Jesus went to Mount Olive and then returned to the temple early the following morning.

The people arrived, and Jesus sat down and began teaching them.

The law experts and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught cheating. They stood her there and tested Jesus by saying, “Teacher, this woman was found cheating. Moses orders us, in the law, to stone a woman like her. What do you say to that?”

Again, they were asking this to trap him and find a reason to accuse him. Jesus, however, ignored them, crouched down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

They continued asking him, so Jesus stood and said to them, “Whoever hasn’t sinned can be the first person to throw a stone at her.”

He crouched down again and continued writing on the ground.

They listened and felt personally convicted. They began leaving, one by one, starting with the older ones. Jesus was left alone with the woman who was still there.

Jesus stood up and saw no one but the woman was there. He said to her, “Where did everyone go? Is no one calling you guilty?”

She replied, “No one, Lord.”

Jesus said. “I’m not calling you guilty. Go and stop sinning.”

Later on, Jesus said to the people, “I am the world’s light. Whoever follows me won’t walk in the dark, but will have life light.”

The Pharisees replied, “You’re talking about yourself. It’s not true.”

“Even if I’m talking about myself,” Jesus said,  “what I say is true because I know where I came from and where I’m going. You don’t know where I came from or where I’m going. You judge based on what people do. I don’t judge anyone, but even if I did judge, my judgement would be true because it wouldn’t just be my judgement, but the judgement of myself and the Father who sent me. It even says in your law that two peoples’ testimony is truthful. I am talking about myself, and the Father who sent me confirms who I am.”

They asked, “Where is your father?”

Jesus replied, “You don’t know me or my father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”

He said all this while standing near the treasure room while he was teaching in the temple. No one arrested him because his time still hadn’t come yet.

So he said again, “I’m leaving and you will look for me, and you’ll die in your sin. I’m going somewhere you cannot go.”

The Jews said, “Maybe he’ll kill himself. He keeps saying, ‘You can’t come to where I’m going.'”

Jesus said to them, “You come from below, I come from above. You’re from this world, I am not from this world. I told you that you’ll die in your sins because if you don’t believe who I am, you’ll die in your sin.”

The Jews asked, “Who are you?”

Jesus replied, “I’ve been telling you from the start. I have a lot to say and judge about you, but the one who sent me is real, and I’m telling the world what I heard from him.”

The Jews didn’t understand he was telling them about the Father.

Jesus then said, “When you lift the Son of Man, you’ll see it’s me. I don’t do anything by myself, but I’m telling you what the Father taught me. My sender is with me. He hasn’t left me alone because I always do what pleases him.”

Many people believed him while he was teaching.

Jesus said to the Jews who believed him, “You are really my followers if you continue keeping my messages, and you will know the truth, and the truth will free you.”

The people replied, “We come from Abraham and haven’t ever been slaves. Why do you say, ‘You’ll be freed’?”

Jesus replied, “I’m honestly telling you that everyone who sins is sin’s slave. A slave doesn’t stay working for the house forever. The son stays forever, so if the son frees you, you will really be free. I know you come from Abraham, but you want to kill me because you don’t have the capacity to receive my message. I’m telling you what I have seen with the Father, so you do what you’ve heard from the Father.”

The people said, “Abraham is our ancestor.”

Jesus replied, “If you are descended from Abraham, do what he did. But now you want to kill me, someone who told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do that. You’re doing what your ancestor did.”

They said, “We weren’t born through sexual sin. We only have one father, and that is God.”

“If God was your father, you would love me,” Jesus said, “because I come from God and have arrived. I haven’t come from myself but from my sender. Why don’t you understand what I’m saying? Because you can’t hear my message. You’re like your ancestor the devil, and you want to do what he wants. He was a killer from the start and doesn’t stay in the truth because the truth isn’t in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he tells it from himself because he is a liar and the father of lies. But I’m telling you the truth and you don’t believe me.

Who is accusing me of sin? If I’m telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever is from God listens to God’s words. You don’t listen, because you’re not from God.”

The Jews replied, “Aren’t we correct to say you’re a Samaritan and  possessed by a demon?”

Jesus replied, “I don’t have a demon. I respect my Father and you disrespect me. I’m not looking for my own glory. There is someone who looks and judges. I’m honestly telling you, if anyone follows my message, they won’t ever experience death.”

The Jews said, “Now we definitely know you are demon-possessed. Abraham and the prophets died and you’re saying ‘If anyone follows my message, they’ll never experience death.’ You’re not greater than our ancestor Abraham, and the prophets died. Who are you saying you are?”

“If I give myself glory, it means nothing,” Jesus replied. “My Father is the one who gives me glory. He’s the one you’re saying is your God, but you don’t know him. I know him, and if I said I didn’t know him, then I would be a liar like you. But I know him and follow his message. Your ancestor Abraham celebrated that he would see my time come. He saw it and was very happy.”

“You’re less than fifty years old and you’ve seen Abraham?” the Jews asked.

“I’m honestly telling you I arrived before Abraham,” Jesus replied.

The Jews picked up stones to throw at Jesus, but Jesus hid and escaped from the temple.

John Chapter 8 Summary

Jesus teaches the Jews about judgement, forgiveness, and his identity. The Pharisees bring a woman caught cheating to test Jesus, but he challenges them by saying only a sinless person should throw stones. The accusers leave, and Jesus tells the woman to go and sin no more. Jesus then calls himself the “light of the world” and has a series of debates with the Pharisees about his origin and power. He claims he comes from God, while they remain stuck in their sins because they reject Him. Jesus tells His followers that true freedom comes from knowing the truth, which he offers them. He also reveals that anyone who obeys his words will never see death. The chapter ends with Jesus claiming he is eternal: “I arrived before Abraham.” This angers the Jews, who try to kill him, but he escapes.

John Chapter 8 Bible Study Questions and Answers

1. Why do you think Jesus chose to forgive the woman caught cheating?
Answer: Jesus showed care and offered the woman a chance to change her life, showing his message of forgiveness. This shows us the importance of not rushing to judge others, recognising the need for grace.

2. What does it mean for Jesus to be the “light of the world,” and how can we show this light in our own lives?
Answer: Jesus as the “light of the world” means he brings truth, guidance, and hope. To show his light, we can live truthfully, act kindly, and share his love with others, bringing light to the darkness around us with kindness and care.

3. How does the idea of true freedom in Jesus challenge our modern understanding of freedom?
Answer: True freedom in Jesus means being freed from, not just physical or personal independence. This challenges the idea that freedom is simply doing what we want, and instead teaching us that real freedom is found in living our lives in line with God’s truth.

4. Why do you think the Pharisees couldn’t understand Jesus’ identity as the Son of God?
Answer: The Pharisees were stuck to their traditions and didn’t want to change. Their pride and set ideas prevented them from recognising Jesus’ divine power, a reminder of how pride can blind us to God’s work in our lives.

5. What can we learn from Jesus’ statement, “I arrived before Abraham,” about who he is and his relationship with God?
Answer: This statement reveals Jesus’ eternal existence and connection with God, confirming his power. It encourages us to see Jesus as more than a teacher or prophet. He is God’s son who has power over life and death.

John Chapter 8 Explained

The chapter begins with an incident where the Pharisees and law experts bring a woman caught cheating to Jesus, hoping to trap him into making a controversial decision. Instead of falling into their trap, Jesus responds with wisdom by suggesting that anyone who has no sin should throw the first stone. The woman’s accusers reflect on how they do sin and walk away, showing Jesus’ teaching on mercy and the importance of being aware of ourselves and what we have done, before judging others.

This incident shows Jesus’ revolutionary approach to the Law. Rather than ignoring the seriousness of sin, he offers the woman a chance to say she is sorry and stop, telling her to “go and sin no more.” Jesus is firm against sin but also offers grace, showing that he values change over punishment. This is a powerful example of forgiveness and reminds us that while God’s law is holy, his mercy is just as important and he offers sinners a path to change and hope.

Later in the chapter, Jesus makes the claim: “I am the light of the world.” This indicates that he is the source of spiritual truth and light in a dark world full of sin and misunderstanding. He invites people to follow him, promising that they will not “walk in the dark” but have “life light.” This light is not just guidance but represents the eternal life and freedom he offers to those who believe in him.

The Pharisees, however, challenge Jesus’ power, question his claims and refuse to recognise Him as the Messiah. Jesus responds by confirming his relationship with God, stating that what he says is true because it aligns with God’s will. He further points out that their judgement is limited by their worldly views, while he judges from a divine viewpoint. Jesus’ confidence in his identity frustrates the Pharisees.

The chapter also explores the concept of true freedom. Jesus explains to the Jews that everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but that he, as the Son, has the power to set people free. This freedom he offers is spiritual freedom from the grips of sin and the lies of Satan. True freedom, according to Jesus, is not about physical freedom but living in alignment with God’s truth.

Jesus also says something amazing: “I arrived before Abraham.” This statement, using the divine name in some translations of “I am,” connects him to to what God says to Moses in Exodus 3:14. By claiming to exist before Abraham, Jesus reveals that he is eternal, implying that he is not just a man. This claim angers the Jews, who understand it as disrespecting God and attempt to kill Him. Jesus escapes, showing that his mission is guided by God’s timing and cannot be stopped by humans.

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Continue exploring John 8

If you’d like to read John 8 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try John 8 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try John 8 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try John xx in the Contemporary English Version.

If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version

If you’d like to explore John in more depth, here are two commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: John
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)