John 8:43-59 Polemics and revelation

John 8:43-47 Jesus continues the argument about parentage, connecting lies to Satan, the father of lies. Although this seems to be polemical, He is asking His listeners a rhetorical question. Really He is warning them that there are two voices in the spiritual realm, and if they reject the voice of God, they will hear the voice of the devil, and ultimately partake of his nature. The devil will ultimately be defeated and destroyed, which is the reason that the slaves of sin will not remain slaves forever. But in the meantime, if they reject the words of God that He (Jesus) brings, they will eventually not even hear them.

John 8:48-59 The polemics continue. Jesus and the Jews bantered back and forth about demonic possession. Jesus repeated once more His relationship to the Father. His reference to Abraham was certain to further provoke the Jews, who placed great stock on their ancestry. Jesus' final statement repeated once again His self-identification with YHWH, when He said, "Before Abraham was, I am." The Jews fully understood what He meant and attempted to carry out capital punishment on the spot.

What do we make of this whole argumentative passage (John 8:12-59)? There are consistent themes, but there seems to almost be repetition with little forward progress, on a variety of issues relating to the true identity and authority of Jesus. The miracle that Jesus performed that set off this debate was to deliver a woman from the power and penalty of sin. Although the Jews could not throw the first stone, they could not accept the authority of Jesus to give grace to sinners, nor could they accept that this was based on Him being God incarnate. Jesus gave the following revelations, all of which they rejected:

•    He brings light to the world, and light brings life.

•    The Father bears witness to Him.

•    The origin and source of His life are eternal, bound up in the unconditioned existence of YHWH, pre-dating Abraham.

•    He will be crucified and then they will not see Him.

•    He obeys the Father completely, to the extent that He does nothing except what the Father tells Him to do.

•    The Truth frees people from the power of sin; He is truth incarnate, the earthly embodiment of the eternal reality, and those who receive Him are freed from sin.

•    Those who reject God's truth eventually cannot hear His voice, and become the victim of the devil and his demons.