Here is a teaching of part 1 of chapter 8 of the book of John. If you want to check out previous Bible studies and chapters going forward, join our group here. Once you get added into that Facebook group, you can go to the "units" tab and you'll see all of the chapters and their study guides as they are being taught.
Going forward with these Bible studies I want to do things a little bit differently. I normally pray at the end of every episode, but starting today I'm going to pray at the beginning of every episode. Whenever I do these Bible studies on my own, or anytime I read the Bible, I always pray first and seek knowledge and understanding to know the truth about God's words; so I wanted to do start doing that with you guys too.
Lord I pray that you lift up every single person reading this right now. I pray that you give us knowledge and understanding to know the truth of your words and to be able to make an impact in other people's lives. Use us as a vessel for your work Lord and work through us to make an impact in other people's lives. I pray that our hearts are open to you, that we open up our eyes to see the truth of your words, we open up our minds, our ears to you Lord, and that we take the truth of your words and spread it to other people and let other people know about you and how amazing you are. I love you so much Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Part 1 of John Chapter 8:
53 Then each went to his own home. 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At Dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you." Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
All right, I'm going to stop right there and discuss a few things with you guys. So first I wanted to point out that these verses that I just read, the earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses didn't have these verses, so it's kind of controversial because some people leave these verses out. In the earlier manuscripts a lot of them left these verses out, and then some would mark the verses with an asterisk, or some would put them in other parts of the Bible, because it seems that it wasn't part of the original text of John's gospel or in this place. It could have been in a different part of the book of John or of a different book in the Bible, but these verses here, this story here, is so good. Even though this might not be exactly where it was placed, there's still good reason to believe that John did write this, and these verses are so powerful. Jesus doesn't judge, and if he was to judge one person for sin, he would judge everyone for their sins. Jesus dies on the cross to forgive us of our sins, so no matter what we've done in our lives, he's not going to condemn us for that; as long as we ask for forgiveness and ask him to come into our heart and we have the Holy spirit within us, he's not going to condemn us for our past sins.
So these teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought this woman that was caught in adultery in front of the group and tried to trap Jesus, to have a basis for accusing him. Then Jesus said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Of course, we all have sinned in our lifetime, there is not one person in this world that hasn't sinned. At that time, the only person that was without sin was Jesus. So everyone else had sinned and they went one by one and then it was just Jesus in the woman standing there. Jesus didn't condemn the woman and told her to go leave her life of sin. Jesus was without sin, he could have been the one to stone her, but that just goes to show that Jesus is so loving, merciful, and gracious. No matter what we've done, he is always going to love us and he's not going to condemn us. He just wants to teach us, he wants us to follow him and be forgiven our sins. We just have to ask for forgiveness and ask for him to come into her hearts.
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 13 The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."
14 Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I'm going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I'm going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
So in verse 12, Jesus tells these people that he's the light of the world. Just like we see in chapter 1: 9 of John it says, "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." That true light was Jesus Christ. So here in chapter 8, he says that he's the light of the world and whoever follows him has eternal life. We have the light of life, we no longer live in darkness, we no longer live in sin. It doesn't mean that we're not going to sin, but we no longer have the sinful nature, we have the fruit of the Spirit. Then in verse 13, the Pharisees said that his testimony is not valid because he's appearing as his own witness. In our Bible study from part 2 of chapter 5 of the book of John, Jesus talks about the testimonies of Jesus, and he says in verse 31, "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid," and then he talks about the other testimonies about him. The reason why he says that here is because, based on their law, they say that if one person testifies about their self, their testimony is not valid. Then he says here in verse 14, that even if he does testify on his behalf, his testimony is valid because he knows where he came from (which is heaven) and where he's going (which is heaven.) These Pharisees have no idea where he came from or where he is going because if they did they wouldn't question him. In verse 16, Jesus says that if he does judge his decisions are right, because he's not alone, he has God the Father. Then Jesus tells them that in their law "it is written that the testimony of two men is valid," he testifies for himself and his other witness is God the Father.
19 Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
21 Once more Jesus said to them, "I'm going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come." 22 This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come.'?" 23 But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
So these Pharisees asked Jesus where his father was and he said that they didn't know him or his Father. If you truly know God the Father, then you know Jesus Christ also, and if you truly know Jesus Christ, then you know God the Father. Jesus spoke these words while teaching in the temple area, but no one seized him because his time had not yet come. Like I said in the last Bible study, Jesus was protected, and until it was his time for the crucifixion and whenever his work was nearly finished, until that time no one would to be able to seize him or put a hand on him.
So then in verse 21 he tells them, "I'm going away and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come." So what he's talking about here is that he's going to heaven, and these people that are seeking to kill them, they have hatred in their hearts, so they're going to end up dying in their sin and they're not going to be able to go to heaven because of this hatred in their heart and not believing in Jesus Christ. So these Jews automatically think, "Is he going to kill himself?" because he says that "Where I go, you cannot come." The thing is here, these Pharisees are making him out to be a sinner by saying that he's going to commit suicide. Then he says in verse 23 that they are from below and he is from above, that they are of this world and he's not of this world, and they're going to die in their sins if they don't believe that he's the one who claims to be. So they're trying so hard to make him out to be a sinner, they're seeking to kill him, they're doing all of these things, but they don't realize that he comes from heaven, and that only through him will they be able to have eternal life and be able to go to heaven. These Pharisees are still not believing in Jesus, they still have hatred in their hearts, and they're going to end up dying in their sin and they're not going to make it to heaven.
25 "Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied. 26 "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just as the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." 30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
So Jesus is saying all these things to these Pharisees and they're asking him in verse 25, "Who are you?" and they still don't get that he is the Christ, he's the son of God. Jesus says in verse 26 that he has much to say in judgment of them, but God the Father that sent him is reliable and he tells the world what he hears from God the Father. Then in verse 28 he says, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man," what he means here is, with his crucifixion, being lifted up on the cross. Because like we know and we'll see this further on in the book of John, that once he's crucified, three days later is his resurrection and he raises from the dead. Then Jesus says, "then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that do nothing on my own," and that God the Father is with him always. God the Father hasn't left him alone and Jesus is fully submitted to the will of God the Father and he does what pleases God the Father.
John Ch 8 Study Guide Part 1
1. Why did the teachers of the law and Pharisees bring in the woman that was caught in adultery?
2. Why didn’t Jesus condemn the woman?
3. Why were verses 7:53-8:11 not in a lot of the earlier manuscripts?
4. What did Jesus mean in verse 14 when he said “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”?
5. Why do the Pharisees not know where Jesus came from or where he is going?
6. In verse 24, why did Jesus say that these people would die in their sin?
7. What was Jesus referring to in verse 28?
8. What is your biggest takeaway from this Bible study?
So that concludes our Bible study on part 1 of chapter 8 of the book of John. Next Bible study will be part 2, so make sure you stay tuned for that.
I love you guys so much.
Never forget to choose faith over fear.
-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)
p.s. If you'd rather listen to Faith-based, business, mindset, and mental health tips, then check out my podcast. There I will share my personal experiences, stories I've never told before, and bring you along with this hot mess life of mine. New episodes every week.
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