Lessons from John 8: Jesus is Equal with God

What we see in this section of John 8 is that Jesus was identifying Himself as equal with God. This infuriated the Pharisees who challenged Jesus’ claim by stating that He could not be His own witness. Therefore, His testimony about Himself was not valid or considered truth. To which Jesus countered that He was indeed able to testify about Himself because He is God. And because He is God, He is sovereign and omniscient, making Him knowledgeable of all truth.

And Jesus followed up that truth by stating that where He would go they could not come. He was from above and they were from below. He was not of the world, and they were. Jesus was telling them that His home was in heaven; that is where He came from and there He would return.

But sinful people apart from His saving grace would not be able to follow Him there.

In their death, their sins would remain on them. God will not allow sin into His holy heaven. He can’t!

So unless the penalty of sin has been paid through acceptance of His precious sacrifice on the cross and belief in who He is, there is no way to enter through heaven’s courts.

But Jesus was not the only witness for Himself. He said in verses 16-18 that His other witness was the Father who sent Him.

Now I don’t now about you, but I think it’s fair to say that there is no greater witness than God the Father, Himself. And the rebellious religious leaders then asked Jesus in verse 19, “Where is your father?” They were speaking of Jesus’ earthly father. But Jesus replied, “You do not know me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father also.”

Jesus will later clearly state again in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth and the life. No one will come to the Father except through the Son. He goes on to say in John 14:7 If you really knew me, you would know the Father as well.”

Yet these religious leaders, the keepers of the law, were spiritually blind by their sin. Their sin of pride kept them from receiving the truth of who Jesus was. In their disbelief and arrogance they thought they knew more than Jesus and that their way was better than His.

Ever thought that you had a better plan or way than Jesus or His Word?

We all have, but we can’t get so fixed on our way or our perception that we miss the truth of what God is saying. In that moment that we realize we have wrong thinking, we must turn to God and repent and then get on with His way. But that’s where these Pharisees went wrong. They were so focused on self and their way that they missed Jesus and His!

Is that you, right now? Won’t you turn to Jesus and look into His wonderful face? Will you confess that you are wrong and then go and make it right?

Again Jesus warned these men in verse 21 that He was going away. They would look for Him but they would not find Him. Rather, they would die in their sins. For where He went, they would not be allowed to come.

Now this only caused them to think that Jesus was planning to kill Himself. But Jesus, hearing what they said and knowing what they thought, said that they were from below and He was from above. He told them that they were of the world and He was not of this world. He reminded them of His words that they would die in their sins if they did not believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be.

Again spiritually blinded, they asked, “Who are you?”And again Jesus said He was who He had been claiming all along. Then He stated, “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”

Terri Hamman

Faith & Fitness Coach