41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father — God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
not born of fornication (v. 41) — a dig at Christ’s birth. Jesus responds that He was born of God. They might also have been referring to Jesus’ statement about the bondslave in verse 35, referring to Ishmael. They were claiming to be descendants of Sarah, not the concubine.
If God had been their Father (v. 42), they would have loved God’s Son. It is impossible to love God and not love the Son. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him (1 John 5:1).
Why do you not understand my speech? (v. 43) If the Word is incomprehensible to me, then I am a stranger to God.
listen to My word (v. 43) = believe
from the beginning (v. 44) — Satan has always been determined to bring sin and death. Satan corrupted humanity with a lie (Genesis 3:4-5), and this caused death (Romans 5:12).
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