John 8

John 8:1

Every man that hath heard - The secret voice of God, he, and he only believeth. Isaiah 54:13.

John 8:2

Not that any one - Must expect him to appear in a visible shape. He who is from or with God - In a more eminent manner than any creature.

John 8:6

Not die - Not spiritually; not eternally.

John 8:7

If any eat of this bread - That is, believe in me: he shall live for ever - In other words, he that believeth to the end shall be saved. My flesh which I will give you - This whole discourse concerning his flesh and blood refers directly to his passion, and but remotely, if at all, to the Lord’s Supper.

John 8:8

Observe the degrees: the Jews are tried here; the disciples, John 6:60 - 66, the apostles, John 6:67.

John 8:9

Unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man - Spiritually: unless ye draw continual virtue from him by faith. Eating his flesh is only another expression for believing.

John 8:11

Meat - drink indeed - With which the soul of a believer is as truly fed, as his body with meat and drink.

John 8:13

I live by the Father - Being one with him. He shall live by me - Being one with me. Amazing union!

John 8:14

This is - That is, I am the bread - Which is not like the manna your fathers ate, who died notwithstanding.

John 8:16

This is a hard saying - Hard to the children of the world, but sweet to the children of God. Scarce ever did our Lord speak more sublimely, even to the apostles in private. Who can hear - Endure it?

John 8:18

What if ye shall see the Son of man ascend where he was before? - How much more incredible will it then appear to you, that he should give you his flesh to eat?

John 8:19

It is the Spirit - The spiritual meaning of these words, by which God giveth life. The flesh - The bare, carnal, literal meaning, profiteth nothing. The words which I have spoken, they are spirit - Are to be taken in a spiritual sense and, when they are so understood, they are life - That is, a means of spiritual life to the hearers.

John 8:20

But there are some of you who believe not - And so receive no life by them, because you take them in a gross literal sense. For Jesus knew from the beginning - Of his ministry: who would betray him - Therefore it is plain, God does foresee future contingencies: “But his foreknowledge causes not the fault, Which had no less proved certain unforeknown.”

John 8:21

Unless it be given - And it is given to those only who will receive it on God’s own terms.

John 8:22

From this time many of his disciples went back - So our Lord now began to purge his floor: the proud and careless were driven away, and those remained who were meet for the Master’s use.

John 8:24

Thou hast the words of eternal life - Thou, and thou alone, speakest the words which show the way to life everlasting.

John 8:25

And we - Who have been with thee from the beginning, whatever others do, have known - Are absolutely assured, that thou art the Christ.

John 8:26

Jesus answered the - And yet even ye have not all acted suitable to this knowledge. Have I not chosen or elected you twelve? - But they might fall even from that election. Yet one of you - On this gracious warning, Judas ought to have repented; is a devil - Is now influenced by one.

John 8:29

After these things Jesus walked in Galilee - That is, continued there, for some months after the second passover. For he would not walk - Continue in Judea; because the Jews - Those of them who did not believe; and in particular the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, sought an opportunity to kill him.

John 8:30

The feast of tabernacles - The time, manner, and reason of this feast may be seen, Leviticus 23:34, &c.

John 8:31

His brethren - So called according to the Jewish way of speaking. They were his cousins, the sons of his mother’s sister. Depart hence - From this obscure place.

John 8:32

For no man doth any thing - Of this kind, in secret; but rather desireth to be of public use. If thou really dost these things - These miracles which are reported; show thyself to the world - To all men.

John 8:34

Jesus saith, Your time is always ready - This or any time will suit you.

John 8:35

The world cannot hate you - Because ye are of the world. But me it hateth - And all that bear the same testimony.

John 8:38

He also went up to the feast - This was his last journey but one to Jerusalem. The next time he went up he suffered.

John 8:39

The Jews - The men of Judea, particularly of Jerusalem.

John 8:40

There was much murmuring among the multitude - Much whispering; many private debates with each other, among those who were come from distant parts.

John 8:41

However no man spake openly of him - Not in favour of him: for fear of the Jews - Those that were in authority.

John 8:42

Now at the middle of the feast - Which lasted eight days. It is probable this was on the Sabbath day. Jesus went up into the temple - Directly, without stopping any where else.

John 8:43

How does this man know letters, having never learned? - How comes he to be so well acquainted with sacred literature as to be able thus to expound the Scripture, with such propriety and gracefulness, seeing he has never learned this, at any place of education?

John 8:44

My doctrine is not mine - Acquired by any labour of learning; but his that sent me - Immediately infused by him.

John 8:45

If any man be willing to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God - This is a universal rule, with regard to all persons and doctrines. He that is thoroughly willing to do it, shall certainly know what the will of God is.

John 8:46

There is no unrighteousness in him - No deceit or falsehood.

John 8:47

But ye are unrighteous; for ye violate the very law which ye profess so much zeal for.

John 8:48

The people answered, Thou hast a devil - A lying spirit. Who seeketh to kill thee? - These, coming from distant parts, probably did not know the design of the priests and rulers.

John 8:49

I did - At the pool of Bethesda: one work - Out of many: and ye all marvelled at it - Are amazed, because I did it on the Sabbath day.

John 8:50

Moses gave you circumcision - The sense is, because Moses enjoined you circumcision (though indeed it was far more ancient than him) you think it no harm to circumcise a man on the Sabbath: and are ye angry at me (which anger had now continued sixteen months) for doing so much greater a good, for healing a man, body and soul, on the Sabbath?

John 8:55

When Christ cometh, none knoweth whence he is - This Jewish tradition was true, with regard to his Divine nature: in that respect none could declare his generation. But it was not true with regard to his human nature, for both his family and the place of his birth were plainly foretold.

John 8:56

Then cried Jesus - With a loud and earnest voice. Do ye both know me, and know whence I am ? - Ye do indeed know whence I am as a man. But ye know not my Divine nature, nor that I am sent from God.

John 8:57

l am from him - By eternal generation: and he hath sent me - His mission follows from his generation. These two points answer those: Do ye know me? Do ye know whence I am?

John 8:58

His hour - The time of his suffering.