Verse by Verse

¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

How did the disciples know the man was born blind? (v. 2). Probably because he’d been sitting there every day for years. They thought his blindness was a punishment. But children are not punished for their parents’ sins (Ezekiel 18:2-4).

works of God (v. 3) in this case — sight and belief (John 6:29). God permits sin and death to show His glory here and in John 11:4. For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion” (Romans 9:15).

The man’s blindness was not inflicted by God, but God allowed nature (corrupted by sin) to run its course.

neither this man nor his parents sinned (v.3) — Of course they sinned, but what Jesus was saying is that their sin was not the reason for his blindness. It was caused by the sin-corrupted world, not specific sins.

day (v. 4) — while Christ was on earth

night (v. 4) — until He returns. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12).

The Light (v. 5) not only reveals guilt in every person, but it also gives knowledge of the grace of God.

⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷ Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

⁵⁹ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

and he saw it (v. 56) — Abraham knew his seed would include the Messiah. The Jews were not like Abraham. They didn’t rejoice in His day.

have You seen Abraham (v. 57) — That’s not what Jesus said. They twisted His words — either deliberately or because they didn’t understand.

I AM (v. 58) = Jehovah, the self-existing One (Exodus 3:6). The Jews understood exactly what “I AM” meant — that Jesus said He is Jehovah.

hid (v. 59) — not cowering in a corner, but a miraculous disappearance. When they did finally lay hands on Him (to take Him to the cross), it was by His choice because His time had come.

⁵² Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’

⁵³ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

⁵⁴ Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.

⁵⁵ Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.

death (back in verse 51) refers to eternal death (in the Greek), but the Jews were referring to physical death. And they forgot about Elijah, conveniently.

They could imagine nobody greater than Abraham (v. 53) except God.

Jesus’ identity was centered on His relationship with the Father (v. 54). Without that, His glory would be nothing.

To “honor” is to do or speak that of a person which shall not only manifest our own esteem for him, but shall lead others to esteem him too. The Father’s esteem for 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 angels to herald Him as Christ the Lord. He honored Him during the days of His infancy, by directing the wise men from the east to 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 surrendering His body to see corruption. He honored Him at His ascension, when He exalted Him 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 that He is Lord. And throughout eternity He shall be honored by a redeemed people who shall esteem Him the Fairest among ten thousand to their souls. Infinitely worthy is the Lamb to receive honor and glory. — Pink, page 54.

⁴⁸ Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

⁴⁹ Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

⁵⁰ And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.

⁵¹ Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

Jesus said their Father was the devil. They responded with blasphemy (v. 48). Unable to answer Him, they resort to name-calling.

To call a Jew a Samaritan (v. 48) was slander. It was calling him an outcast, a wicked apostate. They said this in response to Jesus’ statement that Abraham wasn’t their father.

To call Jesus a demon was a sin that couldn’t be forgiven (Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22). They said this in response to Jesus’ statement that the devil was their father — they said He was a demon because He was lying (they claimed).

If Jesus sought His own glory (v. 50), their accusations would have hit the mark, but He sought only the Father’s glory so their words were an insult to God. And the Father will judge those who dishonor the Son — and His judgment is death (not physical death, but eternal, spiritual death).

one who seeks (v.50) — the Father seeks glory for the Son. Jesus wasn’t concerned with their opinion of Him. The One who judges would take care of them.

⁴⁵ “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

⁴⁶ Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?

⁴⁷ He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

Throughout this entire last part of Chapter 8, Jesus speaks of His sinlessness and His deity.

None of them could point to any sin in Jesus (v. 46), including lying, but they still wouldn’t believe Him.

why do you not believe Me? (v. 46) Jesus answers His own question — they were not of God.

Jesus was God, so His truth was beyond anything they’d heard before — therefore, because He told them the truth, instead of what they’d expected to hear, they didn’t believe Him.

The natural man cannot understand the things of God because he is without spiritual discernment.

Men prefer lies to the truth.

Psalm 58:3 — The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

Psalm 62:4 — They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.  Selah.

Isaiah 28:15 — Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”

2 Timothy 3:7 — Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 4:4 — And they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

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).

³⁷ “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

³⁸ I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

³⁹ They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

⁴⁰ But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

no place (v. 37) = no entrance

Father — spiritual model

your father (v. 38) — Satan. You are of your father the devil (John 8:44).

They couldn’t be Abraham’s children (v. 39) because they did not believe Jesus. Abraham believed God (Romans 4:11; Romans 9:7)

They were Abraham’s physical descendants, but not his children by faith.

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.

³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

believed (v. 31) — Not true faith, just a certain acknowledgment of what Jesus was saying

Christ is the Truth (v.32) and the key to all Truth of God. He alone can make us free of sin. Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel (Colossians 1:5).

never been in bondage (v. 33) — This was a false boast. They were certainly in bondage to Rome — and to sin, pride and self-sufficiency

whoever (v. 34) — every person in his or her natural condition.

slave to sin (v. 34) Romans 6:12-23

slave does not abide in the house forever (v. 35) — a slave/servant has no permanent standing, but once a son, always a son — and the Son of God has an eternal place in God’s family. The Jews claimed that they were the seed of Abraham and, therefore, in God’s family — but Jesus said that, just because they were Abraham’s natural descendants, that gave them no title to spiritual  blessings.

free indeed (v. 36) — only the Son can make us free from bondage to sin. To grant us that we, being delivered from 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).

Continuance in God’s Word is not a condition of discipleship, but a manifestation of it. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us (1 John 2:19).

There are four things about themselves which are particularly hateful, because so humbling, to the unregenerate. First, that they are destitute of righteousness (Isaiah 64:6) and goodness (Romans 7:18), and therefore “unclean” (Isaiah 64:6) and “vile” (Job 40:4). Second, that they are destitute of wisdom (Romans 3:11) and therefore full of “vanity” (Psalm 39:5) and “foolishness” (Proverbs 22:15). Third, that they are destitute of “strength” (Romans 5:6) and “power” (Isaiah 40:29), and therefore unable to do anything good of or from themselves (John 15:5). Fourth, that they are destitute of freedom (Isaiah 61:1), and therefore in a state of bondage (2 Peter 2:19). — Pink, page 41

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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 … does good works and brings forth the fruit of the Spirit. But the life of the unregenerate man is one unbroken course of sin. — Pink, page 42-43

²⁵ Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

²⁶ I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

²⁷ They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

²⁸ Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

²⁹ And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

³⁰ As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

just what I have been saying (v. 25) — He had already explained, He didn’t need to do so again. I have spoken of light — I AM that light. I have spoken of truth — I AM that truth. They didn’t understand, but we can — And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).

I have many things to say (v. 26) — or “many things I could say” concerning them, and His words would be a judgment.

lift up (v. 28) — the cross

then you will know (v. 28) — when judgment comes upon the unbelieving nation (Some would believe after His death, at Pentecost).

The Father was with Him (vs. 16, 29). He did nothing of His own will (vs. 28, 42).

²¹ Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

²² So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”

²³ And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

²⁴ Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

This probably took place later on the same day as the conversation in the previous verses.

I am going away (v. 21) — to His death, according to the purpose and plan of God

you will seek Me (v.21) — They would look for the Messiah, but having rejected Christ, they wouldn’t find Him. Therefore, they would die in their sins.

The Jews didn’t understand (v. 22). They thought He spoke of suicide (although in Greek, the sense is that they didn’t really expect Him to). He answers by explaining why they don’t understand. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).

beneath (v. 23) — this world. When we believe, we are born from above.

Verse 24 denies any theory that there is salvation after death for any who didn’t believe when alive.

When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 1:27-29).

Then He takes up the previous thought of “dying in your sins.” What does it mean? Did He mean their individual sins only? It means that the great sin on account of which they die in their sins is unbelief. “For if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.” This is still the Truth. No matter how great a sinner a man or woman may be, there is salvation at the door of each by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, believing that He is the Son of God and died for the ungodly. No matter how morally a man and a woman may live, how much good they do, if they reject the Lord Jesus Christ, if they refuse to believe on Him, it is true of all, as it was true of those Jews in the days of our Lord, “If ye believe not that I am He (the Lord) ye shall die in your sins.” — Gaebelein, page 160