John 8:14
Jesus replied, "Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.
Jesus replied
This phrase indicates a direct response from Jesus, emphasizing His authority and willingness to engage with the Pharisees. The Greek word for "replied" is "ἀπεκρίθη" (apekrithē), which conveys a formal and decisive answer. Jesus often used such replies to clarify His divine mission and identity, asserting His role as the Son of God.

Even if I testify about Myself
The phrase underscores the self-authenticating nature of Jesus' testimony. In Jewish law, a testimony typically required two or more witnesses to be considered valid (Deuteronomy 19:15). However, Jesus, being divine, transcends human legal standards. The Greek word "μαρτυρῶ" (martyro) for "testify" is related to the word for "witness," highlighting the truth and reliability of His words.

My testimony is valid
Here, Jesus asserts the legitimacy of His own witness. The Greek word "ἀληθής" (alēthēs) for "valid" means true or genuine. Jesus' testimony is inherently valid because it is rooted in His divine nature and mission. This statement challenges the Pharisees' understanding of truth and authority, pointing to Jesus as the ultimate source of truth.

because I know where I came from and where I am going
This phrase reveals Jesus' divine origin and destiny. The Greek word "οἶδα" (oida) for "know" implies complete and perfect knowledge, which only God possesses. Jesus' awareness of His heavenly origin and His return to the Father underscores His divine authority and purpose. It also highlights the eternal nature of His mission, which transcends earthly understanding.

But you do not know where I came from or where I am going
Jesus contrasts His divine knowledge with the Pharisees' ignorance. The Greek word "οἴδατε" (oidate) for "know" indicates a lack of understanding or recognition. The Pharisees' inability to comprehend Jesus' divine origin and mission reflects their spiritual blindness and resistance to the truth. This statement serves as a call to recognize Jesus' true identity and to seek understanding through faith.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, asserting His divine authority and knowledge of His origin and destiny.

2. Pharisees
Religious leaders who often challenged Jesus, questioning His authority and testimony.

3. Jerusalem
The setting of this discourse, where Jesus was teaching in the temple courts.

4. Temple Courts
The public area in the temple where Jesus often taught and engaged with the people and religious leaders.

5. Feast of Tabernacles
The broader context of this chapter, a Jewish festival during which Jesus delivered many teachings.
Teaching Points
Divine Authority
Jesus' testimony is valid because of His divine nature. As believers, we can trust His words and teachings as the ultimate truth.

Understanding Jesus' Mission
Recognizing where Jesus came from and where He is going helps us understand His purpose and the salvation He offers.

Faith Beyond Sight
The Pharisees' inability to recognize Jesus' origin and destiny serves as a warning to us to seek spiritual discernment and faith beyond what is visible.

Witness of the Spirit
Just as Jesus' testimony is validated by His divine origin, our lives should bear witness to the truth of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit's work in us.

Eternal Perspective
Jesus' awareness of His origin and destiny encourages us to live with an eternal perspective, focusing on our heavenly citizenship.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jesus' claim about His testimony challenge the Pharisees' understanding of authority and truth?

2. In what ways can we apply Jesus' confidence in His divine mission to our own lives and callings?

3. How does understanding Jesus' origin and destiny enhance our faith and trust in Him?

4. What are some practical ways we can develop spiritual discernment to recognize God's truth in our lives?

5. How can we maintain an eternal perspective in our daily decisions and interactions with others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
John 5:31-32
Jesus discusses the validity of His testimony, emphasizing the witness of the Father.

John 14:6
Jesus declares Himself as the way, the truth, and the life, reinforcing His divine origin and purpose.

Philippians 2:6-8
Paul speaks of Jesus' divine nature and His incarnation, aligning with Jesus' knowledge of His origin.

Hebrews 12:2
Jesus is described as the author and finisher of our faith, highlighting His understanding of His mission.

Isaiah 53:3
The prophecy of the suffering servant, which Jesus fulfills, despite being misunderstood by His contemporaries.
Excluded from the Destination of JesusD. Young John 8:1-23
Chest the Light of the WorldPhillips Brooks, D. D.John 8:12-20
Christ an Unsetting LightJohn 8:12-20
Following ChristJ. Vaughan, M. A.John 8:12-20
Following ChristJ. Vaughan, M. A.John 8:12-20
Following Christ the Path of LifeH. C. Trumbull, D. D.John 8:12-20
He that Followeth Me Shall not Walk in DarknessArchdeacon Watkins.John 8:12-20
Light Brings PowerC. Vines.John 8:12-20
Light for UsW. Hoyt, D. D.John 8:12-20
Light InterceptedH. C. Trumbull, D. D.John 8:12-20
Light the Emblem of GladnessC. Vines.John 8:12-20
Moderated LightJohn 8:12-20
Perpetual Daylight for the ChristianBrentius.John 8:12-20
Rays from the Sun of RighteousnessRichard Newton, D. D.John 8:12-20
Revelations of LightW. H. Van Doren, D. D.John 8:12-20
The Believer's Life is a WalkC. H. Spurgeon.John 8:12-20
The Connection of Christ's Discourse with the Previous Incident and the FeastR. Besser, D. D.John 8:12-20
The Effects of SunlightH. W. Beecher.John 8:12-20
The Force of the AllusionArchdeacon Patter.John 8:12-20
The IncidentC. Vince.John 8:12-20
The Light of LifeF. B. Meyer, B. A.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldBp. Ryle.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldHomilistJohn 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldT. Mirams.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldW. M. Taylor, D. D.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldA. Maclaren, D. D.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldW. Hawkins.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldNoah Porter, LL. D.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldE. Bersier, D. D.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldJ. M. Randall.John 8:12-20
The Light of the WorldA. McAuslane, D. D.John 8:12-20
The Relation of the Light of the World to the IncarnationI. Williams, B. D.John 8:12-20
The Safety of LightH. B. Hooker.John 8:12-20
The Saving and Health-Giving Influence of LightW. Birch.John 8:12-20
Walking in the LightClerical LibraryJohn 8:12-20
We Must Follow ChristJohn 8:12-20
We Must not Refuse the LightBp. Villiers.John 8:12-20
We Must Walk in the LightJohn 8:12-20
Christ's Witness to HimselfBp. Alexander.John 8:14-17
False JudgmentsDr. Guthrie.John 8:14-17
Judging After the Flesh is Often Altogether MisleadingJohn Bate.John 8:14-17
Judging by Appearances FallaciousE. H. Chapin, D. D.John 8:14-17
The Concurrent Judgment of the Father and the SonF. Godet, D. D.John 8:14-17
The Self-Evidencing Power of the Sun of RighteousnessJohn 8:14-17
The Witness of Christ as Seen in Some Contradictory Phenomena of His Life and CharacterLl. D. Bevan, D. D.John 8:14-17
Then Said They unto Him, Where is Thy Father?W. H. Van Doren, D. D.John 8:14-17
Ye Judge After the Flesh: I Judge no ManJ. Donne, D. D.John 8:14-17
People
Jesus, Disciples
Places
Jerusalem, Mount of Olives
Topics
TRUE, Behalf, Giving, Idea, Myself, Record, Replied, Testify, Testimony, Though, Valid, Whence, Whither, Witness, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
John 8:14

     2045   Christ, knowledge of
     5624   witnesses, to Christ

John 8:13-19

     6183   ignorance, of God

Library
Ascension Day
Eversley. Chester Cathedral. 1872. St John viii. 58. "Before Abraham was, I am." Let us consider these words awhile. They are most fit for our thoughts on this glorious day, on which the Lord Jesus ascended to His Father, and to our Father, to His God, and to our God, that He might be glorified with the glory which He had with the Father before the making of the world. For it is clear that we shall better understand Ascension Day, just as we shall better understand Christmas or Eastertide,
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

December 18 Evening
Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.--JOHN 8:32. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.--The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.--If the Son . . . shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.--Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

September 15 Morning
Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.--ROM. 6:14. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.--My brethren, ye . . . are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.--Being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ.--The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

February 27 Evening
God . . . giveth . . . liberally, and upbraideth not.--JAS. 1:5. Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. The grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many . . . The free gift is of many offences unto justification. God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

December 10 Evening
The perfect law of liberty.--JAS. 1:25. Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

February 28 Evening
The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.--PROV. 20:27. He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her . . . And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last. Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.--If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

April 9. "I do Always those Things that Please Him" (John viii. 29).
"I do always those things that please Him" (John viii. 29). It is a good thing to keep short accounts with God. We were very much struck some years ago with an interpretation of this verse: "So every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." The thought conveyed to our mind was, that of accounting to God every day of our lives, so that our accounts were settled daily, and for us judgment was passed, as we lay down on our pillows every night. This is surely the true way to live. It is the
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Light of the World
'... I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.'--JOHN viii. 12. Jesus Christ was His own great theme. Whatever be the explanation of the fact, there stands the fact that, if we know anything at all about His habitual tone of teaching, we know that it was full of Himself. We know, too, that what He said about Himself was very unlike the language becoming a wise and humble religious teacher. Both the prominence given to His own personality,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Never in Bondage'
'We... were never in bondage to any man: how gayest Thou, Ye shall be made free!'--JOHN viii. 33. 'Never in bondage to any man'? Then what about Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Syria? Was there not a Roman garrison looking down from the castle into the very Temple courts where this boastful falsehood was uttered? It required some hardihood to say, 'Never in bondage to any man,' in the face of such a history, and such a present. But was it not just an instance of the strange power which we all have and exercise,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Three Aspects of Faith
'Many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him....'--JOHN viii. 30,31. The Revised Version accurately represents the original by varying the expression in these two clauses, retaining 'believed on Him' in the former, and substituting the simple 'believed Him' in the latter. The variation in two contiguous clauses can scarcely be accidental in so careful a writer as the Apostle John. And the reason and meaning of it are obvious enough on the face of the narrative. His purpose
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

July the Fifth the Discipleship that Tells
"He that followeth Me." --JOHN viii. 12-20. Yes, but I must make sure that I follow Him in Spirit and in truth. It is so easy to be self-deceived. I may follow a pleasant emotion, while all the time a bit of grim cross-bearing is being ignored. I may be satisfied to be "out on the ocean sailing," singing of "a home beyond the tide," while all the time there is a piece of perilous salvage work to be done beneath the waves. To "follow Jesus" is to face the hostility of scribes and Pharisees, to
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

On the Words of the Gospel, John viii. 31, "If Ye Abide in My Word, Then are Ye Truly My Disciples," Etc.
1. Ye know well, Beloved, that we all have One Master, and are fellow disciples under Him. Nor are we your masters, because we speak to you from this higher spot; but He is the Master of all, who dwelleth in us all. He just now spake to us all in the Gospel, and said to us, what I also am saying to you; but He saith it of us, as well of us as of you. "If ye shall continue in My word," not of course in my word who am now speaking to you; but in His who spake just now out of the Gospel. "If ye shall
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Believing on Jesus, and Its Counterfeits
The Lord Jesus also told the contradicting sinners that the day would come when cavillers would be convinced. Observe how he put it: "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself." Cavillers may have a fine time of it just now; but they will one day be convinced either to their conversion or their confusion. Let us hope that many will see the truth before they die--early enough to seek and find a Saviour. But many in our Lord's day who discovered
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent
Of the power of the Word of God, of fiery desires, and the essence of self-renunciation. John viii. 47.--"He who is of God heareth the words of God." DEAR children, ye ought not to cease from hearing or declaring the word of God because you do not alway live according to it, nor keep it in mind. For inasmuch as you love it and crave after it, it will assuredly be given unto you; and you shall enjoy it for ever with God, according to the measure of your desire after it. There are some people who,
Susannah Winkworth—The History and Life of the Reverend Doctor John Tauler

Morgan -- the Perfect Ideal of Life
George Campbell Morgan, Congregational divine and preacher, was born in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England, in 1863, and was educated at the Douglas School, Cheltenham. He worked as a lay-mission preacher for the two years ending 1888, and was ordained to the ministry in the following year, when he took charge of the Congregational Church at Stones, Staffordshire. After occupying the pulpit in several pastorates, in 1904 he became pastor of the Westminster Congregational Chapel, Buckingham Gate, London,
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Volume 10

Freedom.
The Truth shall make you free.... Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.--John viii. 32, 34-36. As this passage stands, I have not been able to make sense of it. No man could be in the house of the Father in virtue of being the servant of sin; yet this man is in the house as a servant, and the house in which he serves is not the house of sin,
George MacDonald—Unspoken Sermons

Of the Imitation of Christ, and of Contempt of the World and all Its Vanities
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,(1) saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ; and they teach us how far we must imitate His life and character, if we seek true illumination, and deliverance from all blindness of heart. Let it be our most earnest study, therefore, to dwell upon the life of Jesus Christ. 2. His teaching surpasseth all teaching of holy men, and such as have His Spirit find therein the hidden manna.(2) But there are many who, though they frequently hear the Gospel,
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Tobacco.
Tobacco wastes the body. It is used for the nicotine that is in it. This peculiar ingredient is a poisonous, oily, colorless liquid, and gives to tobacco its odor. This odor and the flavor of tobacco are developed by fermentation in the process of preparation for use. "Poison" is commonly defined as "any substance that when taken into the system acts in an injurious manner, tending to cause death or serious detriment to health." And different poisons are defined as those which act differently upon
J. M. Judy—Questionable Amusements and Worthy Substitutes

Messianic Claims Met by Attempt to Stone Jesus.
(Jerusalem. October, a.d. 29.) ^D John VIII. 12-59. ^d 12 Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. [The metaphor of light was common, and signified knowledge and life; darkness is opposed to light, being the symbol of ignorance and death.] 13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true. [They perhaps recalled the words of Jesus
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Sin.
The time was when there was no sin in this world. At that time it was an Eden. By man transgressing God's holy law sin entered this world. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12. This is the origin of sin in this world and the awful consequence. God's design was that his creation be sinless and pure, but by disobedience sin has marred the scene of God's creative purity. The following texts will
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

The Course of the World.
Unmistakably there exists a wide gulf of separation between the children of God and the children of the world. Christ is the only avenue of escape from the world. The wide, open door of salvation is the exit. He who would return from the blissful shores of Christianity to the beggarly elements of the world can do so only on the transporting barges of Satan. As a tree is known by its fruits, so is a true follower of Christ. The fruit borne by a Christian is directly opposite in its nature to the fruit
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

The First Chapter: Imitating Christ and Despising all Vanities on Earth
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord (John 8:12). By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ. The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they
Thomas À Kempis—The Imitation of Christ

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