John 9

John 9:1

Where I Am, You Cannot Come

The words of the Lord impress many in the crowd. The things they have seen of Him and what they hear from Him now lead them to believe in Him. It is not a belief in Who He really is, but a belief based on reason. It does not come from a convinced conscience. The many in the crowd who believe only believe because of the signs He has done. They believe because of what they have seen. One can see this from their statements about Him, which show that they are weighing things up. They would not know what more signs the Christ, when He came, would do than this Jesus did. In their opinion, He is the best choice for the moment.

Although the crowd does not speak openly, the muttering of the crowd in favor of the Lord reaches the ears of the chief priests and Pharisees. They think it is time to intervene and seize Him. They send their servants to seize Him. The Lord Who knows this perfectly does not let Himself be influenced by their hostile action, but continues His teaching. As everywhere and ever in this Gospel, it is not His enemies who determine the course of events, it is He Himself Who does so.

He speaks calmly about the little time He will still be with them and that He will then go to the Father. He does not say a word about His rejection by them, although that too is true. He knows what people will do with Him, but He looks to His Father. All is in His hand. He will still be with them for a little time, for He will not yet establish the kingdom, but will be rejected.

When He has gone to the Father, unbelief will seek Him, but never find Him. What does the world know about heaven and the Father? He explicitly mentions that they cannot go there. He knows that they don’t even want that. There is nothing so terrible for a rebellious, hardened sinner than to come into the light, in the presence of God.

When the Lord says here, “where I am, you cannot come”, it is yet another powerful proof against the erroneous teaching of universal reconciliation. There is no way that unbelief can come where the Lord Jesus is. Nor does the Lord speak of ‘not coming where He is for a while’, as if that might happen later on. An unbeliever will never at any time in eternity come to where the Son is. In order to come to Him a new birth is necessary and that new birth can only be obtained by conversion during life on earth. Only on earth is it possible to receive forgiveness of sins and not later at any time in the realm of death (Matthew 9:6).

The Jews do not know how to deal with this word. He has spoken about the fact that He has come from God and that He is returning there. As always, unbelief does not look any further than the horizon. They can only deduce from His words that He will leave the land and go outside of Israel to the Jews in the dispersion. They cannot find the dispersed ones and so they believe He will become untraceable too. Their own suggestion does not satisfy them. They are left with the question what the meaning of His words is. The Lord does not elaborate further because they are not open to His teaching about the Father.

John 9:2

Where I Am, You Cannot Come

The words of the Lord impress many in the crowd. The things they have seen of Him and what they hear from Him now lead them to believe in Him. It is not a belief in Who He really is, but a belief based on reason. It does not come from a convinced conscience. The many in the crowd who believe only believe because of the signs He has done. They believe because of what they have seen. One can see this from their statements about Him, which show that they are weighing things up. They would not know what more signs the Christ, when He came, would do than this Jesus did. In their opinion, He is the best choice for the moment.

Although the crowd does not speak openly, the muttering of the crowd in favor of the Lord reaches the ears of the chief priests and Pharisees. They think it is time to intervene and seize Him. They send their servants to seize Him. The Lord Who knows this perfectly does not let Himself be influenced by their hostile action, but continues His teaching. As everywhere and ever in this Gospel, it is not His enemies who determine the course of events, it is He Himself Who does so.

He speaks calmly about the little time He will still be with them and that He will then go to the Father. He does not say a word about His rejection by them, although that too is true. He knows what people will do with Him, but He looks to His Father. All is in His hand. He will still be with them for a little time, for He will not yet establish the kingdom, but will be rejected.

When He has gone to the Father, unbelief will seek Him, but never find Him. What does the world know about heaven and the Father? He explicitly mentions that they cannot go there. He knows that they don’t even want that. There is nothing so terrible for a rebellious, hardened sinner than to come into the light, in the presence of God.

When the Lord says here, “where I am, you cannot come”, it is yet another powerful proof against the erroneous teaching of universal reconciliation. There is no way that unbelief can come where the Lord Jesus is. Nor does the Lord speak of ‘not coming where He is for a while’, as if that might happen later on. An unbeliever will never at any time in eternity come to where the Son is. In order to come to Him a new birth is necessary and that new birth can only be obtained by conversion during life on earth. Only on earth is it possible to receive forgiveness of sins and not later at any time in the realm of death (Matthew 9:6).

The Jews do not know how to deal with this word. He has spoken about the fact that He has come from God and that He is returning there. As always, unbelief does not look any further than the horizon. They can only deduce from His words that He will leave the land and go outside of Israel to the Jews in the dispersion. They cannot find the dispersed ones and so they believe He will become untraceable too. Their own suggestion does not satisfy them. They are left with the question what the meaning of His words is. The Lord does not elaborate further because they are not open to His teaching about the Father.

John 9:3

Where I Am, You Cannot Come

The words of the Lord impress many in the crowd. The things they have seen of Him and what they hear from Him now lead them to believe in Him. It is not a belief in Who He really is, but a belief based on reason. It does not come from a convinced conscience. The many in the crowd who believe only believe because of the signs He has done. They believe because of what they have seen. One can see this from their statements about Him, which show that they are weighing things up. They would not know what more signs the Christ, when He came, would do than this Jesus did. In their opinion, He is the best choice for the moment.

Although the crowd does not speak openly, the muttering of the crowd in favor of the Lord reaches the ears of the chief priests and Pharisees. They think it is time to intervene and seize Him. They send their servants to seize Him. The Lord Who knows this perfectly does not let Himself be influenced by their hostile action, but continues His teaching. As everywhere and ever in this Gospel, it is not His enemies who determine the course of events, it is He Himself Who does so.

He speaks calmly about the little time He will still be with them and that He will then go to the Father. He does not say a word about His rejection by them, although that too is true. He knows what people will do with Him, but He looks to His Father. All is in His hand. He will still be with them for a little time, for He will not yet establish the kingdom, but will be rejected.

When He has gone to the Father, unbelief will seek Him, but never find Him. What does the world know about heaven and the Father? He explicitly mentions that they cannot go there. He knows that they don’t even want that. There is nothing so terrible for a rebellious, hardened sinner than to come into the light, in the presence of God.

When the Lord says here, “where I am, you cannot come”, it is yet another powerful proof against the erroneous teaching of universal reconciliation. There is no way that unbelief can come where the Lord Jesus is. Nor does the Lord speak of ‘not coming where He is for a while’, as if that might happen later on. An unbeliever will never at any time in eternity come to where the Son is. In order to come to Him a new birth is necessary and that new birth can only be obtained by conversion during life on earth. Only on earth is it possible to receive forgiveness of sins and not later at any time in the realm of death (Matthew 9:6).

The Jews do not know how to deal with this word. He has spoken about the fact that He has come from God and that He is returning there. As always, unbelief does not look any further than the horizon. They can only deduce from His words that He will leave the land and go outside of Israel to the Jews in the dispersion. They cannot find the dispersed ones and so they believe He will become untraceable too. Their own suggestion does not satisfy them. They are left with the question what the meaning of His words is. The Lord does not elaborate further because they are not open to His teaching about the Father.

John 9:4

Where I Am, You Cannot Come

The words of the Lord impress many in the crowd. The things they have seen of Him and what they hear from Him now lead them to believe in Him. It is not a belief in Who He really is, but a belief based on reason. It does not come from a convinced conscience. The many in the crowd who believe only believe because of the signs He has done. They believe because of what they have seen. One can see this from their statements about Him, which show that they are weighing things up. They would not know what more signs the Christ, when He came, would do than this Jesus did. In their opinion, He is the best choice for the moment.

Although the crowd does not speak openly, the muttering of the crowd in favor of the Lord reaches the ears of the chief priests and Pharisees. They think it is time to intervene and seize Him. They send their servants to seize Him. The Lord Who knows this perfectly does not let Himself be influenced by their hostile action, but continues His teaching. As everywhere and ever in this Gospel, it is not His enemies who determine the course of events, it is He Himself Who does so.

He speaks calmly about the little time He will still be with them and that He will then go to the Father. He does not say a word about His rejection by them, although that too is true. He knows what people will do with Him, but He looks to His Father. All is in His hand. He will still be with them for a little time, for He will not yet establish the kingdom, but will be rejected.

When He has gone to the Father, unbelief will seek Him, but never find Him. What does the world know about heaven and the Father? He explicitly mentions that they cannot go there. He knows that they don’t even want that. There is nothing so terrible for a rebellious, hardened sinner than to come into the light, in the presence of God.

When the Lord says here, “where I am, you cannot come”, it is yet another powerful proof against the erroneous teaching of universal reconciliation. There is no way that unbelief can come where the Lord Jesus is. Nor does the Lord speak of ‘not coming where He is for a while’, as if that might happen later on. An unbeliever will never at any time in eternity come to where the Son is. In order to come to Him a new birth is necessary and that new birth can only be obtained by conversion during life on earth. Only on earth is it possible to receive forgiveness of sins and not later at any time in the realm of death (Matthew 9:6).

The Jews do not know how to deal with this word. He has spoken about the fact that He has come from God and that He is returning there. As always, unbelief does not look any further than the horizon. They can only deduce from His words that He will leave the land and go outside of Israel to the Jews in the dispersion. They cannot find the dispersed ones and so they believe He will become untraceable too. Their own suggestion does not satisfy them. They are left with the question what the meaning of His words is. The Lord does not elaborate further because they are not open to His teaching about the Father.

John 9:5

Where I Am, You Cannot Come

The words of the Lord impress many in the crowd. The things they have seen of Him and what they hear from Him now lead them to believe in Him. It is not a belief in Who He really is, but a belief based on reason. It does not come from a convinced conscience. The many in the crowd who believe only believe because of the signs He has done. They believe because of what they have seen. One can see this from their statements about Him, which show that they are weighing things up. They would not know what more signs the Christ, when He came, would do than this Jesus did. In their opinion, He is the best choice for the moment.

Although the crowd does not speak openly, the muttering of the crowd in favor of the Lord reaches the ears of the chief priests and Pharisees. They think it is time to intervene and seize Him. They send their servants to seize Him. The Lord Who knows this perfectly does not let Himself be influenced by their hostile action, but continues His teaching. As everywhere and ever in this Gospel, it is not His enemies who determine the course of events, it is He Himself Who does so.

He speaks calmly about the little time He will still be with them and that He will then go to the Father. He does not say a word about His rejection by them, although that too is true. He knows what people will do with Him, but He looks to His Father. All is in His hand. He will still be with them for a little time, for He will not yet establish the kingdom, but will be rejected.

When He has gone to the Father, unbelief will seek Him, but never find Him. What does the world know about heaven and the Father? He explicitly mentions that they cannot go there. He knows that they don’t even want that. There is nothing so terrible for a rebellious, hardened sinner than to come into the light, in the presence of God.

When the Lord says here, “where I am, you cannot come”, it is yet another powerful proof against the erroneous teaching of universal reconciliation. There is no way that unbelief can come where the Lord Jesus is. Nor does the Lord speak of ‘not coming where He is for a while’, as if that might happen later on. An unbeliever will never at any time in eternity come to where the Son is. In order to come to Him a new birth is necessary and that new birth can only be obtained by conversion during life on earth. Only on earth is it possible to receive forgiveness of sins and not later at any time in the realm of death (Matthew 9:6).

The Jews do not know how to deal with this word. He has spoken about the fact that He has come from God and that He is returning there. As always, unbelief does not look any further than the horizon. They can only deduce from His words that He will leave the land and go outside of Israel to the Jews in the dispersion. They cannot find the dispersed ones and so they believe He will become untraceable too. Their own suggestion does not satisfy them. They are left with the question what the meaning of His words is. The Lord does not elaborate further because they are not open to His teaching about the Father.

John 9:6

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

The last, the great day of the feast is the eighth day (Leviticus 23:36). The Feast of Booths is the only feast with such a day. On that great day, the Lord Jesus speaks with a loud voice about the Holy Spirit.

It is remarkable that in connection with the Feast of Booths the Holy Spirit is spoken about. We would rather expect this in connection with the Feast of Weeks, i.e. Pentecost, which is also among the feasts instituted by Yahweh (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9-10; see also Acts 2:1). But neither the Passover nor the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost has an eighth day and what this day represents is precisely what characterizes this Gospel according to John.

The eighth day speaks of a new beginning after a completely closed period of seven days, a beginning without an end. In the cycles of feasts, the Feast of Booths points forward to the period of the realm of peace in which God fulfills all His promises to Israel and God’s blessing through Israel for all creation. That blessing will be heralded by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all mankind (Joel 2:28). All those who enter the realm of peace are born again of water and Spirit (John 3:5) and the Holy Spirit will come upon them as the source of refreshment.

By speaking of “the last day” of the Feast of Booths, the coming of the Holy Spirit is connected to the realm of peace, because that is what the Feast of Booths refers to. By speaking of “the great day” the focus is turned on the period after the realm of peace, eternity, which is also called “the day of God” and “the day of eternity” (2 Peter 3:12; 18). That is the eighth day, the day that refers to the time after the realm of peace, which is eternity.

After the realm of peace a new beginning comes, a new heaven and a new earth that have nothing to do with the old world. That is why it is completely in accordance with this Gospel, which speaks so uniquely of the Lord Jesus as the eternal Son. What He, Who is the eternal Son, brings, comes from eternity and leads to eternity. That is why it is so appropriate that He speaks of the Holy Spirit on the last day of the Feast of Booths, the eighth day.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit on earth, a completely new period has begun, which will never come to an end. Everyone who now receives the Holy Spirit has been brought into a new and never-ending position (eighth day). Whoever has received the Holy Spirit has received the first fruit of what is present everywhere and enjoyed in eternity.

Today there is already a new family on earth that is connected to Him in heaven through the Spirit. That family belongs where He already is. The believers are still in, but no longer of the world. They no longer belong to the first creation, but to the new world that the Lord Jesus created. While they wait for the revelation of the Son of Man, they have the Spirit Who helps them on earth and Who shows the glory of the Lord Jesus that He now has.

The Lord Jesus is offering these great blessings here to anyone who is in need, who is thirsty. It also only provides for one’s own need. People are not invited to drink for others, but for themselves. That is the starting point to teach others afterward (John 7:38). The condition for partaking of itis faith in Him. Faith is faith in a Person, in Christ, and that faith in Him is closely related to Scripture and the living water spoken of in Scripture.

In Scripture we can read about living water in, for example, Ezekiel 47 (Ezekiel 47:1-9) where it is mentioned in view of the millennial realm of peace. Here the Lord says that this living water will flow from the innermost being of him who believes. What in the realm of peace will be a refreshment for creation, is from the believer a refreshment for others in the present time and will soon be on the new earth for its inhabitants.

The Holy Spirit wants to use the believer as someone from whom blessing for his environment comes forth. That blessing is to show Who the Lord Jesus is, because that is what the Holy Spirit does (John 16:14). That by living water the Holy Spirit is meant is not a fabrication of people, but is clearly stated here by God’s Word itself. The Holy Spirit will come in those who will believe in the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 1:13).

The Spirit has been active on earth since creation (Genesis 1:2), but He did not yet live on earth. He could only come to live on earth after the Lord Jesus had returned to heaven after completing the work the Father had given Him to do. As dwelling places of the Spirit, the body of the individual believer and the church as a whole are mentioned (1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:22). The purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit on earth is to be a Witness of the glorified Lord in heaven. So, the Lord Jesus had to be glorified first.

The meaning of the sentence “the Spirit was not yet” is not that the Spirit did not yet exist. The Spirit is God and has no beginning, never came into being. He is the eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14). The point is that He did not yet dwell on earth. He has dwelled on earth since the day of Pentecost.

John 9:7

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

The last, the great day of the feast is the eighth day (Leviticus 23:36). The Feast of Booths is the only feast with such a day. On that great day, the Lord Jesus speaks with a loud voice about the Holy Spirit.

It is remarkable that in connection with the Feast of Booths the Holy Spirit is spoken about. We would rather expect this in connection with the Feast of Weeks, i.e. Pentecost, which is also among the feasts instituted by Yahweh (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9-10; see also Acts 2:1). But neither the Passover nor the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost has an eighth day and what this day represents is precisely what characterizes this Gospel according to John.

The eighth day speaks of a new beginning after a completely closed period of seven days, a beginning without an end. In the cycles of feasts, the Feast of Booths points forward to the period of the realm of peace in which God fulfills all His promises to Israel and God’s blessing through Israel for all creation. That blessing will be heralded by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all mankind (Joel 2:28). All those who enter the realm of peace are born again of water and Spirit (John 3:5) and the Holy Spirit will come upon them as the source of refreshment.

By speaking of “the last day” of the Feast of Booths, the coming of the Holy Spirit is connected to the realm of peace, because that is what the Feast of Booths refers to. By speaking of “the great day” the focus is turned on the period after the realm of peace, eternity, which is also called “the day of God” and “the day of eternity” (2 Peter 3:12; 18). That is the eighth day, the day that refers to the time after the realm of peace, which is eternity.

After the realm of peace a new beginning comes, a new heaven and a new earth that have nothing to do with the old world. That is why it is completely in accordance with this Gospel, which speaks so uniquely of the Lord Jesus as the eternal Son. What He, Who is the eternal Son, brings, comes from eternity and leads to eternity. That is why it is so appropriate that He speaks of the Holy Spirit on the last day of the Feast of Booths, the eighth day.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit on earth, a completely new period has begun, which will never come to an end. Everyone who now receives the Holy Spirit has been brought into a new and never-ending position (eighth day). Whoever has received the Holy Spirit has received the first fruit of what is present everywhere and enjoyed in eternity.

Today there is already a new family on earth that is connected to Him in heaven through the Spirit. That family belongs where He already is. The believers are still in, but no longer of the world. They no longer belong to the first creation, but to the new world that the Lord Jesus created. While they wait for the revelation of the Son of Man, they have the Spirit Who helps them on earth and Who shows the glory of the Lord Jesus that He now has.

The Lord Jesus is offering these great blessings here to anyone who is in need, who is thirsty. It also only provides for one’s own need. People are not invited to drink for others, but for themselves. That is the starting point to teach others afterward (John 7:38). The condition for partaking of itis faith in Him. Faith is faith in a Person, in Christ, and that faith in Him is closely related to Scripture and the living water spoken of in Scripture.

In Scripture we can read about living water in, for example, Ezekiel 47 (Ezekiel 47:1-9) where it is mentioned in view of the millennial realm of peace. Here the Lord says that this living water will flow from the innermost being of him who believes. What in the realm of peace will be a refreshment for creation, is from the believer a refreshment for others in the present time and will soon be on the new earth for its inhabitants.

The Holy Spirit wants to use the believer as someone from whom blessing for his environment comes forth. That blessing is to show Who the Lord Jesus is, because that is what the Holy Spirit does (John 16:14). That by living water the Holy Spirit is meant is not a fabrication of people, but is clearly stated here by God’s Word itself. The Holy Spirit will come in those who will believe in the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 1:13).

The Spirit has been active on earth since creation (Genesis 1:2), but He did not yet live on earth. He could only come to live on earth after the Lord Jesus had returned to heaven after completing the work the Father had given Him to do. As dwelling places of the Spirit, the body of the individual believer and the church as a whole are mentioned (1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:22). The purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit on earth is to be a Witness of the glorified Lord in heaven. So, the Lord Jesus had to be glorified first.

The meaning of the sentence “the Spirit was not yet” is not that the Spirit did not yet exist. The Spirit is God and has no beginning, never came into being. He is the eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14). The point is that He did not yet dwell on earth. He has dwelled on earth since the day of Pentecost.

John 9:8

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

The last, the great day of the feast is the eighth day (Leviticus 23:36). The Feast of Booths is the only feast with such a day. On that great day, the Lord Jesus speaks with a loud voice about the Holy Spirit.

It is remarkable that in connection with the Feast of Booths the Holy Spirit is spoken about. We would rather expect this in connection with the Feast of Weeks, i.e. Pentecost, which is also among the feasts instituted by Yahweh (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9-10; see also Acts 2:1). But neither the Passover nor the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost has an eighth day and what this day represents is precisely what characterizes this Gospel according to John.

The eighth day speaks of a new beginning after a completely closed period of seven days, a beginning without an end. In the cycles of feasts, the Feast of Booths points forward to the period of the realm of peace in which God fulfills all His promises to Israel and God’s blessing through Israel for all creation. That blessing will be heralded by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all mankind (Joel 2:28). All those who enter the realm of peace are born again of water and Spirit (John 3:5) and the Holy Spirit will come upon them as the source of refreshment.

By speaking of “the last day” of the Feast of Booths, the coming of the Holy Spirit is connected to the realm of peace, because that is what the Feast of Booths refers to. By speaking of “the great day” the focus is turned on the period after the realm of peace, eternity, which is also called “the day of God” and “the day of eternity” (2 Peter 3:12; 18). That is the eighth day, the day that refers to the time after the realm of peace, which is eternity.

After the realm of peace a new beginning comes, a new heaven and a new earth that have nothing to do with the old world. That is why it is completely in accordance with this Gospel, which speaks so uniquely of the Lord Jesus as the eternal Son. What He, Who is the eternal Son, brings, comes from eternity and leads to eternity. That is why it is so appropriate that He speaks of the Holy Spirit on the last day of the Feast of Booths, the eighth day.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit on earth, a completely new period has begun, which will never come to an end. Everyone who now receives the Holy Spirit has been brought into a new and never-ending position (eighth day). Whoever has received the Holy Spirit has received the first fruit of what is present everywhere and enjoyed in eternity.

Today there is already a new family on earth that is connected to Him in heaven through the Spirit. That family belongs where He already is. The believers are still in, but no longer of the world. They no longer belong to the first creation, but to the new world that the Lord Jesus created. While they wait for the revelation of the Son of Man, they have the Spirit Who helps them on earth and Who shows the glory of the Lord Jesus that He now has.

The Lord Jesus is offering these great blessings here to anyone who is in need, who is thirsty. It also only provides for one’s own need. People are not invited to drink for others, but for themselves. That is the starting point to teach others afterward (John 7:38). The condition for partaking of itis faith in Him. Faith is faith in a Person, in Christ, and that faith in Him is closely related to Scripture and the living water spoken of in Scripture.

In Scripture we can read about living water in, for example, Ezekiel 47 (Ezekiel 47:1-9) where it is mentioned in view of the millennial realm of peace. Here the Lord says that this living water will flow from the innermost being of him who believes. What in the realm of peace will be a refreshment for creation, is from the believer a refreshment for others in the present time and will soon be on the new earth for its inhabitants.

The Holy Spirit wants to use the believer as someone from whom blessing for his environment comes forth. That blessing is to show Who the Lord Jesus is, because that is what the Holy Spirit does (John 16:14). That by living water the Holy Spirit is meant is not a fabrication of people, but is clearly stated here by God’s Word itself. The Holy Spirit will come in those who will believe in the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 1:13).

The Spirit has been active on earth since creation (Genesis 1:2), but He did not yet live on earth. He could only come to live on earth after the Lord Jesus had returned to heaven after completing the work the Father had given Him to do. As dwelling places of the Spirit, the body of the individual believer and the church as a whole are mentioned (1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:22). The purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit on earth is to be a Witness of the glorified Lord in heaven. So, the Lord Jesus had to be glorified first.

The meaning of the sentence “the Spirit was not yet” is not that the Spirit did not yet exist. The Spirit is God and has no beginning, never came into being. He is the eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14). The point is that He did not yet dwell on earth. He has dwelled on earth since the day of Pentecost.

John 9:9

Division Because of the Lord

The words of the Lord impressed some of the crowd. They do sense that these are not words of an ordinary person. He must be the Prophet promised by God and announced by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22). For others this does not go far enough. They judge that He has to be the Christ. But this is how people separate what God has joined together. After all, the Lord Jesus is both the Prophet and the Christ. The Samaritan woman came to this conviction (John 4:19; 29).

These are all guesses that are undone by others, because they argue that the Christ cannot come from Galilee, which is where the Lord Jesus comes from. They know only too well what is written of the Christ, from whom He descends (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 89:4-5) and where He will come from (Micah 5:2). What they do not know is that He precisely meets that. The result of all those opinions is that a division occurs. Nobody is convinced of the truth, uncertainty rules.

Apart from arguments full of opinions with a little bit of truth here and there, but without the truth, there are also people who want to seize Him. However, they are stopped by the invisible power of God. God’s time has not yet come, therefore it is not possible to seize Him.

John 9:10

Division Because of the Lord

The words of the Lord impressed some of the crowd. They do sense that these are not words of an ordinary person. He must be the Prophet promised by God and announced by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22). For others this does not go far enough. They judge that He has to be the Christ. But this is how people separate what God has joined together. After all, the Lord Jesus is both the Prophet and the Christ. The Samaritan woman came to this conviction (John 4:19; 29).

These are all guesses that are undone by others, because they argue that the Christ cannot come from Galilee, which is where the Lord Jesus comes from. They know only too well what is written of the Christ, from whom He descends (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 89:4-5) and where He will come from (Micah 5:2). What they do not know is that He precisely meets that. The result of all those opinions is that a division occurs. Nobody is convinced of the truth, uncertainty rules.

Apart from arguments full of opinions with a little bit of truth here and there, but without the truth, there are also people who want to seize Him. However, they are stopped by the invisible power of God. God’s time has not yet come, therefore it is not possible to seize Him.

John 9:11

Division Because of the Lord

The words of the Lord impressed some of the crowd. They do sense that these are not words of an ordinary person. He must be the Prophet promised by God and announced by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22). For others this does not go far enough. They judge that He has to be the Christ. But this is how people separate what God has joined together. After all, the Lord Jesus is both the Prophet and the Christ. The Samaritan woman came to this conviction (John 4:19; 29).

These are all guesses that are undone by others, because they argue that the Christ cannot come from Galilee, which is where the Lord Jesus comes from. They know only too well what is written of the Christ, from whom He descends (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 89:4-5) and where He will come from (Micah 5:2). What they do not know is that He precisely meets that. The result of all those opinions is that a division occurs. Nobody is convinced of the truth, uncertainty rules.

Apart from arguments full of opinions with a little bit of truth here and there, but without the truth, there are also people who want to seize Him. However, they are stopped by the invisible power of God. God’s time has not yet come, therefore it is not possible to seize Him.

John 9:12

Division Because of the Lord

The words of the Lord impressed some of the crowd. They do sense that these are not words of an ordinary person. He must be the Prophet promised by God and announced by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22). For others this does not go far enough. They judge that He has to be the Christ. But this is how people separate what God has joined together. After all, the Lord Jesus is both the Prophet and the Christ. The Samaritan woman came to this conviction (John 4:19; 29).

These are all guesses that are undone by others, because they argue that the Christ cannot come from Galilee, which is where the Lord Jesus comes from. They know only too well what is written of the Christ, from whom He descends (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 89:4-5) and where He will come from (Micah 5:2). What they do not know is that He precisely meets that. The result of all those opinions is that a division occurs. Nobody is convinced of the truth, uncertainty rules.

Apart from arguments full of opinions with a little bit of truth here and there, but without the truth, there are also people who want to seize Him. However, they are stopped by the invisible power of God. God’s time has not yet come, therefore it is not possible to seize Him.

John 9:13

Division Because of the Lord

The words of the Lord impressed some of the crowd. They do sense that these are not words of an ordinary person. He must be the Prophet promised by God and announced by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22). For others this does not go far enough. They judge that He has to be the Christ. But this is how people separate what God has joined together. After all, the Lord Jesus is both the Prophet and the Christ. The Samaritan woman came to this conviction (John 4:19; 29).

These are all guesses that are undone by others, because they argue that the Christ cannot come from Galilee, which is where the Lord Jesus comes from. They know only too well what is written of the Christ, from whom He descends (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 89:4-5) and where He will come from (Micah 5:2). What they do not know is that He precisely meets that. The result of all those opinions is that a division occurs. Nobody is convinced of the truth, uncertainty rules.

Apart from arguments full of opinions with a little bit of truth here and there, but without the truth, there are also people who want to seize Him. However, they are stopped by the invisible power of God. God’s time has not yet come, therefore it is not possible to seize Him.

John 9:14

Testimony of the Officers

The officers who had been sent to seize Him return to their masters unsuccessfully. They are amazed that they come back empty-handed. They ask why. The officers may be ignorant, but their feelings are not yet completely numbed. By the words of Christ they have experienced a power that far surpasses the power of any human being. A mortal cannot speak like that.

Instead of bringing the Lord Jesus to the rulers they bring to them a testimony of His words, incidentally without accepting Him. In their blind hatred, the Pharisees accuse their officers of being led astray. Surely they can verify that they are dealing with a deceiver, because surely none of the rulers believes in Him, can’t they? How can they be so foolish as to believe in Him!

It is in people’s blood to hide behind what religious leaders say. The religious leaders themselves use this argument to keep the masses stupid and dependent on them. For them, the crowd consists of stupid, ignorant people. This is how they talk about the laity, common people, who had not studied the law. Those who are the shepherds of the crowd curse the crowd for it. It shows what kind of shepherds they are. They are false shepherds who are out for their own benefit only (Ezekiel 34:1-6). Such shepherds curse the sheep and abandon them. The Lord Jesus later calls them hired hands (John 10:12).

John 9:15

Testimony of the Officers

The officers who had been sent to seize Him return to their masters unsuccessfully. They are amazed that they come back empty-handed. They ask why. The officers may be ignorant, but their feelings are not yet completely numbed. By the words of Christ they have experienced a power that far surpasses the power of any human being. A mortal cannot speak like that.

Instead of bringing the Lord Jesus to the rulers they bring to them a testimony of His words, incidentally without accepting Him. In their blind hatred, the Pharisees accuse their officers of being led astray. Surely they can verify that they are dealing with a deceiver, because surely none of the rulers believes in Him, can’t they? How can they be so foolish as to believe in Him!

It is in people’s blood to hide behind what religious leaders say. The religious leaders themselves use this argument to keep the masses stupid and dependent on them. For them, the crowd consists of stupid, ignorant people. This is how they talk about the laity, common people, who had not studied the law. Those who are the shepherds of the crowd curse the crowd for it. It shows what kind of shepherds they are. They are false shepherds who are out for their own benefit only (Ezekiel 34:1-6). Such shepherds curse the sheep and abandon them. The Lord Jesus later calls them hired hands (John 10:12).

John 9:16

Testimony of the Officers

The officers who had been sent to seize Him return to their masters unsuccessfully. They are amazed that they come back empty-handed. They ask why. The officers may be ignorant, but their feelings are not yet completely numbed. By the words of Christ they have experienced a power that far surpasses the power of any human being. A mortal cannot speak like that.

Instead of bringing the Lord Jesus to the rulers they bring to them a testimony of His words, incidentally without accepting Him. In their blind hatred, the Pharisees accuse their officers of being led astray. Surely they can verify that they are dealing with a deceiver, because surely none of the rulers believes in Him, can’t they? How can they be so foolish as to believe in Him!

It is in people’s blood to hide behind what religious leaders say. The religious leaders themselves use this argument to keep the masses stupid and dependent on them. For them, the crowd consists of stupid, ignorant people. This is how they talk about the laity, common people, who had not studied the law. Those who are the shepherds of the crowd curse the crowd for it. It shows what kind of shepherds they are. They are false shepherds who are out for their own benefit only (Ezekiel 34:1-6). Such shepherds curse the sheep and abandon them. The Lord Jesus later calls them hired hands (John 10:12).

John 9:17

Testimony of the Officers

The officers who had been sent to seize Him return to their masters unsuccessfully. They are amazed that they come back empty-handed. They ask why. The officers may be ignorant, but their feelings are not yet completely numbed. By the words of Christ they have experienced a power that far surpasses the power of any human being. A mortal cannot speak like that.

Instead of bringing the Lord Jesus to the rulers they bring to them a testimony of His words, incidentally without accepting Him. In their blind hatred, the Pharisees accuse their officers of being led astray. Surely they can verify that they are dealing with a deceiver, because surely none of the rulers believes in Him, can’t they? How can they be so foolish as to believe in Him!

It is in people’s blood to hide behind what religious leaders say. The religious leaders themselves use this argument to keep the masses stupid and dependent on them. For them, the crowd consists of stupid, ignorant people. This is how they talk about the laity, common people, who had not studied the law. Those who are the shepherds of the crowd curse the crowd for it. It shows what kind of shepherds they are. They are false shepherds who are out for their own benefit only (Ezekiel 34:1-6). Such shepherds curse the sheep and abandon them. The Lord Jesus later calls them hired hands (John 10:12).

John 9:18

Testimony of the Officers

The officers who had been sent to seize Him return to their masters unsuccessfully. They are amazed that they come back empty-handed. They ask why. The officers may be ignorant, but their feelings are not yet completely numbed. By the words of Christ they have experienced a power that far surpasses the power of any human being. A mortal cannot speak like that.

Instead of bringing the Lord Jesus to the rulers they bring to them a testimony of His words, incidentally without accepting Him. In their blind hatred, the Pharisees accuse their officers of being led astray. Surely they can verify that they are dealing with a deceiver, because surely none of the rulers believes in Him, can’t they? How can they be so foolish as to believe in Him!

It is in people’s blood to hide behind what religious leaders say. The religious leaders themselves use this argument to keep the masses stupid and dependent on them. For them, the crowd consists of stupid, ignorant people. This is how they talk about the laity, common people, who had not studied the law. Those who are the shepherds of the crowd curse the crowd for it. It shows what kind of shepherds they are. They are false shepherds who are out for their own benefit only (Ezekiel 34:1-6). Such shepherds curse the sheep and abandon them. The Lord Jesus later calls them hired hands (John 10:12).

John 9:19

Testimony of Nicodemus

Then Nicodemus lets his voice be heard. We met him in John 3, where he came to the Lord Jesus at night. He is the exception to the defamatory expressions of the Pharisees. Nicodemus is not quite at the side of the Lord yet, but he is on his way to the light. He stands up for Him by appealing to the law.

He thinks that, before they accuse Him, they should first hear from Him and know what He is doing. He has to be able to justify Himself and get a fair trial, doesn’t He? Nicodemus gets blamed and silenced. His colleagues despise his words and reproachingly enquire if he also comes from Galilee. They advise him to investigate whether there is any mention of a prophet from Galilee.

With all his prestige of ‘the teacher of Israel’ (John 3:10) Nicodemus is not taken seriously now and experiences resistance from his colleagues. While they would otherwise have praised him for his knowledge of the Scriptures, they now despise him for standing up for the Lord Jesus.

Incidentally, with their remark that no prophet arises from Galilee, they betray their own ignorance. There are prophets from Galilee, such as Elijah and Jonah.

After this conversation, the council is dissolved and everyone goes to his home. The domestic atmosphere, in which someone can be so quite different, will not change their murderous feelings.

John 9:20

Testimony of Nicodemus

Then Nicodemus lets his voice be heard. We met him in John 3, where he came to the Lord Jesus at night. He is the exception to the defamatory expressions of the Pharisees. Nicodemus is not quite at the side of the Lord yet, but he is on his way to the light. He stands up for Him by appealing to the law.

He thinks that, before they accuse Him, they should first hear from Him and know what He is doing. He has to be able to justify Himself and get a fair trial, doesn’t He? Nicodemus gets blamed and silenced. His colleagues despise his words and reproachingly enquire if he also comes from Galilee. They advise him to investigate whether there is any mention of a prophet from Galilee.

With all his prestige of ‘the teacher of Israel’ (John 3:10) Nicodemus is not taken seriously now and experiences resistance from his colleagues. While they would otherwise have praised him for his knowledge of the Scriptures, they now despise him for standing up for the Lord Jesus.

Incidentally, with their remark that no prophet arises from Galilee, they betray their own ignorance. There are prophets from Galilee, such as Elijah and Jonah.

After this conversation, the council is dissolved and everyone goes to his home. The domestic atmosphere, in which someone can be so quite different, will not change their murderous feelings.

John 9:21

Testimony of Nicodemus

Then Nicodemus lets his voice be heard. We met him in John 3, where he came to the Lord Jesus at night. He is the exception to the defamatory expressions of the Pharisees. Nicodemus is not quite at the side of the Lord yet, but he is on his way to the light. He stands up for Him by appealing to the law.

He thinks that, before they accuse Him, they should first hear from Him and know what He is doing. He has to be able to justify Himself and get a fair trial, doesn’t He? Nicodemus gets blamed and silenced. His colleagues despise his words and reproachingly enquire if he also comes from Galilee. They advise him to investigate whether there is any mention of a prophet from Galilee.

With all his prestige of ‘the teacher of Israel’ (John 3:10) Nicodemus is not taken seriously now and experiences resistance from his colleagues. While they would otherwise have praised him for his knowledge of the Scriptures, they now despise him for standing up for the Lord Jesus.

Incidentally, with their remark that no prophet arises from Galilee, they betray their own ignorance. There are prophets from Galilee, such as Elijah and Jonah.

After this conversation, the council is dissolved and everyone goes to his home. The domestic atmosphere, in which someone can be so quite different, will not change their murderous feelings.

John 9:22

Testimony of Nicodemus

Then Nicodemus lets his voice be heard. We met him in John 3, where he came to the Lord Jesus at night. He is the exception to the defamatory expressions of the Pharisees. Nicodemus is not quite at the side of the Lord yet, but he is on his way to the light. He stands up for Him by appealing to the law.

He thinks that, before they accuse Him, they should first hear from Him and know what He is doing. He has to be able to justify Himself and get a fair trial, doesn’t He? Nicodemus gets blamed and silenced. His colleagues despise his words and reproachingly enquire if he also comes from Galilee. They advise him to investigate whether there is any mention of a prophet from Galilee.

With all his prestige of ‘the teacher of Israel’ (John 3:10) Nicodemus is not taken seriously now and experiences resistance from his colleagues. While they would otherwise have praised him for his knowledge of the Scriptures, they now despise him for standing up for the Lord Jesus.

Incidentally, with their remark that no prophet arises from Galilee, they betray their own ignorance. There are prophets from Galilee, such as Elijah and Jonah.

After this conversation, the council is dissolved and everyone goes to his home. The domestic atmosphere, in which someone can be so quite different, will not change their murderous feelings.

John 9:24

Introduction

With John 8 a new part of this Gospel begins, a second main part. After the introduction in John 1-2, the first main part contains John 3-7. The key word of that part is life. John 8-12 form the second main part with light as the key word. The third main part we have in John 13-17. The keyword of that part is love. These three key words – life, light and love – have been brought tangibly into this world by the Son of God and form an enormous contrast with all that is going on in this world.

He came out of the world of life into the world of death, out of the world of light into the world of darkness and out of the world of love into the world of hate. The clash of these two worlds dominate all chapters. Each time we see how incompatible the two worlds are, which is particularly evident in the enmity of the religious leaders. This enmity leads to a complete rejection of Him Who was sent into the world by the Father. In John 8 it is evident from the rejection of the words of the Son, and in John 9 it is evident from the rejection of His works. Both His words and His works are the two great testimonies that declare His origin (John 15:22-24).

The Lord Jesus Teaches in the Temple

While everyone goes to his home (John 7:53) the Lord Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to spend the night there (Luke 21:37). The Mount of Olives is, so to speak, His “home”. It is the place where He seeks fellowship with His Father. Later He will go there to supplicate His Father in Gethsemane concerning the cup (Luke 22:39). Again later, after His resurrection, He will return to the Father from there (Acts 1:9; 12). When in the future He returns from heaven, the Mount of Olives will be the place where He descends to visit earth again, but then in power and majesty (Acts 1:11; Zechariah 14:4).

After spending the night in fellowship with the Father, the Lord continues early in the morning doing the work He has seen the Father do. Again he enters the temple. There He is the point of attraction for all the people. When they come to Him, He sits down and teaches them about the Father. In His service to the people He is tireless (cf. Luke 21:37-38).

John 9:25

Introduction

With John 8 a new part of this Gospel begins, a second main part. After the introduction in John 1-2, the first main part contains John 3-7. The key word of that part is life. John 8-12 form the second main part with light as the key word. The third main part we have in John 13-17. The keyword of that part is love. These three key words – life, light and love – have been brought tangibly into this world by the Son of God and form an enormous contrast with all that is going on in this world.

He came out of the world of life into the world of death, out of the world of light into the world of darkness and out of the world of love into the world of hate. The clash of these two worlds dominate all chapters. Each time we see how incompatible the two worlds are, which is particularly evident in the enmity of the religious leaders. This enmity leads to a complete rejection of Him Who was sent into the world by the Father. In John 8 it is evident from the rejection of the words of the Son, and in John 9 it is evident from the rejection of His works. Both His words and His works are the two great testimonies that declare His origin (John 15:22-24).

The Lord Jesus Teaches in the Temple

While everyone goes to his home (John 7:53) the Lord Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to spend the night there (Luke 21:37). The Mount of Olives is, so to speak, His “home”. It is the place where He seeks fellowship with His Father. Later He will go there to supplicate His Father in Gethsemane concerning the cup (Luke 22:39). Again later, after His resurrection, He will return to the Father from there (Acts 1:9; 12). When in the future He returns from heaven, the Mount of Olives will be the place where He descends to visit earth again, but then in power and majesty (Acts 1:11; Zechariah 14:4).

After spending the night in fellowship with the Father, the Lord continues early in the morning doing the work He has seen the Father do. Again he enters the temple. There He is the point of attraction for all the people. When they come to Him, He sits down and teaches them about the Father. In His service to the people He is tireless (cf. Luke 21:37-38).

John 9:26

A Woman Caught in Adultery Brought to the Lord

Likewise, the leaders are tireless in their efforts to silence the Lord Jesus. Like the people, they come to Him, not to learn, but to set a trap for Him. As always, they are completely blind to the glory of the Son and His omniscience. They bring a woman with them and bring her to Him. The woman has been caught committing adultery and they want Him to act as Judge. John notices that they place her in the center. They place sin, as it were, in the center.

Their depravity is apparent not only from their evil intent, but also from the way in which they accuse the woman. They speak about sin without any disgust. For them it is ‘a case’ with which they want to embarrass Christ. They save Him the trouble of finding out whether their accusation is correct, because the woman has been caught red-handed. Possibly her husband came home when she was in bed with another man. It is also possible that the spies of the leaders have reported her.

The prosecutors know the law. They know what the law of Moses says about such cases (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 17:7). They can apply the right article of the law. Then why ask Christ? Because they do see and hear grace and truth in Jesus Christ, but refuse to accept it, because they do not want to see that they are sinners. They no longer want to hear His preaching, and His influence on the crowd is an eyesore to them. They want to get rid of Him.

Now they think to have put Him with their question in a situation where any answer that He would give them would lead them to expose Him as a deceiver. If He condemns her, He is not a Savior. After all, the law can condemn as well. If He sets her free, He disregards and rejects the law. The trap is cleverly conceived and cunningly set up. But what does the cleverness of man mean in the presence of God Who searches the heart?

The Lord does not respond directly to their attempt to test Him. That is not because He wants to gain time, but because He wants the full importance of the situation to pervade them. Because of this they will, once He answers, no longer have any possibility to evade what He is telling them. He is perfectly Master of the situation.

He stoops down and writes with His finger on the ground. It is the same finger that wrote the commandments on the tablets of the law with the judgment of Israel (Exodus 31:18). It is also the same finger that wrote the judgment of Belsazar on the wall (Daniel 5:5). In both cases the finger of God wrote, for it was this finger, indelibly, the inflexible justice on a stone ground. We do not know what the Lord is writing here on the ground in the dust. It has been suggested that He may have written the names of those who did not want Him (Jeremiah 17:13).

As a result of His stooped posture we can make two applications. On the one hand, He wants to teach the leaders that such an event can only be treated properly in a humble mind, willing to make themselves one with such evil. On the other hand, He wants to teach the woman that He does not stand upright to throw stones at her, but that He, as the Humble One, stoops down to serve her by convincing her of her sin.

John 9:27

A Woman Caught in Adultery Brought to the Lord

Likewise, the leaders are tireless in their efforts to silence the Lord Jesus. Like the people, they come to Him, not to learn, but to set a trap for Him. As always, they are completely blind to the glory of the Son and His omniscience. They bring a woman with them and bring her to Him. The woman has been caught committing adultery and they want Him to act as Judge. John notices that they place her in the center. They place sin, as it were, in the center.

Their depravity is apparent not only from their evil intent, but also from the way in which they accuse the woman. They speak about sin without any disgust. For them it is ‘a case’ with which they want to embarrass Christ. They save Him the trouble of finding out whether their accusation is correct, because the woman has been caught red-handed. Possibly her husband came home when she was in bed with another man. It is also possible that the spies of the leaders have reported her.

The prosecutors know the law. They know what the law of Moses says about such cases (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 17:7). They can apply the right article of the law. Then why ask Christ? Because they do see and hear grace and truth in Jesus Christ, but refuse to accept it, because they do not want to see that they are sinners. They no longer want to hear His preaching, and His influence on the crowd is an eyesore to them. They want to get rid of Him.

Now they think to have put Him with their question in a situation where any answer that He would give them would lead them to expose Him as a deceiver. If He condemns her, He is not a Savior. After all, the law can condemn as well. If He sets her free, He disregards and rejects the law. The trap is cleverly conceived and cunningly set up. But what does the cleverness of man mean in the presence of God Who searches the heart?

The Lord does not respond directly to their attempt to test Him. That is not because He wants to gain time, but because He wants the full importance of the situation to pervade them. Because of this they will, once He answers, no longer have any possibility to evade what He is telling them. He is perfectly Master of the situation.

He stoops down and writes with His finger on the ground. It is the same finger that wrote the commandments on the tablets of the law with the judgment of Israel (Exodus 31:18). It is also the same finger that wrote the judgment of Belsazar on the wall (Daniel 5:5). In both cases the finger of God wrote, for it was this finger, indelibly, the inflexible justice on a stone ground. We do not know what the Lord is writing here on the ground in the dust. It has been suggested that He may have written the names of those who did not want Him (Jeremiah 17:13).

As a result of His stooped posture we can make two applications. On the one hand, He wants to teach the leaders that such an event can only be treated properly in a humble mind, willing to make themselves one with such evil. On the other hand, He wants to teach the woman that He does not stand upright to throw stones at her, but that He, as the Humble One, stoops down to serve her by convincing her of her sin.

John 9:28

A Woman Caught in Adultery Brought to the Lord

Likewise, the leaders are tireless in their efforts to silence the Lord Jesus. Like the people, they come to Him, not to learn, but to set a trap for Him. As always, they are completely blind to the glory of the Son and His omniscience. They bring a woman with them and bring her to Him. The woman has been caught committing adultery and they want Him to act as Judge. John notices that they place her in the center. They place sin, as it were, in the center.

Their depravity is apparent not only from their evil intent, but also from the way in which they accuse the woman. They speak about sin without any disgust. For them it is ‘a case’ with which they want to embarrass Christ. They save Him the trouble of finding out whether their accusation is correct, because the woman has been caught red-handed. Possibly her husband came home when she was in bed with another man. It is also possible that the spies of the leaders have reported her.

The prosecutors know the law. They know what the law of Moses says about such cases (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 17:7). They can apply the right article of the law. Then why ask Christ? Because they do see and hear grace and truth in Jesus Christ, but refuse to accept it, because they do not want to see that they are sinners. They no longer want to hear His preaching, and His influence on the crowd is an eyesore to them. They want to get rid of Him.

Now they think to have put Him with their question in a situation where any answer that He would give them would lead them to expose Him as a deceiver. If He condemns her, He is not a Savior. After all, the law can condemn as well. If He sets her free, He disregards and rejects the law. The trap is cleverly conceived and cunningly set up. But what does the cleverness of man mean in the presence of God Who searches the heart?

The Lord does not respond directly to their attempt to test Him. That is not because He wants to gain time, but because He wants the full importance of the situation to pervade them. Because of this they will, once He answers, no longer have any possibility to evade what He is telling them. He is perfectly Master of the situation.

He stoops down and writes with His finger on the ground. It is the same finger that wrote the commandments on the tablets of the law with the judgment of Israel (Exodus 31:18). It is also the same finger that wrote the judgment of Belsazar on the wall (Daniel 5:5). In both cases the finger of God wrote, for it was this finger, indelibly, the inflexible justice on a stone ground. We do not know what the Lord is writing here on the ground in the dust. It has been suggested that He may have written the names of those who did not want Him (Jeremiah 17:13).

As a result of His stooped posture we can make two applications. On the one hand, He wants to teach the leaders that such an event can only be treated properly in a humble mind, willing to make themselves one with such evil. On the other hand, He wants to teach the woman that He does not stand upright to throw stones at her, but that He, as the Humble One, stoops down to serve her by convincing her of her sin.

John 9:29

A Woman Caught in Adultery Brought to the Lord

Likewise, the leaders are tireless in their efforts to silence the Lord Jesus. Like the people, they come to Him, not to learn, but to set a trap for Him. As always, they are completely blind to the glory of the Son and His omniscience. They bring a woman with them and bring her to Him. The woman has been caught committing adultery and they want Him to act as Judge. John notices that they place her in the center. They place sin, as it were, in the center.

Their depravity is apparent not only from their evil intent, but also from the way in which they accuse the woman. They speak about sin without any disgust. For them it is ‘a case’ with which they want to embarrass Christ. They save Him the trouble of finding out whether their accusation is correct, because the woman has been caught red-handed. Possibly her husband came home when she was in bed with another man. It is also possible that the spies of the leaders have reported her.

The prosecutors know the law. They know what the law of Moses says about such cases (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 17:7). They can apply the right article of the law. Then why ask Christ? Because they do see and hear grace and truth in Jesus Christ, but refuse to accept it, because they do not want to see that they are sinners. They no longer want to hear His preaching, and His influence on the crowd is an eyesore to them. They want to get rid of Him.

Now they think to have put Him with their question in a situation where any answer that He would give them would lead them to expose Him as a deceiver. If He condemns her, He is not a Savior. After all, the law can condemn as well. If He sets her free, He disregards and rejects the law. The trap is cleverly conceived and cunningly set up. But what does the cleverness of man mean in the presence of God Who searches the heart?

The Lord does not respond directly to their attempt to test Him. That is not because He wants to gain time, but because He wants the full importance of the situation to pervade them. Because of this they will, once He answers, no longer have any possibility to evade what He is telling them. He is perfectly Master of the situation.

He stoops down and writes with His finger on the ground. It is the same finger that wrote the commandments on the tablets of the law with the judgment of Israel (Exodus 31:18). It is also the same finger that wrote the judgment of Belsazar on the wall (Daniel 5:5). In both cases the finger of God wrote, for it was this finger, indelibly, the inflexible justice on a stone ground. We do not know what the Lord is writing here on the ground in the dust. It has been suggested that He may have written the names of those who did not want Him (Jeremiah 17:13).

As a result of His stooped posture we can make two applications. On the one hand, He wants to teach the leaders that such an event can only be treated properly in a humble mind, willing to make themselves one with such evil. On the other hand, He wants to teach the woman that He does not stand upright to throw stones at her, but that He, as the Humble One, stoops down to serve her by convincing her of her sin.

John 9:30

The Hearts of the Accusers Revealed

The persistent incorrigibility of the depraved prosecutors comes to full maturity when the Lord does not answer for a while. They persist in asking Him for the answer to their question to be Judge. Then His time has come to answer. He straightens up. Now that is a great moment. We see His power and His rights here, but yet He does not make use of them. When God straightens up, it’s impressive. Several times we read of His straightening up or arising to judge His enemies (Psalms 68:1; Isaiah 14:22; Isaiah 33:10).

As impressive as His straightening up is what He says. He does not give a legal answer, but a moral answer, which is more like a question. By that answer everyone present is placed in God’s light. In that light every sin is revealed, not only the sin of adultery. With his question He turns the spotlight of truth on the hypocrites. His light shines and reveals every heart. He is the Only One among that company Who is without sin. He is therefore the Only One Who could throw a stone at her. He does not, for it is not the hour of judgment, but of grace.

After He has straightened up and spoken justice, He stoops down again and continues writing on the ground. He takes the lowest position, while He is the greatest and most glorious of all. Again He gives His opponents the opportunity to draw their conclusions, but now after He has given them a sensitive, profound lesson. His answer embarrasses them, while they have been out to embarrass Him. This is worked out by the power of His word that placed them in the light. Who can stand in His presence without being convicted of guilt?

Remarkably, the older ones are the first to go home. They have done the most sins and this they cannot hide in His presence. Even those who have sinned less badly or not so much, leave. Opposite Him Who sees right through them, they can’t maintain anything of their evil motives to test Him. They all drip off. This leaves no one left but the Lord alone, with the woman standing in the center.

John 9:31

The Hearts of the Accusers Revealed

The persistent incorrigibility of the depraved prosecutors comes to full maturity when the Lord does not answer for a while. They persist in asking Him for the answer to their question to be Judge. Then His time has come to answer. He straightens up. Now that is a great moment. We see His power and His rights here, but yet He does not make use of them. When God straightens up, it’s impressive. Several times we read of His straightening up or arising to judge His enemies (Psalms 68:1; Isaiah 14:22; Isaiah 33:10).

As impressive as His straightening up is what He says. He does not give a legal answer, but a moral answer, which is more like a question. By that answer everyone present is placed in God’s light. In that light every sin is revealed, not only the sin of adultery. With his question He turns the spotlight of truth on the hypocrites. His light shines and reveals every heart. He is the Only One among that company Who is without sin. He is therefore the Only One Who could throw a stone at her. He does not, for it is not the hour of judgment, but of grace.

After He has straightened up and spoken justice, He stoops down again and continues writing on the ground. He takes the lowest position, while He is the greatest and most glorious of all. Again He gives His opponents the opportunity to draw their conclusions, but now after He has given them a sensitive, profound lesson. His answer embarrasses them, while they have been out to embarrass Him. This is worked out by the power of His word that placed them in the light. Who can stand in His presence without being convicted of guilt?

Remarkably, the older ones are the first to go home. They have done the most sins and this they cannot hide in His presence. Even those who have sinned less badly or not so much, leave. Opposite Him Who sees right through them, they can’t maintain anything of their evil motives to test Him. They all drip off. This leaves no one left but the Lord alone, with the woman standing in the center.

John 9:32

The Hearts of the Accusers Revealed

The persistent incorrigibility of the depraved prosecutors comes to full maturity when the Lord does not answer for a while. They persist in asking Him for the answer to their question to be Judge. Then His time has come to answer. He straightens up. Now that is a great moment. We see His power and His rights here, but yet He does not make use of them. When God straightens up, it’s impressive. Several times we read of His straightening up or arising to judge His enemies (Psalms 68:1; Isaiah 14:22; Isaiah 33:10).

As impressive as His straightening up is what He says. He does not give a legal answer, but a moral answer, which is more like a question. By that answer everyone present is placed in God’s light. In that light every sin is revealed, not only the sin of adultery. With his question He turns the spotlight of truth on the hypocrites. His light shines and reveals every heart. He is the Only One among that company Who is without sin. He is therefore the Only One Who could throw a stone at her. He does not, for it is not the hour of judgment, but of grace.

After He has straightened up and spoken justice, He stoops down again and continues writing on the ground. He takes the lowest position, while He is the greatest and most glorious of all. Again He gives His opponents the opportunity to draw their conclusions, but now after He has given them a sensitive, profound lesson. His answer embarrasses them, while they have been out to embarrass Him. This is worked out by the power of His word that placed them in the light. Who can stand in His presence without being convicted of guilt?

Remarkably, the older ones are the first to go home. They have done the most sins and this they cannot hide in His presence. Even those who have sinned less badly or not so much, leave. Opposite Him Who sees right through them, they can’t maintain anything of their evil motives to test Him. They all drip off. This leaves no one left but the Lord alone, with the woman standing in the center.

John 9:33

The Lord and the Adulterous Woman

Again the Lord straightens up, this time to raise two questions for the woman. He asks where her accusers are and if there is no one who has condemned her. The woman does not answer the question where her accusers are. They all left, but she is not alone. She is still standing in the presence of Him Who knows everything. With the words “no one, Lord” she does answer the second question. This is the only word we hear from the woman, but it is enough to show that she has faith in Him.

Then the Lord speaks the liberating word that He does not condemn her either. By adding: “Go. From now on sin no more”, He makes it clear that He does not take sin lightly. He does not pretend that she has not sinned. She has committed a grave sin, for which she was rightly accused. She did not bring anything in her defense. Neither could she because she was caught red-handed. The Lord can say that He does not condemn her because He will bear the judgment of that sin for the woman. His task to her is to start a new life now, for which He will give her the life and strength.

John 9:34

The Lord and the Adulterous Woman

Again the Lord straightens up, this time to raise two questions for the woman. He asks where her accusers are and if there is no one who has condemned her. The woman does not answer the question where her accusers are. They all left, but she is not alone. She is still standing in the presence of Him Who knows everything. With the words “no one, Lord” she does answer the second question. This is the only word we hear from the woman, but it is enough to show that she has faith in Him.

Then the Lord speaks the liberating word that He does not condemn her either. By adding: “Go. From now on sin no more”, He makes it clear that He does not take sin lightly. He does not pretend that she has not sinned. She has committed a grave sin, for which she was rightly accused. She did not bring anything in her defense. Neither could she because she was caught red-handed. The Lord can say that He does not condemn her because He will bear the judgment of that sin for the woman. His task to her is to start a new life now, for which He will give her the life and strength.

John 9:35

The Light of the World

The Lord has shown with the history of the woman that He is the light of the world. Through His word He placed all in the light and all have left. But the Pharisees have returned. He speaks to them again and speaks about Himself as “the Light of the world” (John 8:12; John 1:4-5; 9). This statement is the key to the rest of the chapter. He is going to explain what that means.

That He speaks of Himself as the light of the world indicates that His glory exceeds the borders of Israel. In fact, His rejection by the Jews is the reason for God to make Him a light for the nations (Isaiah 49:6). It also means that anyone who follows Him no longer walks in the darkness, but that such a person has the “Light of life”. For such a person, the darkness no longer has a hold, nor does the darkness hold terror for such a person. Those who follow Him follow the life that is light.

The Lord Jesus reveals life and that revealed life casts light on all other lives. All those other lives become revealed as darkness and are on their way to darkness. Only following Him leads to the path of light and to the light. The testimony of the Lord leads to yet another manifestation of enmity in the Pharisees, as we always find in this Gospel.

The Lord has endured the hostility, or contradiction, of sinners in general, but of these religious leaders in particular (Hebrews 12:3). They feel that they have no part in any blessing of which He speaks and they even do not want to have any part in it. They think they have an argument for rejecting His testimony by saying that He is testifying of Himself and therefore His testimony cannot be true.

If we look at what the Lord Jesus said in John 5 (John 5:31), it seems that they are right to make this remark. But the background is different. There it is about His dependence on the Father and that is why He says that He does not testify of Himself. Here it is about His own glory and His connection with the Father. Here He gives His testimony as the Omniscient.

These people are completely ignorant of the Father and the Son. They do not think about heaven and lack the ability to judge Him correctly. On the contrary, the Son has the constant awareness of the truth of His own Person and of His mission by the Father. His testimony is inseparable from that of the Father.

They do not know where He comes from. Earlier the Lord said that they knew where He came from (John 7:28). There He meant that they knew that He came from Nazareth. But His pre-existence in heaven and His place with the Father is completely unknown to them.

John 9:36

The Light of the World

The Lord has shown with the history of the woman that He is the light of the world. Through His word He placed all in the light and all have left. But the Pharisees have returned. He speaks to them again and speaks about Himself as “the Light of the world” (John 8:12; John 1:4-5; 9). This statement is the key to the rest of the chapter. He is going to explain what that means.

That He speaks of Himself as the light of the world indicates that His glory exceeds the borders of Israel. In fact, His rejection by the Jews is the reason for God to make Him a light for the nations (Isaiah 49:6). It also means that anyone who follows Him no longer walks in the darkness, but that such a person has the “Light of life”. For such a person, the darkness no longer has a hold, nor does the darkness hold terror for such a person. Those who follow Him follow the life that is light.

The Lord Jesus reveals life and that revealed life casts light on all other lives. All those other lives become revealed as darkness and are on their way to darkness. Only following Him leads to the path of light and to the light. The testimony of the Lord leads to yet another manifestation of enmity in the Pharisees, as we always find in this Gospel.

The Lord has endured the hostility, or contradiction, of sinners in general, but of these religious leaders in particular (Hebrews 12:3). They feel that they have no part in any blessing of which He speaks and they even do not want to have any part in it. They think they have an argument for rejecting His testimony by saying that He is testifying of Himself and therefore His testimony cannot be true.

If we look at what the Lord Jesus said in John 5 (John 5:31), it seems that they are right to make this remark. But the background is different. There it is about His dependence on the Father and that is why He says that He does not testify of Himself. Here it is about His own glory and His connection with the Father. Here He gives His testimony as the Omniscient.

These people are completely ignorant of the Father and the Son. They do not think about heaven and lack the ability to judge Him correctly. On the contrary, the Son has the constant awareness of the truth of His own Person and of His mission by the Father. His testimony is inseparable from that of the Father.

They do not know where He comes from. Earlier the Lord said that they knew where He came from (John 7:28). There He meant that they knew that He came from Nazareth. But His pre-existence in heaven and His place with the Father is completely unknown to them.

John 9:37

The Light of the World

The Lord has shown with the history of the woman that He is the light of the world. Through His word He placed all in the light and all have left. But the Pharisees have returned. He speaks to them again and speaks about Himself as “the Light of the world” (John 8:12; John 1:4-5; 9). This statement is the key to the rest of the chapter. He is going to explain what that means.

That He speaks of Himself as the light of the world indicates that His glory exceeds the borders of Israel. In fact, His rejection by the Jews is the reason for God to make Him a light for the nations (Isaiah 49:6). It also means that anyone who follows Him no longer walks in the darkness, but that such a person has the “Light of life”. For such a person, the darkness no longer has a hold, nor does the darkness hold terror for such a person. Those who follow Him follow the life that is light.

The Lord Jesus reveals life and that revealed life casts light on all other lives. All those other lives become revealed as darkness and are on their way to darkness. Only following Him leads to the path of light and to the light. The testimony of the Lord leads to yet another manifestation of enmity in the Pharisees, as we always find in this Gospel.

The Lord has endured the hostility, or contradiction, of sinners in general, but of these religious leaders in particular (Hebrews 12:3). They feel that they have no part in any blessing of which He speaks and they even do not want to have any part in it. They think they have an argument for rejecting His testimony by saying that He is testifying of Himself and therefore His testimony cannot be true.

If we look at what the Lord Jesus said in John 5 (John 5:31), it seems that they are right to make this remark. But the background is different. There it is about His dependence on the Father and that is why He says that He does not testify of Himself. Here it is about His own glory and His connection with the Father. Here He gives His testimony as the Omniscient.

These people are completely ignorant of the Father and the Son. They do not think about heaven and lack the ability to judge Him correctly. On the contrary, the Son has the constant awareness of the truth of His own Person and of His mission by the Father. His testimony is inseparable from that of the Father.

They do not know where He comes from. Earlier the Lord said that they knew where He came from (John 7:28). There He meant that they knew that He came from Nazareth. But His pre-existence in heaven and His place with the Father is completely unknown to them.

John 9:38

His Testimony and That of the Father

The cause of their unfamiliarity with His true origin is that they can only judge things in a carnal, natural way (John 7:24). Their own self is the source of their judgment. Then a person does not look beyond what he can perceive. He has no understanding for what lies beyond his horizon. Christ, Who is God over all, blessed forever (Romans 9:5), and Who has perfect knowledge of all things, is not judging anyone, but serves all. He is not judging anyone, for that is not the command with which the Father has sent Him into the world.

The fact that He is not judging anyone does not mean that He would not be able to do so. He has a perfect, infallible judgment over all things. His judgment is perfectly true, without any uncertainty. That is because He is not alone. He judges because the Father has given Him all judgment (John 5:22). That not the Father, but He judges, does not mean that He exercises the judgment independently of the Father. The Father Who sent Him is in complete agreement with the judgment He exercises.

In order to underline His words in a way that matches their knowledge of the law, the Lord again refers to their law given by Him and to which they appeal. Therein it is written that the testimony can only be accepted as truth if there are two people who bear the same witness (Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15). The Lord responds to what He Himself has written in the law. Does the law require the testimony of two people? Well, then He can say that He speaks in accordance with the law in His testimony about Himself. He and the Father bear witness concerning His Person.

The Lord always refers to the Father as the One Who sent Him. He always shows that as the eternal Son He is perfectly one with the Father and also that as the Son of Man He testifies of the Father on earth in perfect dependence on the Father and declares the Father. In turn, the Father bears witness to the Son (John 5:37; 1 John 5:9; Matthew 3:17).

This word about His Father makes them challenge Him to tell them where His Father is. In order to convince them, He must show them His Father, with the undertone that of course He will never be able to do so. But he who is blind to the Son does not see the Father either, for the Father is known only through the Son (John 14:9). They understand that He speaks of God as His Father, but in their unbelief and bias they reject any thought of it. They see this as blasphemy. Their question stems from contempt.

The Lord answers that they know neither Him nor the Father and that knowing the Father is inseparable from knowing Him. Because they reject Him, they cannot know the Father either. The Son is the only and exclusive possibility to know the Father (1 John 2:23; 1 John 4:15). Without Him that is completely impossible.

These particularly important words that reveal so much about the glory of His Person are spoken by the Lord in the treasury. His words in which He reveals His glory for to those who believe can be compared to the opening of a treasury or treasure room. Only faith sees its value.

The Lord teaches in the temple, where religious leaders pretend to stand up for the right of God, while seeking only their own honor. His teaching is most offensive to them. How much they had wanted to seize Him. But no matter how great their hatred and murderousness, they are powerless until the moment determined by God has come.

This may also be an encouragement to us. People can’t do anything to us unless God allows it because it fits into His plans. Our times are in His hand (Psalms 31:15) and not in the hands of people.

John 9:39

His Testimony and That of the Father

The cause of their unfamiliarity with His true origin is that they can only judge things in a carnal, natural way (John 7:24). Their own self is the source of their judgment. Then a person does not look beyond what he can perceive. He has no understanding for what lies beyond his horizon. Christ, Who is God over all, blessed forever (Romans 9:5), and Who has perfect knowledge of all things, is not judging anyone, but serves all. He is not judging anyone, for that is not the command with which the Father has sent Him into the world.

The fact that He is not judging anyone does not mean that He would not be able to do so. He has a perfect, infallible judgment over all things. His judgment is perfectly true, without any uncertainty. That is because He is not alone. He judges because the Father has given Him all judgment (John 5:22). That not the Father, but He judges, does not mean that He exercises the judgment independently of the Father. The Father Who sent Him is in complete agreement with the judgment He exercises.

In order to underline His words in a way that matches their knowledge of the law, the Lord again refers to their law given by Him and to which they appeal. Therein it is written that the testimony can only be accepted as truth if there are two people who bear the same witness (Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15). The Lord responds to what He Himself has written in the law. Does the law require the testimony of two people? Well, then He can say that He speaks in accordance with the law in His testimony about Himself. He and the Father bear witness concerning His Person.

The Lord always refers to the Father as the One Who sent Him. He always shows that as the eternal Son He is perfectly one with the Father and also that as the Son of Man He testifies of the Father on earth in perfect dependence on the Father and declares the Father. In turn, the Father bears witness to the Son (John 5:37; 1 John 5:9; Matthew 3:17).

This word about His Father makes them challenge Him to tell them where His Father is. In order to convince them, He must show them His Father, with the undertone that of course He will never be able to do so. But he who is blind to the Son does not see the Father either, for the Father is known only through the Son (John 14:9). They understand that He speaks of God as His Father, but in their unbelief and bias they reject any thought of it. They see this as blasphemy. Their question stems from contempt.

The Lord answers that they know neither Him nor the Father and that knowing the Father is inseparable from knowing Him. Because they reject Him, they cannot know the Father either. The Son is the only and exclusive possibility to know the Father (1 John 2:23; 1 John 4:15). Without Him that is completely impossible.

These particularly important words that reveal so much about the glory of His Person are spoken by the Lord in the treasury. His words in which He reveals His glory for to those who believe can be compared to the opening of a treasury or treasure room. Only faith sees its value.

The Lord teaches in the temple, where religious leaders pretend to stand up for the right of God, while seeking only their own honor. His teaching is most offensive to them. How much they had wanted to seize Him. But no matter how great their hatred and murderousness, they are powerless until the moment determined by God has come.

This may also be an encouragement to us. People can’t do anything to us unless God allows it because it fits into His plans. Our times are in His hand (Psalms 31:15) and not in the hands of people.

John 9:40

His Testimony and That of the Father

The cause of their unfamiliarity with His true origin is that they can only judge things in a carnal, natural way (John 7:24). Their own self is the source of their judgment. Then a person does not look beyond what he can perceive. He has no understanding for what lies beyond his horizon. Christ, Who is God over all, blessed forever (Romans 9:5), and Who has perfect knowledge of all things, is not judging anyone, but serves all. He is not judging anyone, for that is not the command with which the Father has sent Him into the world.

The fact that He is not judging anyone does not mean that He would not be able to do so. He has a perfect, infallible judgment over all things. His judgment is perfectly true, without any uncertainty. That is because He is not alone. He judges because the Father has given Him all judgment (John 5:22). That not the Father, but He judges, does not mean that He exercises the judgment independently of the Father. The Father Who sent Him is in complete agreement with the judgment He exercises.

In order to underline His words in a way that matches their knowledge of the law, the Lord again refers to their law given by Him and to which they appeal. Therein it is written that the testimony can only be accepted as truth if there are two people who bear the same witness (Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15). The Lord responds to what He Himself has written in the law. Does the law require the testimony of two people? Well, then He can say that He speaks in accordance with the law in His testimony about Himself. He and the Father bear witness concerning His Person.

The Lord always refers to the Father as the One Who sent Him. He always shows that as the eternal Son He is perfectly one with the Father and also that as the Son of Man He testifies of the Father on earth in perfect dependence on the Father and declares the Father. In turn, the Father bears witness to the Son (John 5:37; 1 John 5:9; Matthew 3:17).

This word about His Father makes them challenge Him to tell them where His Father is. In order to convince them, He must show them His Father, with the undertone that of course He will never be able to do so. But he who is blind to the Son does not see the Father either, for the Father is known only through the Son (John 14:9). They understand that He speaks of God as His Father, but in their unbelief and bias they reject any thought of it. They see this as blasphemy. Their question stems from contempt.

The Lord answers that they know neither Him nor the Father and that knowing the Father is inseparable from knowing Him. Because they reject Him, they cannot know the Father either. The Son is the only and exclusive possibility to know the Father (1 John 2:23; 1 John 4:15). Without Him that is completely impossible.

These particularly important words that reveal so much about the glory of His Person are spoken by the Lord in the treasury. His words in which He reveals His glory for to those who believe can be compared to the opening of a treasury or treasure room. Only faith sees its value.

The Lord teaches in the temple, where religious leaders pretend to stand up for the right of God, while seeking only their own honor. His teaching is most offensive to them. How much they had wanted to seize Him. But no matter how great their hatred and murderousness, they are powerless until the moment determined by God has come.

This may also be an encouragement to us. People can’t do anything to us unless God allows it because it fits into His plans. Our times are in His hand (Psalms 31:15) and not in the hands of people.

John 9:41

His Testimony and That of the Father

The cause of their unfamiliarity with His true origin is that they can only judge things in a carnal, natural way (John 7:24). Their own self is the source of their judgment. Then a person does not look beyond what he can perceive. He has no understanding for what lies beyond his horizon. Christ, Who is God over all, blessed forever (Romans 9:5), and Who has perfect knowledge of all things, is not judging anyone, but serves all. He is not judging anyone, for that is not the command with which the Father has sent Him into the world.

The fact that He is not judging anyone does not mean that He would not be able to do so. He has a perfect, infallible judgment over all things. His judgment is perfectly true, without any uncertainty. That is because He is not alone. He judges because the Father has given Him all judgment (John 5:22). That not the Father, but He judges, does not mean that He exercises the judgment independently of the Father. The Father Who sent Him is in complete agreement with the judgment He exercises.

In order to underline His words in a way that matches their knowledge of the law, the Lord again refers to their law given by Him and to which they appeal. Therein it is written that the testimony can only be accepted as truth if there are two people who bear the same witness (Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15). The Lord responds to what He Himself has written in the law. Does the law require the testimony of two people? Well, then He can say that He speaks in accordance with the law in His testimony about Himself. He and the Father bear witness concerning His Person.

The Lord always refers to the Father as the One Who sent Him. He always shows that as the eternal Son He is perfectly one with the Father and also that as the Son of Man He testifies of the Father on earth in perfect dependence on the Father and declares the Father. In turn, the Father bears witness to the Son (John 5:37; 1 John 5:9; Matthew 3:17).

This word about His Father makes them challenge Him to tell them where His Father is. In order to convince them, He must show them His Father, with the undertone that of course He will never be able to do so. But he who is blind to the Son does not see the Father either, for the Father is known only through the Son (John 14:9). They understand that He speaks of God as His Father, but in their unbelief and bias they reject any thought of it. They see this as blasphemy. Their question stems from contempt.

The Lord answers that they know neither Him nor the Father and that knowing the Father is inseparable from knowing Him. Because they reject Him, they cannot know the Father either. The Son is the only and exclusive possibility to know the Father (1 John 2:23; 1 John 4:15). Without Him that is completely impossible.

These particularly important words that reveal so much about the glory of His Person are spoken by the Lord in the treasury. His words in which He reveals His glory for to those who believe can be compared to the opening of a treasury or treasure room. Only faith sees its value.

The Lord teaches in the temple, where religious leaders pretend to stand up for the right of God, while seeking only their own honor. His teaching is most offensive to them. How much they had wanted to seize Him. But no matter how great their hatred and murderousness, they are powerless until the moment determined by God has come.

This may also be an encouragement to us. People can’t do anything to us unless God allows it because it fits into His plans. Our times are in His hand (Psalms 31:15) and not in the hands of people.