Sunday, June 19, 2020
John 8:48-59
“The ‘I AM’ Claims”
Service Orientation:
Jesus claimed to not only be the Son of God, but to be in very nature God himself. He left no room for us to consider him otherwise. The question isn’t whether Jesus is God, but rather, do we take him at his word?
Memory Verse for the Week:
“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20
Background Information:
- The Samaritans were considered beneath the Jews because of their intermarriage with heathens and their religious impurity. The Jews leveled this charge at Jesus because he, a fellow Jew, had accused them of not being true descendants of Abraham. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 185)
- “I AM” is that sacred name for deity Moses heard at the burning bush. “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel; ‘I AM has sent me to you’ ” (Exod. 3:14). Raymond Brown, a careful Catholic scholar, has written “no clearer implication of divinity is found in gospel tradition.” (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 165)
- That the Jews take up stones to kill him presupposes that they understand these words as some kind of blasphemous claim to deity. (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 358)
- How did Abraham “see” our Lord’s day, that is, His life and ministry on earth? The same way he saw the future city: by faith (Heb. 11:10, 13–16). God did not give Abraham some special vision of our Lord’s life and ministry, but He did give him the spiritual perception to “see” these future events. Certainly Abraham saw the birth of the Messiah in the miraculous birth of his own son, Isaac. He certainly saw Calvary when he offered Isaac to God (Gen. 22). In the priestly ministry of Melchizedek (Gen. 14:17–24), Abraham could see the heavenly priesthood of the Lord. In the marriage of Isaac, Abraham could see a picture of the marriage of the Lamb (Gen. 24). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 259)
- Jesus isn’t saying that Abraham somehow traveled forwards in time to be present when he, Jesus, was alive; nor is he saying that he himself has traveled backwards in time in order to be present with Abraham, two thousand years earlier. He is saying something of a different quality, a different order, altogether. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1, 129)
The question to be answered is…
What ultimate truth do we learn about Jesus from this text?
Answer…
Jesus claimed to be in very nature, God. And he left no room to consider him otherwise.
The word of the day is… divinity
What claims does Jesus make affirming his divinity?
1. Jesus claimed preeminence; superiority over all.
(John 1:14; 14:6; 1 Cor. 8:6; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6)
The Father’s esteem for the Son is evidenced by His love and admiration for Him, as well as His desire to make Him the loved and admired of others. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 462)
2. Jesus claimed predominance; even stronger than death.
(John 5:24; 6:50; 8:51; 11:25-26; Rom. 6:23; 1 Thes. 4:14; Heb. 2:14; 9:15; Rev. 21:4)
In verse 51 there is a crucial turn of thought. Jesus declares there is the power of life in the very word He speaks. Anyone who “keeps” His whole teaching, or in other words obeys it and does not let His words slip away, will never “see” death; he will not face the dreaded abyss of eternal spiritual separation. Jesus can only make this claim because He is the Source of life. “In Him was life” (John 1:4). (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 164)
3. Jesus claimed preexistence; existing before Abraham.
(John 3:13; 6:33, 38, 62; 8:23, 58-59; 16:28; 17:5; Rom. 8:3; 1 John 1:2; Gal. 4:4)
The moment has come for Jesus’ triumphant proclamation, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” He makes clear the towering meaning of His claim by contrasting His own eternal existence with that of Abraham, who, though he was the father of his nation, was a fragile human being. Jesus is not saying, “I was,” but “I AM.” Abraham died, but Jesus is the Giver of life; the one is created, the Other is uncreated. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 165)
When God commissioned Moses to demand from Pharaoh the release of the Israelites, he said, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you” (Exod 3:14). Stauffer states that “the phrase harbors within itself the most authentic, the most audacious, and the most profound affirmation by Jesus of who he was”. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 99)
Conclusion… What are our options in responding to Jesus’ claims?
A. Write him off as a lunatic.
(Jesus’ critics accused him of being demon-possessed cf. Mark 3; Luke 11; John 7, 8, 10)
If you were to take the sum total of all authoritative articles ever written by the most qualified of psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene—if you were to combine them and refine them and cleave out the excess verbiage—if you were to take the whole of the meat and none of the parsley, and if you were to have these unadulterated bits of pure scientific knowledge concisely expressed by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and incomplete summation of the Sermon on the Mount. And it would suffer immeasurably through comparison. For nearly two thousand years the Christian world has been holding in its hands the complete answer to its restless and fruitless yearnings. Here . . . rests the blueprint for successful human life with optimism, mental health, and contentment. (James T. Fisher M.D., A Few Buttons Missing, 273)
B. Condemn him as liar.
(The scriptures hold strong words against those who lie. cf. Lev. 19:11; Prov. 12:22; 19:5; John 8:44, 55; Rev. 21:8)
If, when Jesus made his claims, he knew that he was not God, then he was lying and deliberately deceiving his followers. But if he was a liar, then he was also a hypocrite because he taught others to be honest whatever the cost. Worse than that, if he was lying, he was a demon because he told others to trust him for their eternal destiny. If he couldn’t back up his claims and knew it, then he was unspeakably evil for deceiving his followers with such a false hope. Last, he would also be a fool because his claims to being God led to his crucifixion—claims he could have backed away from to save himself even at the last minute. (Josh McDowell, More Than A Carpenter, 24)
C. Submit to him as Lord.
(Mat. 20:30; Luke 24:1-3; John 11:27; 20:28; Acts 2:36; 10:36; Rom. 6:23; 10:9-10; )
The concept of lordship invested in one individual is repugnant to the American tradition, yet the New Testament boldly makes this claim for Jesus, asserting that absolute sovereign authority and imperial power are vested in Him. (R. C. Sproul, Who Is Jesus?, 36)
The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them. (Kyle Idleman, Not A Fan, 25)
A searching word is this for us. If we really know the Father it will be evidenced by our subjection to His Word! (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 463)
Worship Point…
Being in very nature God, Jesus is worthy of worship as God himself.
(Is. 7:14; 9:6; Mat. 1:23; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Col. 1:6; 2:9; Heb. 1:3, 8; Tit. 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 22:13; )
How can anyone profess to be a follower and a disciple of Jesus Christ and not be overwhelmed by His attributes? These divine attributes attest that He is indeed Lord of all, completely worthy of our worship and praise. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship, 106)
Jesus is God, though not simply by way of identification with Yahweh, for there is also distinction. He is not simply a human being who has been taken up into the divine counsels and made an agent of God unlike any other, but neither is he simply God in a suit of flesh. Rather, as the later church counsels said, he is fully God and fully man. Such formulations are based on revelation such as found in this passage. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 233)
To worship is to experience Reality, to touch Life. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is a breaking into the Shekinah of God, or better yet, being invaded by the Shekinah of God. (Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 158)
Gospel Application…
Holding power over death, Jesus offers life to all who receive him by faith.
Christ did not die to redeem us in part. Neither did He rise so that we might have life in portions. But with us having a body made for Him, as well as the mind, will, personality, and emotions that it contains, we must understand that God is after us becoming victorious over any and all sin that would hinder the whole person from serving God fully and freely. (Jackie Hill Perry, Gay Girl Good God, 101)
We all start out dead. But life can come, through belief in Jesus. And this is not just a belief that He existed or still exists (because even the demons know that, James 2:19), but it is placing your faith in His work on the cross, where He was lifted up in the middle of the camp to save us. This is what it means to be “born again.” (Noel Jesse Heikkinen, Wretched Saints, 158)
God’s salvation is not a purchase to be made, nor wages to be earned, nor a summit to be climbed, nor a task to be accomplished; but it is simply and only a gift to be accepted, and can only be accepted by faith. (Hannah Whitall Smith, God of All Comfort, 192)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or life group.
- According to Jesus in this chapter, how can someone know if they are a disciple? How are you growing as a disciple?
- Have you acknowledged Jesus as Lord? If so, what implications has this had for your life?
- How might you respond to someone who believes Jesus never claimed to be God? What are the challenges that come with responding to these kinds of claims from skeptics?
- What do you think Jesus meant when he said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death?” in verse 51?
- What area of your life is currently the hardest to surrender to Jesus?
Quotes to note…
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 32)
It is not his teachings which make Jesus so remarkable, although these would be enough to give him distinction. It is a combination of the teachings with the man himself. The two cannot be separated. (Kenneth Scott Latourette, A History of Christianity, Vol. 1, 44)
The promise that the faithful disciple will not die (v. 51) is a theme already introduced in John (5:24; 6:40, 47) and one that will be developed more fully (chap. 11). It does not mean the disciple will not physically die; it means that he or she will not enter that state of “selfish isolation which is the negation of life” (Westcott 1908:2:25). The very fact that the disciple remains in contact with Jesus, the source of life, suggests such communion, with its death to self and life to God. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 229)
To “keep” the Word is to hide it in the heart (Ps. 119:11). It is to retain it in the memory (1 Cor. 15:3). It is to be governed by it in our daily lives (Rev. 3:8). “He shall never see (know, experience) death” refers to penal death, the wages of sin, eternal separation from God in the torments of Hell. For the believer physical dissolution is not death (separation), but to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 461-462)
FURTHER QUOTES & RESEARCH:
Religion operates on the principle of “I obey—therefore I am accepted by God.” The basic operating principle of the gospel is “I am accepted by God through the work of Jesus Christ—therefore I obey.“ (Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God, 128)
As one who tempts persons to sin, the Devil has mastered the art of telling both half-truths and outright lies. Because sin never makes sense, the tempter must always shade truth (or flatly deny it) in his efforts to draw persons into sin. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 121)
How often we struggle to belittle the one who confronts us when we hear the truth that unmasks and shames us. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 164)
The Samaritans held many beliefs in common with the Jews, for they also relied on the Pentateuch as the supreme authority for their faith. They differed, however, in their interpretation of it and were much more lax in their attitude toward other religious influences. Since Jesus did not agree with all the traditional interpretations of the Law, the Jews may have classed him with the Samaritans as a heretic. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 97)
Demon-possession is characterized by both a disordered mind and definite control by evil. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 97)
51 With the solemn affirmation “I tell you the truth,” Jesus declared that any man who received his message would not experience death. It is a negative statement of a positive principle later declared by Jesus: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). It is the summary of his mission, for he came “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8) and to undo the penalty for sin pronounced in Eden: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen 2:17). A fuller statement of this principle appears later in Jesus’ promise to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life…. whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25). (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 98)
53 A better translation of this question would be “You are not greater than our father Abraham, are you?” A negative answer is assumed. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 98)
54 Again Jesus referred his defense to the Father. God was responsible for Jesus’ message and vindication. He reminded them that the God they claimed to be theirs was his Father. Their relation to God was formal; his was familial. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 98)
58 The rejoinder of Jesus, “Before Abraham was born, I am (ego eimi)” could only mean a claim to deity. “Was born” could be better translated “came into being” or “became,” since the aorist tense of ginomai (“to become”) is used. The same verb is used in John 1:14 to denote the Incarnation: “The Word became flesh.” It implies the event of entering into a new state or condition of existence. “I am” implies continuous existence, including existence when Abraham appeared. Jesus was, therefore, asserting that at the time of Abraham’s birth, he existed. Furthermore, I AM was recognized by the Jews as a title of deity. When God commissioned Moses to demand from Pharaoh the release of the Israelites, he said, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you” (Exod 3:14). Stauffer states that “the phrase harbors within itself the most authentic, the most audacious, and the most profound affirmation by Jesus of who he was” (p. 174). The same use of “I am” appears also in the theistic proclamations of the second half of Isaiah: “I, the Lord-with the first of them and with the last – I am he” (Isa 41:4; 43:11-13; 44:6; 45:6, 18, 21; 48:17). The title became part of the liturgy of the Feast of Tabernacles, the time when this controversy recorded in John occurred. The phrase occurs in Jesus’ response to the challenge of the high priest at his final hearing. When asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus replied, “I am … and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:61-62). The violent reaction of the high priest in Mark 14:63 indicates that he regarded the use of the title as a blasphemous claim on Jesus’ part to possess the quality of deity. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 99)
The translation Who do you think you are? misses the point of the question, which is literally, “Who are you making yourself out to be?” In other words, the issue is not just what Jesus thinks, but what he is promoting. Since only God is the giver of life, they are beginning to perceive the enormity of Jesus’ claims. In asking for clarification they are almost acting like a jury, giving the defendant a chance to be condemned with his or her own words. Jesus is happy to oblige since this is what he has come for—to bear witness. So Jesus, as he did with the woman of Samaria, goes on to answer their question. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 299)
Here, in a passage where Jesus is about to claim divine prerogatives in the clearest terms, we have this reminder that he is both distinct from God and submissive to God. As disciples, we are to share in his relationship with the Father through the Spirit. As we keep his word we are joining him in his own keeping of the Father’s word. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 230)
It is uncertain which of Abraham’s experiences is referred to here. It could be something Abraham experienced during his lifetime or something that he has experienced in heaven. Either view would resonate with Jewish traditions. Some traditions spoke of Abraham’s seeing the future during his own lifetime (Genesis Rabbah 44:25). In this case the joy of Abraham would most likely refer to his experience at the promise of Isaac’s birth (Gen 17:17), which was joy at the goodness of God and in anticipation of the fulfillment of his promises. Philo stresses the anticipation evident in Abraham’s laughter (De Mutatione Nominum 154-165), and Jubilees 16:15-19 (second century B.C.) says that Abraham and Sarah “rejoiced very greatly” when the divine messengers made the promise to Abraham and spoke explicitly of a “holy seed” who would come from the line of Isaac and produce for God a people from among the nations. According to this tradition the joy was linked to the fulfillment of God’s promises through one who would come through Isaac. Jesus would be claiming to be the ultimate fulfillment of that promise. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 231)
The phrase egō eimi is used of the divine name in Isaiah (41:4; 43:10, 25; 45:18; 46:4; 47:8, 10; 51:12; 52:6). Isaiah 43:10 is a particularly servant (pais) who is his witness, “so that you may know and believe and understand that I am he [hoti egō eimi]. There was no other god before me nor will there be after me.” This strong statement of monotheism is the very thing the opponents think Jesus’ claim is denying. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 232)
Clearly this is the climax of the revelation that has been unfolding during the Feast of Tabernacles. People have been wondering if Jesus is the Prophet or the Messiah. “But messianic categories are transcended when Jesus offers Himself as the source of living water, and as the light of the world, and finally pronounces the ego eimi which affirms the mystery of His own eternal being, in unity with the Father” (Dodd 1953:351). (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 233)
Jesus is still a marked man. He came to the temple secretly because of death threats, and now this danger has intensified. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 233)
48 This was a plain admission that they were unable to answer the Lord. Completely vanquished in argument, they resort to vulgar and blasphemous declamation. But why should these Jews have called Christ these particular names at this time? We believe the answer is found in what Christ had just said to them. He had declared that they were not the true children of Abraham (verse 39); and He had affirmed that the Devil was their father (verse 44). In reply, they retorted, “Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon.” (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 460)
No matter how simply and plainly the truths of Scripture may be expounded, the unregenerate are unable to understand them. Unable because their interests are elsewhere. Unable because they will not humble themselves and cry unto God for light. Unable because their hearts are estranged from Him. Christian reader, what abundant reason have you to thank God for giving you an understanding (1 John 5:20)! (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 462)
We believe that a threefold answer may be returned: First, Abraham saw the day of Christ by faith in the promises of God (Heb. 11:13). Hebrews 11:10 and 16 intimate plainly that the Spirit of God made discoveries to Abraham which are not recorded on the pages of the Old Testament. Second, Abraham saw the day of Christ in type. In offering Isaac on the altar and in receiving him back in figure from the dead, he received a marvelous foreshadowing of the Savior’s death and resurrection. Third, by special revelation. The “secret of the Lord” is with them that fear Him, and there is no doubt in our mind but that God was pleased to show the Old Testament saints much more of His covenant than is commonly supposed among us (see Psalm 25:14). (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 464)
The Judaeans, who have been getting crosser and more agitated throughout the scene, are clearly ready to take whatever Jesus says and use it in evidence against him. They seem to think that his words do indeed imply that he has been travelling in time, and they mock him for it. He’s not yet fifty years old (verse 57), far less five hundred, far less two thousand. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1, 129)
The leaders could not refute our Lord’s statements, so they attacked His person. Some students think that the leaders’ statement in John 8:41—“We are not born of fornication”—was a slur on our Lord’s own birth and character. After all, Mary was with child before she and Joseph were married. But the personal attacks in John 8:48 are quite obvious. For a Jew to be called a Samaritan was the grossest of insults, and then to be called a demon-possessed person only added further insult. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 259)
If God is your Father, then heaven is your home. If He is not your Father, then hell is your destiny. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 259)
Silenced in argument, these wicked men resorted to personal abuse. To lose temper, and call names, is a common sign of a defeated cause. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 90)
Of course these words do not mean that true Christians shall never die. On the contrary, we all know that they must go down to the grave, and cross the river just like others. But the words do mean, that they shall not be hurt by the second death–that final ruin of the whole man in hell, of which the first death is only a faint type or figure. (Rev. 21:8.) And they do mean that the sting of the first death shall be removed from the true Christian. His flesh may fail, and his bones may be racked with strong pain; but the bitter sense of unpardoned sins shall not crush him down. This is the worst part of death–and in this he shall have the “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57.) (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 91)
The plain truth is, that we are too apt to forget that there never was but one way of salvation, one Savior, and one hope for sinners, and that Abraham and all the Old Testaments saints looked to the same Christ that we look to ourselves. We shall do well to call to mind the Seventh Article of the Church of England– “The Old Testament is not contrary to the New–for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered through Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, who assume that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises.” This is truth that we must never forget in reading the Old Testament. This is sound speech that cannot be condemned. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 92)
the Lord Jesus was no mere man like Moses or David. He was One whose goings forth were from everlasting, the same yesterday, today, and forever, very and eternal God. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 92)
The liberal theologian today teaches that Jesus Christ was a great teacher, but that He never really claimed to be God. My friend, listen to this. “Before Abraham was, I am.” Not, I was—I AM. He is the Jehovah, the I AM, God. The Jews understood perfectly. Because they knew precisely what He was claiming, they took up stones to kill Him for blasphemy. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 145-146)
[Jesus] put these Jews on the spot. They had to make a decision concerning Him. You must make a decision concerning Him. Either He is the Truth or He is a liar. Either He is God and Savior, or He is not. You must decide. Either you accept Him or you reject Him. Remember that your decision does not in any way change who He is. He is the great I AM, Jehovah, the eternal God. Your decision is to accept or deny this. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 416)
To keep Jesus’ word means to hear his words and obey them. Keeping Jesus’ word includes relying on the character, ability, strength, and truth of what he promised. When Jesus said that those who obeyed wouldn’t die, he was talking about spiritual death, not physical death. Even physical death, however, will eventually be overcome. Those who follow Christ will be raised to live eternally with him. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 185)
Abraham, by some revelation not directly recorded in Genesis, saw the coming day of the Messiah (cf. Hebrews 11:8-13). Several possibilities have been proposed: (1) According to rabbinic tradition, Abraham was given foresight about the future of his descendants. Jesus, perhaps knowing this tradition, pinpointed the one event that would have made Abraham rejoice—the day when the Messiah, his descendant, would come to deliver the world; (2) Genesis 17:7 mentions God’s establishment of an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s offspring, which some take to be a messianic promise; (3) Genesis 22:8 records Abraham’s prophetic words that “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,” which received their complete fulfillment in Jesus. Of the three interpretations, the first makes the most sense because the text speaks of “my day” i.e., the time of Christ’s presence on earth. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 186)
- When their theological argument fails, Jesus’ opponents turn to personal abuse. (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 354)
In John, knowledge of God cannot be separated from obedience. (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 356)
Jesus repeatedly escapes arrest, until the appointed hour of the Father arrives (7:30, 44; 8:20; cf. 18:6). How Jesus slipped away, and with what degree of supernatural intervention, is not made clear. (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 358)
- If a man keep my word – So will my Father consult my glory. We keep his doctrine by believing, his promises by hoping, his command by obeying. He shall never see death – That is, death eternal. He shall live for ever. Hereby he proves that he was no Samaritan; for the Samaritans in general were Sadducees. ( 164)