John 8:46-50

 

John 8:46 (KJB)

Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

 

Convinceth - Convict or reprove

 

Just as Jesus said to the crowd who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery that he that is without sin should cast the first stone but they were all convicted in their conscience because they all knew they had sinned in their life. Here Jesus repeats the principle and asks the Jews, which one of you convicts me of sin? In other words, show me the sin that I have committed or the sins that I commit. If you cannot show me where I am sinning and if I am telling you the truth, then why do you not believe me? Jesus is pointing to the fact that He has a sinless testimony. In fact, if His testimony and life are sinless, this would mean that He cannot tell a lie and therefore everything that He was telling them was truth, yet they would not believe Him. Jesus lays down the gauntlet and places the onus of conviction on the Pharisees but they could not convict Him of any sin whatsoever. The proof of this was His trial because they had to bring in false witnesses.

 

John 8:47 (KJB)

He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

 

Heareth and hear - Hearing with spiritual understanding

Words (rhema) - Discourse, declaration, command, or promise

 

Here Jesus tells them plainly that the reason that the Jews will not hear the words of God is because they do not possess the spiritual ears which accompanies a person who is saved. The only way we can hear and truly understand the Gospel is by being saved and when a person is saved, they belong to God. These Jews were unsaved and did not belong to God because three verses back Jesus told them plainly that they were of their father the devil. Those who are in Satan’s camp cannot hear the word of God, one must be qualified to hear them and that qualification comes through salvation in Christ alone. This also brings up another point that those who think they can work their way to Heaven will not be able to. The ones who work are hearing the word of God physically but they are not understanding it spiritually which opens up the true meanings of Scripture.

 

John 8:48 (KJB)

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

 

Biblical truth will always be rebuffed by false statements. Here the Pharisees are accusing Jesus of being a Samaritan. The Samaritans were hated by the Jews because they were a mixed race of people and the Jews had relied strictly on pure lineage going back to the original twelve tribes. Here Jesus is being accused of being a Samaritan probably because He spent so much time in Galilee and the ministry He did in Samaria probably became known by the Pharisees so they accused Him of being a Samaritan. Some of them would have known that He was born in Bethlehem in Judaea but they would not go against their comrades who wanted to falsely accuse Jesus. Not only did they accuse Him of being a mixed breed, but they claimed He was possessed by a devil. A devil would be a fallen angel and a wicked spirit. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and what the Pharisees did at this point was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit by claiming that Jesus was possessed by an unclean spirit. This is the danger of becoming involved in religion as an unsaved person because you really do not know to what extent religion can dam a person.

 

John 8:49 (KJB)

Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

 

Jesus quickly responds to their false accusation that He is devil possessed. This is a serious accusation and Jesus responds to this one and not the accusation about Him being a Samaritan. Jesus continues to relate to them His relationship with His Father and that He honors His Father in all that He does and then He tells them they dishonor Him. This means that when Jesus is doing what pleases His Father and the Pharisees rebuke Him for it, then in essence they are rebuking the Father. If God finds favor in Jesus and the Pharisees do not, then what pleases God does not please the Pharisees which means they are in contradistinction to the Father by opposing Jesus because Jesus did everything in concert with the Father. So by dishonoring Jesus, they dishonor the Father.

 

John 8:50 (KJB)

And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

 

Jesus did not come to earth to seek glory for Himself but to bring glory to the Father. (John 17:4 KJV) I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Since Jesus came to bring glory to the Father, the Father also, in turn, glorifies the Son and despite the hatred of the Pharisees toward Jesus, His glorification will be accomplished because He will accomplish the Father’s will on the earth. Then there is going to come a time when judgment will take place. One judgment is going to be in 70 A.D when the nation of Israel will be razed by Roman General Titus and the nation will be dispersed. Then the Great White Throne Judgment will take place on the last day when all the unbelievers in the world will be judged. God will bring both glory and judgment.

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