John (TNTC) by Colin G. Kruse

Author:Colin G. Kruse [Kruse, Colin G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Books & Bibles, Bible Study & Reference, Meditations, Religion & Spirituality
ISBN: 9781783593156
Amazon: B00V8DX2IA
Publisher: IVP
Published: 2008-04-17T16:00:00+00:00

v. Before Abraham was I am (8:48–59)

48. The evangelist now introduces other opponents. In 8:31–47 Jesus addressed the ‘believers’ who by their response to his teaching showed they did not truly believe. In 8:48–59 it is ‘the Jews’ who attack Jesus: The Jews answered him, ‘Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?’ ‘The Jews’ had already made up their minds Jesus ought to die (5:18; 7:1, 19, 20). They heaped abuse upon him, declaring him to be ‘a Samaritan and demon-possessed’. There were Samaritan prophets who made great claims (see Acts 8:9–11) whom Jews regarded as demon-possessed. It was in this vein that ‘the Jews’ called Jesus ‘a Samaritan and demon-possessed’. This was not the first nor last time Jesus was branded as demon-possessed in the Fourth Gospel (cf. 7:20; 8:48, 52; 10:20). In the Synoptic Gospels the teachers of the law, to explain Jesus’ miraculous powers without recognizing that God was with him, said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons’ (Mark 3:22/Matt. 9:34; 12:24).

49–50. In response to this abuse Jesus said, I am not possessed by a demon, but I honour my Father and you dishonour me. Jesus rejected their defamatory statement, asserting rather that he was intent upon honouring God, his Father, and that ‘the Jews’ were guilty of dishonouring the one who was honouring God. Jesus insisted, I am not seeking glory for myself. As one who was honouring his Father, Jesus did not seek glory for himself. He added, there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. God the Father is judge of all and he seeks glory for the Son. In the OT the righteous committed their case to the Lord, the righteous judge who vindicated them. Jesus did not have to defend himself or seek his own glory. The Father would vindicate him and glorify him as well (cf. 17:4–5).

51. In what looks like another attempt to offer eternal life to his opponents, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. This statement was introduced with the solemn formula ‘I tell you the truth’ (amēn, amēn legō hymin), underlining the importance of what he was saying to his opponents. If any of them would change their minds and give heed to Jesus’ word, they could still receive the gift of eternal life, and ‘never see death’. From earlier statements of Jesus it is clear that this did not mean those who believed would not experience physical death, for obviously all but the last generation would do so. Rather, it meant that eternal life, which people experience now through belief in Jesus, will not be interrupted by physical death: ‘He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’ (11:25–26).

52–53. The evangelist tells how Jesus’ gracious words were misunderstood and rejected: At this the Jews exclaimed, ‘Now we

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