Verse by Verse

¹ But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.

³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,

⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.

⁵ Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”

⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

⁷ So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

¹⁰ When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

John 7:53-8:11 aren’t included in some early manuscripts. Here’s what my sources say:

Scofield — Yes, because 8:12 seems to be speaking to the Pharisees conviction in 8:9 and it makes sense in light of 8:41.

Gaebelein — Yes. He says that 7:53 says that everyone went home, so 8:12 makes no sense without the passage.

Ironside — Yes. In some manuscripts where the passage is missing, there’s a space, which shows that the scribes knew something was supposed to be there.

Comfort — No, because it isn’t in early manuscripts. He says it interrupts the flow of the narrative, that Jesus’ reference to water (7:37) and light (8:12) were connected to the rituals of the Feast of Tabernacles. He says the account was part of an oral tradition.

Pink — Yes. Without it, it doesn’t read smoothly.

If we omit the first eleven verses of John 8, and start the chapter with verse 12, several questions will rise unavoidably and prove very difficult to answer satisfactorily. For example: “Then spake Jesus” — when? What simple and satisfactory answer can be found in the second part of John 7? But give John 8:1-11 its proper place, and the answer is, Immediately after the interruption recorded in verse 3. “Then spake Jesus again unto them” (verse 12) — unto whom? Go back to the second half of John 7 and see if it furnishes any decisive answer. But give 8:2 a place, and all is simple and plain. Again in verse 13 we read “The Pharisees therefore said unto him”: this was in the temple (verse 20). But how came the Pharisees there? 7:45 shows them elsewhere. But bring in 8:1-11 and this difficulty vanishes, for 8:2 shows that this was the day following. — Pink, page 7-8

John 7:53 — Everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives because He had no home (Matthew 8:20).

stoning (verse 5) — Leviticus 20:20; Deuteronomy 22:22

test (verse 6) — If He said no, he rejects the Law. If He says yes, He’s in trouble with the Romans because Jews weren’t allowed to put anyone to death.

writing on the ground (verse 6) — perhaps in reference to Jeremiah 17:13 — O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.”

throw a stone at her first (verse 7) — according to the law, the witnesses were to be the executioners (Deuteronomy 17:7) and two witnesses were needed (Deuteronomy 19:15).

Jesus did not ask the woman about her sin. He already knew.

Writing on the ground a second time (verse8) — The second time the law was given to Moses, it was placed under the Mercy Seat, showing that an innocent substitute would be sacrificed — Jesus Christ.

She believed in Him because she called Him Lord (verse 11).

No witnesses remained (verse 11) — The law was powerless, but grace and truth could act.

Neither do I condemn you (verse 11) — For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).

Where was the man who committed adultery with the woman? The law said both should be stoned.

A short time later, Jesus went to the cross and took on Himself the punishment the law demanded for the woman.

The woman was a picture of Israel — For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:37).

Finally, note the order of these two words of Christ to this woman who owned Him as “Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:3). It was not, “Go and sin no more, and I will not condemn thee,” for that would have been a death-knell rather than good news in her ears. Instead, the Savior said, “Neither do I condemn thee,” and to every one who takes the place this woman was brought into, the word is, “There is therefore now no condemnation” (Romans 8:1). “And sin no more” placed her, as we are placed, under the constraint of His love.

This incident then contains far more than that which was of local and ephemeral significance. It, in fact, raises the basic question of, How can mercy and Justice be harmonized? How can grace flow forth except by slighting holiness? In the scene here presented to our view we are shown, not by a closely reasoned out statement of doctrine, but in symbolic action, that this problem is not insolvable to Divine wisdom. Here was a concrete case of a guilty sinner leaving the presence of Christ un-condemned. And it was neither because the law had been slighted or sin palliated. The requirements of the law were strictly complied with, and her sin was openly condemned — “sin no more.” Yet, she herself, was not condemned. She was dealt with according to “grace and truth.” Mercy flowed out to her, yet not at the expense of justice. Such, in brief, is a summary of this marvelous narrative, a narrative which, verily, no man ever invented and no uninspired pen ever recorded. — Pink, page 18

⁴⁴ Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

⁴⁵ Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

⁴⁶ The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

⁴⁷ Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived?

⁴⁸ Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?

⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

⁵⁰ Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them,

⁵¹ “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

⁵² They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

⁵³ And everyone went to his own house.

The officers sent to arrest Jesus were so impressed by His words that they couldn’t bring themselves to carry out their orders. It wasn’t Jesus’ miracles that impressed the officers, but His Words.

Have any rulers … (v.47) — Surely (they said) if Jesus was really from God, we would have believed in Him. The commoners were confused because they didn’t know the law and didn’t know any better — or so the Pharisees claimed.

If Nicodemus believed back in John 3, he hadn’t told his fellow Pharisees (v.50).

our law (v.52) — an accused person had a right to defend himself, to confront and cross-examine his accusers. One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established (Deuteronomy 19:15).

no prophet has arisen out of Galilee (v.52) — Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Jonah were all from Galilee.

And Isaiah 9:1-7 does prophecy that the Messiah will be from Galilee.

⁴⁰ Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.”

⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee?

⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”

⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of Him.

Prophet — mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18 — The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.” And the LORD said to me: “What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” (also see John 6:14)

The crowd thought He was from Galilee. He was born in Bethlehem, but they didn’t know that or trouble to find out. It was willful ignorance.

Jesus was the seed of David — Matthew 1:1-18; Romans 1:3-4

Bethlehem — But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2). Jesus was born in Bethlehem — Matthew 2:1-6; Luke 2:1-11.

Jesus never referred to His birth in Bethlehem. He always pointed to His divine origin.

division (v. 43) — in fulfillment of Christ’s own prophecy:

• Matthew 10:34-35 — Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

• Luke 12:51-52 — Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three.

³⁷ On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

feast (v.37) — Tabernacles — “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel (Exodus 17:6).

last day (v.37) — The Feast of Tabernacles terminated with the eighth day. It was on this last day, that the voice of our Lord was heard uttering this most blessed invitation and promise. For seven days water had been drawn from the brook Siloam and poured out, under the rejoicing of the people assembled to keep the feast. It was a memorial of the miracle in their history, when the Lord, during their wilderness experience, supplied water out of the cleft of the rock. But more than that, for the well informed Israelite, who believed the promises of God made to the nation, it was prophetic. Zechariah’s final vision tells of the time “when living waters shall go out from Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14:8). Ezekiel, too, had beheld the waters like a mighty river flowing forth from the great temple. And in the distant past Balaam, likewise, had spoken a similar prophecy (Numbers 24:7). All these prophecies will be fulfilled in the day the King comes back to be in the midst of His people. The last great day of the feast was called “the Hosanna Rabba,” when the air was fairly rent with the Hosannas of the multitudes. But on the eighth day the ceremony of pouring out water ceased. It was symbolical of the fact that after the wilderness wanderings were over they entered the promised land, where the springs of water supplied all their need to the full. —Gaebelein, page 149.

The national promise was impossible at this time — Jesus would be rejected. But He promises a new giving of water, the Holy Spirit.

rivers of living water (v.38) — The believer, indwelled by the Spirit, is the means of blessings to other believers and to the world. Once a vessel is filled with water, it overflows. The quote is from:

• Psalm 78:16 — He also brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

• Isaiah 41:17-18 — The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

• Isaiah 44:3 — For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.

• Isaiah 58:11 — The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

• Zechariah 14:8 — And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter it shall occur.

not yet glorified (v.39) — Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension.

The promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled at Pentecost.

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.

³³ Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.

³⁴ You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

³⁵ Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?

³⁶ What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

The Pharisees hated Him, and especially that everyone was talking about Him (v.32). They sent soldiers for Him but they couldn’t touch Him. Instead, they listened to what He had to say (v. 45).

and then I go (v.33) — of His own will. They tried to get rid of Him. He said He would be with them until He chose to leave.

seek and not find (verse 34) — said to the Jewish people who would look for the Messiah.

not find me (verse 34) — because 1) He would be in heaven, and 2) their unbelief

They thought He was going to the Jews who lived among the Greeks throughout the Roman Empire and that He would teach the Greeks also (v.35).

• Proverbs 1:24-28 — Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 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.

• Isaiah 55:6 — Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

• Luke 13:24-25 — Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, “Lord, Lord, open for us,” and He will answer and say to you, “I do not know you, where you are from.”

Dispersion — used only here and in James 1:1 and in 1 Peter 1:1. Evidence that both James and Peter were writing to Jews.

Where I am you cannot come (v.36) — His deity, in heaven. This conversation took place six months before the cross.

²⁵Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this He, whom they seek to kill?

 ²⁶But, lo, He speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

 ²⁷Howbeit we know this man whence He is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is.

 ²⁸Then cried Jesus in the temple as He taught, saying, Ye both know Me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of Myself, but He that sent Me is true, whom ye know not.

 ²⁹But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He hath sent Me.

 ³⁰Then they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come.

 ³¹And many of the people believed on Him, and said, When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

Earlier (verse 20), some who came from elsewhere denied anyone sought to kill Jesus, but now the locals knew it was true.

Jesus spoke openly, but the rulers did nothing. Had the rulers decided Jesus was the Christ? (verse 26) In Greek, the question expects “no” for an answer.

They said He couldn’t be Christ because they knew He came from Nazareth (v.27).

No man knoweth whence He is (verse 27) — Jesus responds, not with where He was from, but with whom He was from. Also, it was prophesied that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. That’s not what they probably meant. They probably referred to the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14).

cried (verse 28) = spoke in a loud voice. (Isaiah 42:2 speaks of His general character — He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.)

They knew some facts about Him, but not of His virgin birth or deity.

I am from Him (verse 29) — a proclamation of deity. Then they were ready to kill Him. They couldn’t touch Him — proof that, when His hour came, He laid down His life.

Many believed (verse 31) — that He was Messiah, but not for salvation. They waited to see if He would perform more miracles.

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at Me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

The healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda was why the Jews hated Jesus (John 5:1-16).

Jesus’ point was that, in order to fulfill the law, they circumcised on the Sabbath if it was the eighth day after a boy was born (v.22) . If circumcision was OK, wasn’t healing? Works of necessity and/or mercy were allowed on the Sabbath.

They kept the letter of the law, but not the intent.

14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.

17 If any man will do His will, He shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.

18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill Me?

20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Tabernacles lasted seven days.

Teaching was allowed in the outer court of the Temple, the same place Jesus taught when He was a boy. It was common for different teachers to stand by one of the Temple pillars and teach. We aren’t told what Jesus taught this day. Every seven years, the Law was read at the feast of Tabernacles. This may have been that year.

The crowd marveled at Jesus’ words (v.15), especially since He hadn’t been educated. He replied that He hadn’t been taught by another, nor was He self-taught. What He taught was from the Father (John 12:49).

If any man do His will (v.17) — should be “if any man desires to do His will. Desire = deep-rooted determination

Test 1 (v.17) — If they did the Father’s will, they would have known that what He taught was from the Father.

Test 2 (v.18) — If a man teaches wisdom from himself, he’s just seeking his own glory.

So, to know what Jesus says is really from God, you must determine to yield to God’s will.

He informs us how certainty may be arrived at in connection with the things of God. He tells us how spiritual discernment and assurance are to be obtained. The fundamental condition for obtaining spiritual knowledge is a genuine heart-desire to carry out the revealed will of God in our lives. Wherever the heart is right God gives the capacity to apprehend His truth. — Pink, page 385.

The Jews boasted in the law but did not keep it. They sought to kill Him in violation of the law. The people didn’t know the leaders wanted to kill Him, so they accused Him of being demon-possessed or insane (v.20). The leaders wanted to kill Jesus because on His previous visit (almost a year earlier) He had healed a man on the Sabbath (John 5:8). They accused Him of breaking the law, but were doing so themselves.

The people blasphemed Jesus while accusing Him of blasphemy! (v.20)

“My doctrine is not mine.” Observe that Christ does not say “My doctrines are not mine,” but “My doctrine.” The word “doctrine means “teaching,” and the teaching (truth) of God is one correlated and complete whole. In writing to Timothy, Paul said, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine” (not doctrines — 1 Timothy 4:6). And again he wrote, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine” (2 Timothy 3:16). In striking contrast from this, Scripture speaks of “the doctrines of men” (Colossians 2:22); “strange doctrines” (Hebrews 13:9); and “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Here the word is pluralized because there is no unity or harmony about the teachings of men or the teachings of demons. They are diverse and conflicting. But God’s truth is indivisible and harmonious. — Pink, page 384-385.

10 But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, Where is He?

12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but He deceiveth the people.

13 Howbeit no man spake openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

In secret (v.10) — without a large group. Even His brothers didn’t know.

The Jewish rulers expected Him to show up at the feast (v.11) — They knew He kept the law — Galatians 4:4

Everyone was required to go to Jerusalem for the feast (Deuteronomy 16:16), so many were there who had seen His miracles.

Deceiveth the people (v.12) — by claiming to be the Messiah.

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

2 Now the Jew’s feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3 His brethren therefore said unto Him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest.

4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If Thou do these things, shew Thyself to the world.

5 For neither did His brethren believe in Him.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

7 The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for My time is not yet full come.

9 When He had said these words unto them, He abode still in Galilee.

Jesus walked (v.1) — manifesting Himself publicly (1:36; 6:19; 10:23; 11:54).

Tabernacles (v.2) — celebration of harvest, in the month of Tishri (our mid-September to mid-October). In Leviticus 23, Tabernacles is listed with the feasts of Jehovah. Now it is just called a feast of the Jews. The true meaning of it had been lost, so the Lord didn’t associate His name with it.

Brethren (v.3) — blood relations, probably sons of Mary and Joseph after Jesus was born (Matthew 13:55). At this time, they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, but by Acts 1:14, they did.

They urged Him, perhaps sarcastically, to show Himself (v.3).

His brothers said “No one who wants to be known acts in secret” (v.4). Were they challenging Him to prove Himself?

Jesus knew the Jews sought to kill Him, so He didn’t go up, not out of fear but because it wasn’t time for Him to die (v.6).

The world did not hate them (v.7) because they were still of the world.

From here on in John, Jesus is seen as the suffering Messiah. Here He suffers the unbelief of His own brothers.