Next verses are legal arguments with the Lord of the Universe. We never change and we never learn apart from the mercy and grace of God.
John 8:12-13
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am2 the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." So the Pharisees said to him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true."
This is another of Jesus' seven "I am" statements. The first was the declaration that He is the "Bread of Life" in chapter 6 verses 35 and 48. Don't miss that Jesus promises that someone who faithfully follows Him will have "illumination" about the why and where of life.
The Pharisees objected to this statement on legal grounds. To be admissible in their courts you needed 2 witnesses who agreed. Ironically the word used by the Pharisees for "witness" gives us the root for our word "martyr" because of all those who have witnessed about Jesus and died. Just like unbelievers in our day, the Pharisees rejected what Jesus said about himself.
John 8:14-18
Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am3 the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me."
Jesus statements did qualify as true because He had firsthand knowledge of these things and knew He would return. In His humanity, Jesus didn't judge anyone. He wasn't going to judge anyone simply in His human nature. However, if He had judged then his judgment would have been true because He would judge as the Father told Him to judge. The Pharisees had the "legal" requirement of two judges. The Father and the Son testified together. Keep in mind that miracles do not have the purpose of proving that God exists. God's existence is self evident from creation. Miracles were given as signs to bear witness to the truth of Jesus' teaching. Grudem says that "A miracle is a less common kind of God's activity in which he arouses people's awe and wonder and bears witness to himself." The Pharisees were ignoring the proofs that Christ and God the Father provided and asking for a legal proof.
John 8:19-20
They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
The Pharisees were in over their heads on this one because in rejecting Christ and His witness they also rejected God the Father. When Scripture says that His "hour" had not come it is using a word that implies something like our "historic moment" concept. Jesus' "historic moment" had not yet come along so they didn't act. This is a good point to be reminded that God is sovereign and nothing that happened to Jesus was out of God's ultimate control.
John 8:21-24
So he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come." So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself, since he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?" He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am4 he you will die in your sins."
This is a warning to those who were listening but they wouldn't hear it. They view Jesus as a man and not as the Messiah. Even though Jesus says plainly that they will die unless they believe that He is the messiah. This is another use of the particular phrase "εγω ειμι" or I am that I am in verse 24.
John 8:25-27
So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him." They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.
Jesus has been speaking plainly and the Holy Spirit was at work but many who were listening were simply not hearing what was being said.
John 8:28-30
So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am5 he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Jesus points forward to the Cross and the necessity for the indwelling Holy Spirit for our understanding and growth in a knowledge of Him (εγω ειμι). There is a difference between professing faith and possessing faith. Many of these who "believed in Him" were professors but not possessors of saving faith. This becomes apparent in their responses and Jesus' statements about them.
John 8:31-38
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."
This conversation is with those who professed to believe in Jesus. They professed but only if they abided in His word were they truly His disciples. At least some of them reacted to the insinuation that they were not free even though they were in bondage to sin. This strong reaction against the Word of God is produced by a sin nature in bondage to the father of sin and not God the Father.
Romans 8:39-41
They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God."
This is an important point here. Jesus points out what Paul later writes about in the epistles. Just because you are genetically Israeli does not mean that you are a child of Abraham. I am – by the Grace of God – a child of Abraham. Abraham is my Father but He was not the father of these Jewish unbelievers. This argument about heritage is prominent in the book of Romans and some folks act like Paul invented the argument. Here Jesus explains it precisely and then what happens? They make a childish crack about His origins.
Romans 8:42-47
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."
Jesus is not wondering, "Why?" when He asks why they don't understand what He says. He is asking rhetorical questions. They don't understand because they cannot bear to hear the truth and they don't hear because they are not of God. We should never grow tired of meditating on the grace that has made us the offspring of Abraham. We saw it in Isaiah and of course in Romans but we should never get tired of it. We've been grafted in by the mercy of God and we can rest in God's nurture.
John 8:48-50
The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.
Remember that this all started as a legal argument. Their argument has now degenerated into an "ad hominem" argument or name calling. The problem that the Pharisees have – among other problems – is that they don't have the Judge on their side. The Judge is seeking to give glory to Christ. They have managed to end up arguing against the Judge in the Judge's court. That isn't going to end well for them.
John 8:51-53
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, 'If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?"
Since they didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah – and since they had a flawed view of who the Messiah would be – they couldn't see Christ as greater than Abraham and the prophets.
John 8:54-56
Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad."
The Old Testament saints looked forward to the Cross. They knew they needed a savior and forgiveness of sins. We can see prophecy of Jesus' coming and sacrifice throughout the Old Testament and Abraham will be in heaven with us and justified as we are justified.
John 8:57-59
So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am6." So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Here Jesus claims to be God incarnate. This is another "εγω ειμι" but it stands alone and points back to the burning bush of Moses. What Jesus is saying was not lost on the Pharisees and they attempt to stone Jesus but it was not yet the "historic moment" and Jesus walks out of the temple.
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