc. And why was it that these Jews "couldnot hear" His Word? It
was because they were children in whom was no faith (Deut. 32:20). It was
because they had no ear for God, no heart for His Word, no desire to learn
His will. Proofpositive was this that they were dead in trespasses andsins,
and therefore not children of God. Unspeakablysolemn is this. Hearing God’s
Word is an attitude of heart. We speak now not of the Divine side, for true it is
that the Lord Himself must prepare the heart (Prov. 16:1) and give the
hearing ear(Prov. 20:12). But from the human side, man is fully responsible
to hear. But he cannot hear the still small voice of God while his ears are filled
with the siren songs ofthe world. That he has no desire to hear does not
excuse him, rather does it the more condemn him. The Lord grant that the
daily attitude of writer and reader may be that of little Samuel, "Speak, Lord,
for thy servant heareth."
"Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there
is no truth in him. When he speaketha lie, he speakethofhis own; for he is a
liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44). This was the prime point our Lord had
been leading up to. First, He had repudiated their claim of being the children
of Abraham. Second, He had demonstrated that God was not their Father.
Now He tells them in plain language who their father really was, eventhe
Devil. Their characters had been formed not under Divine influence, but
under a diabolical influence. The moral likeness ofthat greatEnemy of God

was plainly stamped upon them. "Your inveterate oppositionto the truth,
shows your kinship to him who is the father of the Lie, and your desire to kill
Me evidences that you are controlled by that one who was a murderer from
the beginning."
"Ye are of your father the Devil" is true of every unregenerate soul.
Renouncing their dependency on God, denying His proprietorship, loving
darkness rather than light, they fall an easyprey to the Prince of darkness. He
blinds their minds; he directs their walk, and works in them both to will and
to do of his evil pleasure (Eph. 2:2). Nor can sinners turn round and castthe
blame for this upon God. For as Christ here declares, the lusts of their father
they will do, or they desire to do, which is the correctmeaning of the word.
They were cheerful servants;voluntary slaves.
"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not" (John 8:45). The human
race is now reaping what was sownat the beginning. Our first parents
rejectedGod’s truth and believed the Devil’s lie, and ever since then man has
been completely under the powerof falsehoodand error. He will give
credence to the most grotesque absurdities, but will regard with skepticism
what comes to him with a thousand fully authenticatedcredentials. Some will
believe that there are no such things as sin and death. Some will believe that
instead of being the descendants offallen Adam, they are the offspring of
evolving apes. Some believe that they have no souls and that death ends all.
Others imagine that they can purchase heaven with their own works. O the
blindness and madness of unbelief! But let the truth be presented; let men
hear that God says they are lost, dead in trespasses andsins; that eternal life
is a gift, and eternal torment is the portion of all who refuse that gift; and men
believe them not. They believe not God’s truth because their hearts love that
which is false—"Theygo astrayas soonas they be born, speaking lies" (Ps.
58:3); they "delight in lies" (Ps. 62:4); they make lies their "refuge" (Isa.
28:15), therefore it is that they "turn awaytheir ears from the truth" (2 Tim.
4:4); and though they are ever learning, yet are they "neverable to come to
the knowledge ofthe truth" (2 Tim. 3:7). And therefore Christ is still saying to
men, "becauseI tell you the truth, ye believe me not."

"Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not
believe me?" (John 8:46). We take it Christ was here anticipating an
objection. The charge He had just made againstthem was a very severe and
piercing one, yet He openly challenges them to refute it. If you deny what I
have said and charge Me with falsehood, how will you prove your charge?
Which of you canfairly convince Me of that or of any other sin? But, on the
other hand, if it be evident that I have told you the truth, then why do ye not
believe Me? Such, in brief, we take to be our Lord’s meaning here.
"He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because
ye are not of God" (John 8:47). The force of this we understand as follows:
Every member of God’s family is in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, and in virtue of
this receives with affection, reverence, andobedient regard the words of his
heavenly Father, by whomsoeverthey are brought; hence, the reasonwhy you
do not receive My words is because youare not His children. "He that is of
God" carries a double thought. First, it signifies, he that belongs to God by
eternal election. A parallel to this is found in John 10:26, "Ye believe not,
because ye are not of my sheep." It is this which, in time, distinguished the
electfrom the non-elect. The former, in due time, hear or receive God’s
words; the latter do not. Second, "He that is of God" signifies, he that has
been born of God, he that is in the family of God. A parallel to this is found in
John 18:37: "Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice."
"Then answeredthe Jews, andsaid unto him, Say we not well that thou art a
Samaritan, and hast a demon?" (John 8:48). This was a plain admission that
they were unable to answerthe Lord. Completely vanquished in argument,
they resortto vulgar and blasphemous declamation. But why should these
Jews have calledChrist these particular names at this time? We believe the
answeris found in what Christ had just said to them. He had declaredthat
they were not the true children of Abraham (verse 39); and He had affirmed
that the Devil was their father (verse 44). In reply, they retorted, "Thou art a
Samaritan, and hast a demon." The generalmeaning of these epithets is clear:
by "a Samaritan" they meant one who was an enemy to their national faith;
by "thou hast a demon" they intimated one obsessedby a proud and lying
spirit. What frightful insults did the Lord of glory submit to!

"Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I honor my Father, and ye do
dishonor me" (John 8:49). To the first of their reproaches He made no reply.
He passedit by as unworthy of notice, the irritated outburst of wantonmalice.
To the secondHe returns a blank denial, and then adds, "but I honor my
Father." One who is controlledby the Devil is a liar, but Christ had told them
the truth. One who is prompted by the Devil flatters men, but Christ had
depicted fallen human nature in the most humbling terms. One who is moved
by the Devil is inflated with pride, seekshonor and fame; but Christ sought
only the honor of Another, even the Father. Divinely calm, Divinely dignified.
Divinely majestic was such an answer. How the longsufferance ofChrist, His
patient bearing with these villifiers, His unruffled spirit and calm bearing,
evidenced Him to be none other than the Son of God.
"And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seekethand judgeth" (John
8:50). "‘If I did, I should not have told you the truth. Had My own
aggrandizementbeen My object, I should have followedanother course;and
My not obtaining "glory"—a goodopinion—from you, no way disheartens
Me. There is One who seeketh, that is, who seekethMy glory. There is One
who will look after My reputation. There is One who is pledged in holy
covenantto make Me His firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. And
He who seekethMy glory, judgeth. He will sit in judgment on your judgment.’
These words seemplainly intended to intimate, in a very impressive way, the
fearful responsibility they had incurred. He was doing His Father’s will: they
were treating Him with contumely. The Father was seekingthe honor of His
faithful Servant, His beloved Son; and dreadful would be the manifestation of
His displeasure againstthose who, so far as lay in their power, had put to
shame the God-man, whom He delighted to honor" (Dr. J. Brown).
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keepmy saying, he shall never see
death." (John 8:51). Christ had just pointed out the fearful consequence of
rejecting Him and His Word—there was One who would judge them. Locally
this pointed to the awful visitation from God upon their nation in A.D. 70; but
the ultimate reference is to eternal judgment, which is "the seconddeath."
Now in sharp and blessedcontrastfrom the doom awaiting those in whom the
Word had "no place," Christ now says, "If a man keepmy saying, he shall
never see death"! Blessedpromise was this for His own. But mark how human

responsibility is here pressed—the promise is only to the one who keeps
Christ’s Word. To "keep" the Word is to hide it in the heart (Ps. 119:11). It is
to retain it in the memory (1 Cor. 15:3). It is to be governedby it in our daily
lives (Rev. 3:8). "He shall never see (know, experience)death" refers to penal
death, the wages ofsin, eternal separationfrom God in the torments of Hell.
For the believer physical dissolution is not death (separation), but to be
present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
"Then saidthe Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham
is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keepmy saying, he shall
never taste of death. Art thou greaterthan our father Abraham, which is
dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makestthou thyself?" (John 8:52,
53). What a striking exemplification was this of what our Lord had said in
verse 43: they understood not His speechand heard not His words. Devoid of
discernment, they had no capacityto perceive the spiritual import of what He
said. Such is the awful condition of the natural man: the things of God are
foolishness to him (1 Cor. 2:14). What is revealedto babes in Christ is
completely hidden from those who are wise and prudent in their own
estimation and in the judgment of the world (Matthew 11:25). No matter how
simply and plainly the truths of Scripture may be expounded, the
unregenerate are unable to understand them. Unable because their interests
are elsewhere. Unable because they will not humble themselves and cry unto
God for light. Unable because their hearts are estrangedfrom Him. Christian
reader, what abundant reasonhave you to thank God for giving you an
understanding (1 John 5:20)!
"Jesus answered, if I honor myself, my honor is nothing; it is my Father that
honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God" (John 8:54). "It is my
Father that honoureth me": precious words are these and worthy of
prolonged study and meditation. To "honor" is to do or speak that of a person
which shall not only manifest our own esteemfor him, but shall lead others to
esteemhim too. The Father’s esteemfor the Son is evidenced by His love and
admiration for Him, as well as His desire to make Him the loved and admired
of others. God honored Him at His birth, by sending the angels to herald Him
as Christ the Lord. He honored Him during the days of His infancy, by
directing the wise men from the eastto come and worship the young King. He

honored Him at His baptism, by proclaiming Him His beloved Son. He
honored Him in death, by not suffering His body to see corruption. He
honored Him at His ascension, whenHe exaltedHim to His own right hand.
He will honor Him in the final judgment, when every knee shall be made to
bow before Him and every tongue confess thatHe is Lord. And throughout
eternity He shall be honored by a redeemed people who shall esteemHim the
Fairestamong ten thousand to their souls. Infinitely worthy is the Lamb to
receive honor and glory. Let then the writer and reader see to it that our daily
lives honor Him who has so highly honored us as to callus "brethren."
"Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him
not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keephis saying" (John
8:55). The One who honored Him they knew not, despite their professionto be
His children. But on the other hand, if He were to deny the knowledge He had
of the Father, then He would be as false as they were in pretending to know
Him. But He would not deny Him; nay more, He would continue to give
evidence of His knowledge ofthe Fatherby keeping His Word. For Him that
Word meant to finish the work which had been given Him to do, to become
obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. A searching wordis this for
us. If we really know the Fatherit will be evidenced by our subjection to His
Word!
"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad"
(John 8:56). More literally the Greek reads, "Abraham, your father, was
transported with an exultant desire that he should see My day, and he saw it
and rejoiced." The Greek is much more expressive and emphatic than our
English translation. It intimates that Abraham lookedforward with joy to
meet the Objectof his desires, and exulted in a sight of it. But to what did our
Lord refer when He said, Abraham saw "my day"? In the Greek the "day" is
emphasized by putting it before the pronoun—"day, my." We believe that
"day" is here to be understood in its dispensationalsense, as signifying the
entire Dispensationof Christ, which embraces the two advents. Probably what
Abraham saw and rejoicedin was, first, the humiliation of Christ, terminating
in His death, which would occasionthe patriarch greatjoy as he knew that
death would blot out all his sins: second, the vindication and glorificationof
Christ.

But how did Abraham "see"Christ’s "day"? We believe that a threefold
answermay be returned: First, Abraham saw the day of Christ by faith in the
promises of God (Heb. 11:13). Hebrews 11:10 and 16 intimate plainly that the
Spirit of Godmade discoveries to Abraham which are not recordedon the
pages of the Old Testament. Second, Abraham saw the day of Christ in type.
In offering Isaac on the altar and in receiving him back in figure from the
dead, he receiveda marvelous foreshadowing ofthe Savior’s death and
resurrection. Third, by specialrevelation. The "secretofthe Lord" is with
them that fear Him, and there is no doubt in our mind but that God was
pleasedto show the Old Testamentsaints much more of His covenantthan is
commonly supposedamong us (see Psalm25:14).
"Your father Abraham rejoicedto see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
The relevancyof this remark of Christ and its relation to what had gone
before are easilyperceived. More immediately, it was part of His answerto
their last question in verse 53—"Whommakestthou thyself?" More remotely,
it furnished the final proof that they were not the children of Abraham, for
they did not his work (verse 39). If these Jews rejoicednotat the appearing of
Christ before them, then in no sense were they like Abraham.
"Then saidthe Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou
seenAbraham?" (John 8:57). How blind they were! How thoroughly
incompetent to understand His speech. Christ had not spokenof seeing
Abraham, but of Abraham seeing His "day." There was a vast difference
betweenthese two things, but they were incapable of perceiving it.
"Jesus saidunto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I
am" (John 8:58). Here was the full disclosure of His glory; the affirmation
that He was none other than the Eternal One. That they so understoodHim is
evident from what follows.
"Then took they up stones to castat him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out
of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passedby" (John 8:59).
"It is Immanuel: but there is no knee bent to Him, no loving homage
tendered. They took up stones to stone Him, and He hiding Himself for the

moment from their sacrilegiousviolence, passes outof the temple" (F. W.
Grant).
"Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of
them, and so passedby." Fearfully solemn is this in its present-day
application. The chief design of the whole chapter is to present Christ as the
"light" and to show us what that Light revealed. Not by observationcan we
discoverthe full ruin which sin has wrought. It is only as the Light shines that
man is fully exposed. And that which is particularly discoveredhere is the
utter vanity of the religious pretensions of the natural man.
Apart from spiritual discernment, the religious professorpresents before us a
fair appearance. His evident sincerity, his punctiliousness, his unquestionable
zeal, his warm devotion, his fidelity to the cause he has espoused, are
frequently a mask which no human eye can penetrate. It is not until such
professors are exposedto the searching light of God that their real characters
are laid bare. It is only as the Word is faithfully applied to them that their
awful depravity is revealed. It was not profligate outcasts, but orthodox Jews
who are here seentaking up stones to castat the Son of God, and they did this
not on the public highway, but in the temple; Nor have things changedfor the
better. Were Christ here today in Servant-form, and were He to enter our
churches and tell the greatmass of religious professors thatthey were the
bondslaves of sin, and that they were of their father the Devil and that his
lusts they delighted in doing, they would conduct themselves exactlyas their
fellows did eighteencenturies ago. Terribly significant then is the final word
of our chapter: the Savior"hid himself" from them, and went out of the
temple. It is so still. From the self-righteous and self-sufficient but blinded
religious formalists, Christ still hides Himself; those who deny that they need
to be made free from the slavery of sin He still leaves to themselves. But thank
God it is written, "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit" (Isa. 57:15).
The following questions are to help the interestedstudent on the next chapter,
John 9:1-7:—
1. What is the greatdoctrinal teaching of this passage?

2. What typical picture does it contain?
3. Why does it open with the word "And"? verse 1.
4. To what was Christ referring in verse 4?
5. Why did Christ againsay "I am the Light of the world" verse 5.
6. What was the symbolical meaning of verses 6 and 7?
7. What force has "therefore" in verse 7?

Jesus was glorified by the father

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