13: Jesus and Abraham — John 8:31–59


8³¹ Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
³³ They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵ The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. ³⁸ I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.”

³⁹ They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, ⁴⁰ but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. ⁴¹ You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. ⁴⁴ You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying 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 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” ⁵² The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps myword will never taste death.’ ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” ⁵⁴ Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ ⁵⁵ though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. ⁵⁶ Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; 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?”^{a  58} Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” ⁵⁹ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. How does Jesus describe a “disciple?” What are the key characteristics? What is the result of being a disciple?

2. How do the Jewish leaders respond to Jesus’ declaration about freedom? What are they looking at? What prevents them from understanding what Jesus is talking about?

3. Why do the Pharisees rely so much on Abraham? What is the result of this type of faith? What is different than what Jesus is offering?

4. Why is it important to know who our “father” is (vv. 42-45). Why do you suppose Jesus speaks so strongly about the Jews “father” in this exchange?

5. What does Jesus mean when he says anyone who keeps his word won’t see death? How does the crowd react to this? 

6. How does Jesus describe the relationship between himself and Abraham? What is different from the Jews understanding of Abraham?

Get Personal

What are you “free” from today that had bound you in the past? How has God helped you become more free? 

8:31. Believed — For John the term is more than just agreeing that something is true or correct; it is accepting what Jesus says about himself and then acting as if it is true. Paul says the knowledge of God and his work is available to every person, [19; Rom. 1:19-20], but we have to be open to the Holy Spirit to understand and act on this knowledge. 
8:32. Truth — to a Jew, God is “truth,” so Jesus is talking about more than being correct or accurate.
Free — the Greek word means not restrained, controlled or under obligation. Our separation from God – our sin – actually forces us to act consistent with this world. Believing in the truth about Jesus restores our relationship with God and gives us the ability to act consistent with his values.
8:33. Descendants — the Pharisees have it wrong. First, Jesus is talking about spiritual freedom, not an economic or political condition. Second, the Jews were slaves in Egypt and captive servants of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome.
8:34. Slave to sin — see Note on 8:32.
8:37. Descendants of Abraham — Jewish tradition said that being a descendant of Abraham all but guaranteed salvation; but Jesus points out the flaw in this teaching.
8:39. Doing what Abraham did — Jesus reminds his Jewish listeners that Abraham was the model for spiritual piety.
8:41. Your father — Jesus tells the Pharisees their true father is devil – “the father of lies.”

8:44. Devil — the Greek word means “false witness” or “accuser,” usually with an evil or harmful intent.
8:48. Samaritan . . . demon — because of the hatred between the two parts of the ancient kingdom (Samaria was the first part of Israel to be conquered, Judea, the other part, was eventually conquered also) even the names became insults. 
8:51. Never see death — Jesus’s declaration here parallels his assertion in v. 32: a person who is now in a positive relationship with God (keeping Jesus’ word) will never be out of that relationship, which is spiritual “death.”
8:52. But the Jews take him literally (and even here they are wrong: Elijah did not die but was taken up into Heaven [2 Kings 2:11]).
8:54. He is our God — Jesus quotes the core Jewish confession, but he calls it empty because they don’t really “know” God as Abraham did.
8:56. Abraham rejoiced — Jesus is referring to God’s promise in Genesis 22:15-18: The irony is that Abraham actually had the faith the Jewish leaders who are now relying on him do not have.
8:58. I am — Jesus uses the most significant description of God the Father for himself [check Exodus 3:14]. Note the use of the present tense [see Note on 8:24]. (The Jews understand this reference as blasphemy and try to stone him.)