{"id":1331,"date":"2025-07-08T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=1331&2025"},"modified":"2025-07-03T18:00:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T00:00:05","slug":"being-a-descendant-of-god-john-8-31-59","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/being-a-descendant-of-god-john-8-31-59\/","title":{"rendered":"Being a Descendant of God: John 8:31-59"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: John 8:31-59 (NIV)<\/div>
\r\n

31\u00a0<\/sup>To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, \u201cIf you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32\u00a0<\/sup>Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.\u201d<\/p>

33\u00a0<\/sup>They answered him, \u201cWe are Abraham\u2019s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?\u201d<\/p>

34\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus replied, \u201cVery truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35\u00a0<\/sup>Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36\u00a0<\/sup>So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37\u00a0<\/sup>I know that you are Abraham\u2019s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38\u00a0<\/sup>I am telling you what I have seen in the Father\u2019s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.\u201d<\/p>

39\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cAbraham is our father,\u201d they answered.<\/p>

\u201cIf you were Abraham\u2019s children,\u201d said Jesus, \u201cthen you would do what Abraham did. 40\u00a0<\/sup>As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41\u00a0<\/sup>You are doing the works of your own father.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWe are not illegitimate children,\u201d they protested. \u201cThe only Father we have is God himself.\u201d<\/p>

42\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus said to them, \u201cIf God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43\u00a0<\/sup>Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44\u00a0<\/sup>You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father\u2019s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45\u00a0<\/sup>Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46\u00a0<\/sup>Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don\u2019t you believe me? 47\u00a0<\/sup>Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.\u201d<\/p>

48\u00a0<\/sup>The Jews answered him, \u201cAren\u2019t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?\u201d<\/p>

49\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cI am not possessed by a demon,\u201d said Jesus, \u201cbut I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50\u00a0<\/sup>I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51\u00a0<\/sup>Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.\u201d<\/p>

52\u00a0<\/sup>At this they exclaimed, \u201cNow we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53\u00a0<\/sup>Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?\u201d<\/p>

54\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus replied, \u201cIf I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55\u00a0<\/sup>Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56\u00a0<\/sup>Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.\u201d<\/p>

57\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cYou are not yet fifty years old,\u201d they said to him, \u201cand you have seen Abraham!\u201d<\/p>

58\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cVery truly I tell you,\u201d Jesus answered, \u201cbefore Abraham was born, I am!\u201d 59\u00a0<\/sup>At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.<\/p>\r\n

Read John 8:31-59<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

Part way through Jesus\u2019 ministry, as He is visiting Jerusalem for a festival, the gospel of John records a powerful discussion Jesus has with some Jews about Him and His ministry. In this discussion, we find Jesus pushing this crowd, and them missing Jesus\u2019 point on several different points.<\/p>\r\n

While talking about the truth setting people free, the Jews responded that they have never been slaves and that they are Abraham\u2019s children. This statement might speak to their immediate lives, but not to the history of the Jewish nation, where slavery had been present on a number of occasions.<\/p>\r\n

Picking up on this, Jesus tells this crowd a couple verses later: \u201cI know that you are Abraham\u2019s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father\u2019s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 37-38)<\/p>\r\n

The crowd responded by saying, \u201cAbraham is our father.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 39a)<\/p>\r\n

Knowing what they were saying, but knowing how untrue they were, Jesus counters their statement by saying, \u201cIf you were Abraham\u2019s children, then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 39b-41a)<\/p>\r\n

Becoming more irritated at Jesus, the crowd protested, \u201cWe are not illegitimate children. The only Father we have is God himself.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 41b)<\/p>\r\n

Now that Jesus has their focus exactly where He wants it, He tells them, \u201cIf God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father\u2019s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 42-44)<\/p>\r\n

In this challenge, Jesus calls these people out for being unable to hear what He is saying. Jesus attributes this to those present being children of the devil and not children of God the Father like they claimed to be. Jesus also challenges these people in regard to them looking for a way to kill Him. Jesus points out that because they are looking for a way to kill Him, they are more closely aligned with the devil, who is a murderer and a liar.<\/p>\r\n

This conversation draws us to pay attention to an important point: Our actions speak louder than our words, and even though we can claim to follow God like these Jews, if our actions do not reflect God, we might have fallen into the trap these Jews fell into and be children of the devil. Jesus invites us out of sin and into a new life with God, and part of this new life is learning to reflect God accurately in our own lives.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus<\/strong> \u201cReflective Bible Study\u201d package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here<\/a> and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!<\/em><\/p>

Subscribe<\/a> to this blog and never miss an insight.<\/em><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Part way through Jesus\u2019 ministry, as He is visiting Jerusalem for a festival, the gospel of John records a powerful discussion Jesus has with some Jews about Him and His ministry. In this discussion, we find Jesus pushing this crowd, and them missing Jesus\u2019 point on several different points. 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