Lesson for July 27, 2025
The Book of John
Lesson 25
Chapter 8:12-36
Jesus, the Light of the World
Verses 12-13
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’ 13 So, the Pharisees said to Him, ‘You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.’”
Jesus was in the temple treasury, according to John 8:20. Along the side of the treasury, they had chests you could walk by and put money into for various causes. Each chest carried a designation: some went to the priesthood, some to the animal sacrifices, etc. Then, in the very middle of the treasury was the largest candelabra, and the rabbis claimed that when it was lit in the evening you could actually see the light all over the city of Jerusalem. They had a special ceremony for lighting this candelabra every evening. It included the singing of a prophecy from Isaiah 42:6-7, “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You (Christ) as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison (spiritual darkness).”
After the completion of the ceremony of lighting the candles, there was a great period of rejoicing, singing, and dancing in the temple. So, Jesus used light for His message. Jesus began His message by referring to Himself as being the Light of the World. In I Peter 2:9, believers are called out of darkness into the light of Christ at salvation. In I John 1:5-7, believers are told to walk in the Light (Christ) and not to walk in darkness. Unbelievers are said to be in spiritual darkness, in Luke 1:78-79, Isaiah 9:2, and Psalm 107:10-11.
So, the Pharisees said to Him, ‘You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.’ The Pharisees, who knew much of the Old Testament academically, attempted to use the Scriptures against Jesus. But Jesus also knew the Old Testament and thoroughly understood what it taught. These hypocritical Pharisees attempted to use “the law of the two witnesses,” from Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15 to discredit Jesus. They were saying that Jesus testifying about Himself to be the Messiah violated “the law of two witnesses.”
Verses 14-20
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I am testifying about Myself, My testimony is true, because 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. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your Law it has been written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.’ 19 So, they were saying to Him, ‘Where is Your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.’ 20 These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple area; and no one arrested Him, because His hour had not yet come.”
These men were unbelievers and could not understand spiritual information. They were being controlled by their sin nature and had only human viewpoint. God and His Word can be understood only with divine viewpoint, under the filling of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:14-16) Since Jesus was God in the flesh, He could testify about Himself and that testimony was absolute truth. Furthermore, there was another witness to Who He was that was irrefutable – God the Father. No human witness can authenticate divine truth; that can come only by revelation from God, which it has, according to Romans 1:18-25.
Christ, the Liberator of the World
Verses 21-24
“Then He said again to them, ‘I am going away, and you will look for Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.’ 22 So the Jews were saying, ‘Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come?’ 23 And He was saying to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.’”
Jesus explained that when He left earth at the Ascension, He was going somewhere they could not go – Heaven. They would look for Him, but He would not be found. The result of their unbelief in Jesus as the Messiah prevented them from entering Heaven. (John 16:8-9; 3:18; Revelation 20:12-15)
So, the Jews were saying, ‘Surely, He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come?’ Jewish tradition taught that anyone who took their own life went to Hell. The question was one of sarcasm. It was a rhetorical question (a statement) suggesting that Jesus go ahead and kill Himself and go to Hell.
And He was saying to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.’ Jesus was saying that He was not part of Satan’s world system, but the religious leaders were part of it. Jesus had come from Heavenas the God-man, in Hypostatic Union. He was saying that He was the Messiah, the One Moses called “a prophet.” (Deuteronomy 18:15) You will die in your sins meant they would remain spiritually dead for rejecting Jesus as their Savior.
Verses 25-30
“Then they were saying to Him, ‘Who are You?’ Jesus said to them, ‘What have I even been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to say and to judge regarding you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I say to the world.’ 27 They did not realize that He was speaking to them about the Father. 28 So, Jesus said, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and I do nothing on My own, but I say these things as the Father instructed Me. 29 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.’ 30 As He said these things, many came to believe in Him.”
They were saying to Jesus in a sarcastic manner, ‘Who are You?’ He had been telling them Who He was, but they didn’t want to accept it. Jesus had much more to say to these Pharisees, which had to do with their lack of faith and their motives. There will be much more spoken directly to these hypocrites by Jesus when He called them out for their arrogance and hypocrisy. (Matthew 23) Jesus would also bring the message of salvation to everyone by preaching the Gospel to multitudes.
They did not realize that He was speaking to them about the Father. Jesus was on earth to fulfill the plan of God the Father; His plan called for Jesus to become the sin-bearer and pay the penalty for the sin of the world. Everyone is condemned to spiritual death at birth. Spiritual death separates us from God and only Jesus can bridge that gap, which He did on the Cross.
So, Jesus said, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and I do nothing on My own, but I say these things as the Father instructed Me. The Crucifixion of Christ was prophesied by Him in John 3:14 and John 12:32. When Jesus was “lifted up” on the Cross to be crucified, God the Father imputed Adam’s original sin (the sin that condemned us all to spiritual death) to Jesus and judged that sin. Jesus experienced spiritual death on behalf of us all. His death was a substitutional spiritual death that paid in full the sin of all mankind. I am was a reference to His deity, as a member of the Trinity. (Exodus 3:14)
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 the God-man, Jesus fulfilled the Father’s plan perfectly. Jesus pleased the Father by satisfying God’s righteousness and justice on the Cross. Jesus never deviated from the Father’s plan. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
As He said these things, many came to believe in Him. The result of Jesus’ message was that many believed in Him as Savior!
Verses 31-36
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
Jesus was now speaking to believers. Discipleship is based on knowing and applying accurate Bible doctrine on a consistent basis (If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples). Knowing the truth of God’s Word can set a believer free to serve God, based on their love for God. This applied knowledge sets a believer free from enslavement to Satan’s world system, his influence, and human viewpoint thinking. This applied knowledge can also set you free to think divine viewpoint and to glorify God as His representative on earth.
Verses 33-36
“They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.”
“They” refers to the unbelieving religious Jews. We know this from what Jesus said in response in verses 34-37, where Jesus said to them that had been trying to kill Him. Obviously, this was not referring to believers.
Remember that unbelievers are unable to understand spiritual things. Therefore, these unbelievers who were confronting Jesus had no spiritual insight by which to judge what Jesus was saying. So, they assumed Jesus was talking about physical freedom. Remember their mindset. They thought that the Messiah was going to deliver them from Roman oppression. But Jesus was speaking of spiritual freedom.
These Jews said that their generation had never been enslaved, though technically they were being enslaved by the Roman Empire. Spiritually, they were enslaved to a system of legalism, which was a distorted system of human works based on the Law of Moses. Their own religious/political system was enslaving them.
Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. They were enslaved to their sin nature, having no power or control over it. Only the power of the Holy Spirit and the application of accurate Bible doctrine give a believer the power to overcome sin in their lives. These unbelievers were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit and had no spiritual knowledge of God’s Word.
Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. Jesus addressed the real issue for these unbelievers. Their issue was lack of faith in Him for salvation. Using a metaphor, Jesus explained that those who refuse to believe in Him as Savior will remain enslaved by their sin nature and remain spiritually dead for all eternity. But, if they would simply believe in Him as the Son of God, Who was sent to pay the penalty for their sin, they would be set free, spiritually!!