John 8: Days 18-19

—John Chapter 8—

Memory Verse:

 “Therefore if the Son makes you free,
you shall be free indeed.”

(John 8:36)

We ended chapter 7, looking back at Moses when he struck the rock and water flowed. That living water was a symbol of the Holy Spirit. But later, in Numbers 20, we see a second time when the people needed water. This time, God told Moses to speak to the rock. Instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, he struck it twice. As a result Moses could not enter the Promised Land because he did not trust and show God as holy to the people. The lesson from that is that Jesus was struck once for our salvation. He finished the work on the cross and was raised from the dead. He is now seated at God’s right hand. We never need to strike the Rock again, but we only need to speak in prayer to Him and He will pour out refreshing Spiritual water.

It is with that freedom we enter into chapter 8. New believers understand that Christ forgives them, but sometimes they find it hard to forgive themselves. Other times they find it hard to forgive others, despite Christ’s forgiveness. The freedom to forgive and be forgiven is seen in the account of the woman caught in adultery, the freedom from the lies of Satan and the world, and the liberty not only from sin’s punishment but also from sin’s power.

We will see the recurring theme of light in this chapter and again in the next. We will learn about judging others as well as ourselves and what true judgment looks like. Sometimes we think judging people or their actions is wrong, but in Chapter 8, we will see that judging in comparison to ourselves is indeed wrong, but judging only against the God’s standard of truth is right.

At the end of the chapter, we will make note of one of the strongest, boldest claims Jesus makes when he declares His deity and oneness with God in His “I AM” statement. We will also see how it gets the religious crowd riled!

Day 18: Morning

Don’t Cast Stones

(Read John 8:1–12)

A church in California is very successful in reaching lost people for Christ by its contemporary style. Few come to church dressed with coats and ties and some unbelievers come hardly dressed at all. One of the surprising difficulties is that once the unbelievers come to Christ, they are quickly critical of how newcomers dress and act, even though they dressed and acted much in the same way before they became believers.

The accusers caught a woman in the very act of a sexual misconduct (we are not given the details of how they did this and or why they did not bring the guilty man before Jesus). They saw an opportunity to trap and embarrass Jesus with a very difficult situation.

Many wonder what Jesus wrote on the ground but since the Bible does not tell us, there is no way to know for sure. More importantly, notice why Jesus wrote on the ground: to make it seem “as though He did not hear them.” They kept pushing Him for an answer, and so He straightened up, answered them and then stooped back down and again played in the sand! Jesus sure knew how to get people to pay attention.

From a human perspective, some sins are definitely worse than others (I certainly would rather someone get angry with me, even without a cause, than to murder me). But from God’s perspective, all sins are grievous sins. Can you imagine? These hypocritical religious leaders were trying to put the sinless Son of God to the test!

Jesus didn’t condemn the woman, but He did command her “Go and sin no more.” Only God can truly separate the sin from the sinner, but that doesn’t mean we should not try too. If I ever get to a point where “their” sins are bigger than “my” sins, I can rest assured that God will “doodle in the sand” until I am more grieved with my own sins than the sins of others.

Pray this prayer to God: “Heavenly Father. I confess that the smallest of all my many sins is more important in my relationship with You than the biggest sins of my neighbor. Help me to look to You and never ‘cast stones’ at others. Help me instead to be an instrument used by You to tell others of Your love and forgiveness. Amen.”

Day 18: Evening

See The Light!

(Read John 8:12–30)

In this second Transitive “I AM” Statement, Jesus said “I AM the Light of the World.” (To review, see Day 11: Evening.)

The most obvious benefit of light is that it allows us to see. It reveals objects that are there but unseen or obscured. Darkness flees from the presence of the light. Have you ever entered to a house in the day when all of the lights were on unnecessarily? It usually means that someone left when it was dark and did not turn off the lights (or you live with teenagers!).

Lights are needed when there is darkness, and the greater the darkness, the greater the need for light. Those seeking to kill Jesus were only showing their spiritual darkness. Jesus confronted the darkness by boldly proclaiming the truth and brightly showing the light.

Had Jesus not been who He said He was, the following statements would have been on the verge of lunacy or profound egotism: “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” “If anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:12, 23, 51, 58)

Jesus said He was the Light of the world and not just for Israel. A prophecy of the Messiah would be that He would be a Light to the Gentiles (see Luke 2:32). For more verses about the light, see John 1:4–9; 3:19–21; 9:5; 11:10; 12:35–36, 46 and 1 John 1:5–7.

Twenty-one times in this chapter alone, the word “father” is used. Jesus is the source of life (John 1:4; 8:12), and He is the only way to become a child of God. Only those who know Jesus (8:19), love Jesus (8:42) and believe in and receive Jesus (John 1:12) are truly God’s children.

Does that sound judgmental? The religious leaders thought so too. Jesus said His judgment and the Father’s judgment was true (John 8:16). For more on truth, continue in tomorrow’s devotionals.

Pray this prayer to God: “Dear Lord Jesus, shine your spiritual light to me that I may see. As a moth is drawn to the light, draw me closer to You. In Jesus’s name. Amen.”

Day 19: Morning

“The Truth Will Set You Free!”

(Read John 8:31–36)

Truth is a spiritual parallel to light. It exposes errors and lies. When Jesus said that He was the light of the world, the Pharisees denied the truth of this statement. Like a person awakened by a bright light, they “covered their eyes” and called Jesus a liar. Yet Jesus was the truth.

We often hear the phrase “the truth will set you free.” This is not about academic knowledge, but faith shown by obedience in action to Jesus’s words. The Apostle Paul speaks a great deal in Romans 6 about slavery to sin and freedom in Christ:

⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin… ¹² Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts…

¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸ And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness… ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Along with the forgiveness of sin, we are also given great freedom. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus set free the woman who was caught in adultery. She was freed not only from the judgment by the law of her sin, but also free to “go and sin no more.”

Freedom is never free, but always worth fighting for. Believers are free from the penalty of sin, but not yet free from its presence. Until we are perfected in eternity, we must wrestle against the power of sin.

Pray this prayer to God: “Dear God, help me to walk in freedom from sin. As Jesus taught us to pray, do not allow us to be led into temptation, but deliver us from evil. In His name we pray. Amen.”

Day 19: Evening

“I Am Telling You The Truth!”

(Read John 8:36–58)

In the Good News Translation (which is used in the film, The Gospel of John) Jesus repeatedly says “I am telling you the truth.” Other versions say, “verily, verily” or “most assuredly.”

The Pharisees were firmly deceived by a lie from the father of lies. Therefore, Jesus had to come out strong and bold. They thought that Jesus was not telling the truth (verse 13); they did not know what He meant in His teachings (John 7:36 and John 8:21–22); they did not know the Father or Jesus (verse 19); they did not see that were lost in their sins (verse 21); they did not know that their father was the devil (verse 44); and they did not know they were not from God (verse 47).

Notice verses 31–32. There are some conditions necessary in order to know the truth. Verse 31 says you must abide in His _________________ and be His _____________________.

Have you ever come across someone who did not want to obey God’s Word, but had a strong opinion about who God is? Many people who are living ungodly lifestyles are often the harshest critics of the church and Christians and are also the first to say they themselves are not so bad. They judge by “the flesh” (verse 15) or by human standards. God’s standard, His truth, is the Word of God (John 17:17), and the contents and commands of the God’s Word.

The Apostle John tells us repeatedly that we are children of God and have certain privileges (see John 1:12; 1 John 3:1). One privilege is that we are able to stay in His house forever, just as the Son of God is able to stay in His Father’s house forever.

The Pharisees were still so trapped in their own self-righteousness that they could not see their own need for forgiveness. Therefore, they were still in bondage to sin.

Pray this prayer to God: “My Father in Heaven, show me the truth of Your Word today and help me to keep it in my life. Wherever there is falsehood in my heart or deeds, reveal to me how Your truth will free me. Amen.”