John 8

1 – 4

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning He went back to the Temple. All the people came to Jesus, and He sat and taught them.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman there. She had been caught in adultery. They forced the woman to stand before the people. They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught having physical relations with a man who is not her husband.

The story of this woman is not in all copies but may have been passed on by the early church and written down later. The story of how we got our Bible shows us that all through the years, men have tried to add or take away from the Bible. God has always protected His Word and if He did not want this story in the Bible it would not be there.

You will notice that they interrupt Jesus while He is teaching. This sounds like they told a man to go and do this and promised to protect him. According to the Old Testament, they should have brought the man with the woman. This thing was set up to make Jesus look bad.

5. The law of Moses commands that we kill with stones every woman who does this. What do you say we should do?”

They are not quoting the Bible correctly because it does not only say the woman.

If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die . In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil. Deuteronomy 22:22, Leviticus 20:10

6. They were asking this to trick Jesus so that they could have some charge against Him. But Jesus knelt down and started writing on the ground with His finger.

If Jesus had said to stone her then He could not tell everybody that He forgives sins. He would also have broken Roman law that said that the Jews were not allowed to put anyone to death without the Roman courts.

7 – 8

They continued to ask Jesus their question. So He stood up and said, “Is there anyone here who has never sinned? The person without sin can throw the first stone at this woman.” Then Jesus knelt down again and wrote on the ground.

Maybe He wrote verse seven on the ground? Maybe He wrote something about the punishment for for lying? Maybe He wrote: forgiven.

9. Those who heard Jesus began to leave one by one. The older men left first, and then the others. Jesus was left there alone with the woman. She was standing before Him.

They knew that He was a prophet and that He could name their sins if He wanted to. He must have wrote on the ground one thing at a time because they left one by one.

Maybe He wrote one man's name, and next to the name He wrote something that man did and then that man left. Then He wrote another man's name and something that he did and then that man left. They left one at a time. Deliver me Lord, from secret sin. Psalm 19:12

10 – 11

Jesus stood up again and asked her, “Woman, all of those people have gone. Has no one judged you guilty?” She answered, “No one has judged me, sir.” Then Jesus said, “So I also do not judge you. You may go now, but do not sin again.”

Some groups have deleted this from the Bible because they think Jesus was too easy on her.

12. Later, Jesus talked to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. The person who follows Me will never live in darkness. He will have the light that gives life.”

Is the light too bright for you? Give up your darkness!

13. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “When you talk about yourself, you are the only one to say these things are true. We cannot accept these things you say.”

The fear of the Lord is knowing that God is watching you. It does not mean that you are afraid of God. The Pharisees did not even have enough understanding to know when they were in the presence of God.

They say, “The LORD is not watching, and besides, the God of Israel does not care.” Psalm 94:7, Proverbs 9:10

14. Jesus answered, “Yes, I am saying these things about Myself, but they are true. I know where I came from. And I know where I am going. You do not know where I came from or where I am going. You condemn Me the way you would judge any man. I do not condemn anyone.

Jesus is saying, "You are condemning Me without having all the facts."

Answering before listening to the facts is embarassing and foolish. Proverbs 18:13

16 – 17

But if I judge, I judge truthfully. When I judge, I am not alone. The Father who sent Me is with Me. Your own law says that when two witnesses say the same thing, then you must accept what they say. I am one of the witnesses who speaks about Myself. And the Father who sent Me is my other witness.”

Never put a person to death on the testimony of only one witness. There must always be two or three witnesses. Deuteronomy 17:6

19. They asked, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know Me or My Father. But if you knew Me, then you would know My Father also.”

You cannot say that you know God but you do not know Jesus.

20. Jesus said these things while He was teaching in the temple. He was near the place where the money that the people give is kept. But no one arrested Him. The right time for Jesus had not yet come.

The reason they wanted to arrest Him was because they were afraid of Him. They were more afraid of losing what they had than they were interested in anything which God had to say to them.

If we allow Him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in Him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation. John 11:48

Perfect love has no fear, because perfect love sends away all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love. 1 John 4:18

21 – 22

Again, Jesus said to the people, “I will leave you. You will look for Me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot come where I am going.” So the Jews asked, “Will He kill Himself? Is that why He said, ‘You cannot come where I am going'?”

This is what happens when people's minds are confused, they begin throwing out imaginations to make someone else look bad.

23 – 24

But Jesus said, “You people are from here below. But I am from above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.

I told you that you would die in your sins. Yes, you will die in your sins if you do not believe that I am He.”

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14

25. They asked, “Then who are You?” Jesus answered, “I am what I have told you from the beginning.

If anyone says that Jesus was not the person of God who came to live in a human body, they are not speaking the truth. 1 John 4:2 – 3

26 – 27

I have many things to say about you and to judge you for. But I tell people only the things I have heard from the One who sent Me. And He speaks the truth.”

The people did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about the Father.

Jesus has been talking about the Father and they still do not know who He is talking about.

Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. Ephesians 4:18

28. Jesus said to them, “You will lift up [on the cross] the Son of Man. Then you will know that I am He. You will know that these things I do are not by My own authority. You will know that I say only what the Father has taught Me.

After the cross, Peter told them what they had done and they knew the guilt of their conscience . Acts 2:37, 1 Corinthians 1:18

29. The One who sent Me is with Me. I always do what is pleasing to Him. So He has not left Me alone.”

Our goal every day should be to say, “Today I am only going to do those things which please my heavenly Father!”

30 – 31

While Jesus was saying these things, many people believed in Him. So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him, “If you continue in my Words, you are truly My followers.

Many people say they believe in Jesus. Jesus says, “If you continue in my Words then you are one of My followers.” We will not make it very far if we leave the Bible out of our lives.

32. Then you will know the truth. And the truth will keep on making you free.”

What do you need to be free from? You cannot make yourself free, only the truth can do that. Tell yourself the truth and the devil's thoughts will leave you.

33. They answered, “We are Abraham's children. And we have never been slaves. So why do you say that we will be free?”

The Jews were slaves in Egypt and Babylon and to the Romans. They were thinking about their lifetime but even then that makes them the sons of slaves.

34. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth: Everyone who lives in sin is a slave to sin.

Jesus is not talking about the kind of slavery that they are talking about. Men are surprised at how fast sin can get ahold of their lives and make them become slaves.

Do you not know that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? Romans 6:15

35 – 36

A slave does not stay with a family forever, but a son belongs to the family forever. If the Son makes you free, then you will be completely free.

If we want to help people escape from spiritual slavery we have to stay with them until the job is done. We do not just pray a short prayer with them and leave them. They have been a slave to many things for a long time and they need someone to walk with them until they are completely free of all these things. I will not be put under the power of anyth ing! 1 Corinthians 6:12

37 – 38

I know you are Abraham's children. But you want to kill Me because you do not accept My Words. I am telling you what My Father has shown Me. But you do what your father has told you.”

Many times when people do not want to hear God's words, it is because of a demonic spirit of deafness. This can happen after they have refused to listen many times. Now they only want to listen to the voices in their head. We must help them to confess this to God and take back the territory that they have given to Satan.

Some people who are reading these notes will not agree until they see a situation where nothing else has worked. God will show you all things if you are walking with Him.

39 – 40

They answered, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said, “If you were really Abraham's children, you would do the things that Abraham did. I am a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. But you are trying to kill Me. Abraham did nothing like that.

Jesus is saying, "A true child of Abraham would not want to kill Me. You are thinking about your earthly father. I am talking about the spiritual children of Abraham.”

The real children of Abraham are those who put their faith in God [the same way that Abraham did]. Galatians 3:7

41. You are doing the things that your own father [the devil] did.” But they said, “We are not like children who never knew who their father was. God is our Father. He is the only Father we have.”

They are saying that Jesus' mother Mary sinned and that is how He was born. This shows us that they had been asking about Jesus in His hometown and had heard some false stories.

42 – 43

Jesus said to them, “If God were really your Father, you would love Me. I came from God and now I am here. I did not come by My own authority. God sent Me. You do not understand what I say because you cannot accept My Words.

Are you are blind to the Word? It is easy to tell who your father is. If you are not interested in the Bible and God's Words just sound like blah, blah, blah, to you then your spirit is not alive. Sit up and pay attention when you hear God's Words because Jesus says if you do not hear His words you are not of God.

44 – 45

Your father is the devil. You belong to him and want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was against the truth, for there is no truth in him. He is a liar, and he is like the lies he tells. He is the father of lies. But I speak the truth. That is why you do not believe Me.

When you sell yourself to the devil to get something you want, you become his child. Some people love thinking of lies more than the truth. There are even groups who work to see who can make the best lies and get someone to believe them. Proverbs 4:6

46. Can any of you prove that I am guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe Me?

[God] has a court case against His people. He will bring charges against Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to turn you against Me? Testify in court and tell have I done. Micah 6:2 – 3

47. He who belongs to God accepts what God says. But you do not accept what God says, because you do not belong to God.”

There is something wrong when you do not think you need to hear the Word of God.

48 – 49

The Jews answered, “We say you are a Samaritan! We say a demon has come into you. Are we not right?” Jesus answered, “I have no demon in Me. I give honor to my Father, but you dishonor Me.

When we give any place for the devil to stand in our lives, our hearts become divided. We are divided against ourselves and against God. Unite my heart to show respect for Your name. Psalm 86:11

50 – 51

I am not trying to get honor for Myself. There is One who wants this honor for Me, and He is the judge. I tell you the truth: If anyone obeys My teaching, he will never die.”

The world's idea of death is when a machine says there is no more conscious signal from the brain seen on their hospital screen.

God sees you as dead spiritually when you are not conscious of God. If you are living to keep yourself entertained and happy in this world then you are not really alive. You can be spiritually dead even though your body is alive. 1 Timothy 5:6

52. The Jews said to Jesus, “Now we know that You have a demon in You! Even Abraham and the prophets died. But You say, ‘Whoever obeys My teaching will never die.'

Anyone who answers a mocker will get an insult against his name. Proverbs 9:7

53. Do you think that you are greater than our father Abraham? Abraham died. And the prophets died, too. Who do you think you are?”

They continue to put their trust in the idea that Abraham was their father. They are feeling pressure to make themselves look good. Anger is close to fear. You will find that angry people are afraid of losing something that they think belongs to them. If you can find out what they are afraid of you can sometimes help them. Some people do not want help but enjoy anger like a drug. Anger lives in the heart of a fool. Ecclesiastes 7:9

54. Jesus answered, “If I give honor to Myself, that honor is worth nothing. The One who gives Me honor is My Father and you say that He is your God.

Jesus is saying, “If I were bragging about Myself then My words would be worth nothing but God is the one who is honoring Me.”

55. But you do not really know Him. I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, then I would be a liar as you are liars. But I do know Him, and I obey what He says.

The original language here is saying, "You do not know God by experience, you have not had an experience with God." Many people say, “I am friends with the ‘man upstairs' and other such crazy words. You are lying to yourself if you say that you and God are old friends, but you have never had any experience with Him. You can only say you have had experience with Him if you have spent time with Him in His Word and really known His presence.

56. Your father Abraham was very happy that He would see My day. He saw that day and was glad.”

This may be speaking of when Abraham saw Jesus as Melchizedek (Genesis 14:8) or when the Lord visited his tent (Genesis 18:2).

57 – 58

The Jews said to him, “What? You have never seen Abraham! You are not even 50 years old!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Before Abraham was born, I am !”

Sometimes people say that they will not believe unless God comes down from heaven and shows Himself to them. God did this in the person of Jesus, but the evil spirit inside of them closed their minds to the truth. This would be like God appearing to Moses in the burning bush and Moses, saying, “I do not believe you are God and I am going to kill you and make you stop talking to my conscience.”

If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Luke 16:31

59. When Jesus said this, the people picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden, and then He left the temple.

Father forgive them, because they do not even know what they are doing. Luke 23:34, Luke 4:30, John 10:39