John 8:31-59 is an exchange between “those Jews who had believed him” and Jesus. Understanding how John generally used the word “Jew” in his gospel will help the student to understand this exchange between Jesus and those “Jews” who believed in him but who, at the conclusion of the exchange, wanted to kill Him. In John’s gospel the apostle distinguishes between the common people and the rulers and elders of the people by referring to the latter as “Jews” (cp. John 7:13-14; 9:20-22; 11:8). This is not His universal practice but is otherwise by a large majority.
In the third exchange between Jesus and His people Jesus had so taught that “as he spake these things many believed in him” (John 8:30). Among those who believed were also some of the rulers and teachers of the people. It is primarily this latter class with whom the exchange in John 8:31-59 is made. Notice that in v. 31 the apostle wrote, “Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him” and it is primarily these rulers who are the principal participants in this lengthy exchange. In the past exchanges between Jesus and His people Jesus taught that He had come from heaven and was “God-sent” as He dwelt and taught on earth. Some of the Jewish rulers had believed in Him, but their faith was shaky, as the following text shows.
To those “Jews that had believed him” Jesus said, “If ye abide in my word then are ye truly my disciples and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). While these “Jews believed in Jesus,” they weren’t ready to accept the things He taught without question. This first statement from Jesus, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” immediately brought dissent from them. They said to Jesus, “We are Abraham’s seed and have never been in bondage to any man. How sayest thou Ye shall be made free?” (v. 33). The memory of these men was very poor. Their 70-year Babylonian exile had been prophesied of by Isaiah and had been chronicled as their history by three of their greatest prophets: Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. To say “we have never been In bondage to any man” was a brazen denial of what been both prophesied of and recorded as having occurred.
However, Jesus did not contest their clear denial of their own past history, for it was not a physical bondage of which Jesus spoke. The bondage of which Jesus had spoken was spiritual as His response to them showed: “Everyone who committeth sin is the bondservant of sin. And the bond servant abideth not in the house forever, but the Son abideth in the house for ever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:34-36). These men knew what sin was and some of them might have been in that number who earlier had brought the adulterous woman to Jesus. When they persisted in asking what should be done to her, Jesus said, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” Jesus knew that the faith of these Jews was shallow, at best. He said, “I know ye are Abraham’s seed; yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath not free course in you” (v. 37). Jesus had begun this discussion, saying, “If ye abide in my words then are ye truly my disciples” (v. 32) and now he has said, “Ye seek to kill me, because my word hath not free course in you.” These men were not truly disciples of Jesus.
There may be points in our lives in which Jesus teaches things which we don’t understand and may have believed contrary to in the past, but a true disciples does not dispute Jesus’ words. He seeks to fully understand the meaning of what the Lord taught, and then, even if is contrary to what he has believed in the past, he discards the past and embraces the words of Jesus. He does so because he knows that Jesus “has the words of eternal life;” that His words are “spirit and life” and that “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God.” If one thing Jesus taught is false, then Jesus is not who He says He is and His words are not what they claim to be.
Sadly, this exchange between Jesus and “those Jews who had believed him” concluded with them taking “up stones to cast at him” (John 8:59). They were not truly His disciples. Faith in Jesus inherently demands faith in His word. All of them. We cannot truly be His disciples otherwise.
Jim McDonald