John 8:30-59

³⁰As He said these things, many came to believe in Him.

³¹So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. ³⁷I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. ³⁸I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

³⁹They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. ⁴⁰But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. ⁴¹You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; we have one Father: God.” ⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me. ⁴³Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot listen to My word. ⁴⁴You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵But because I say the truth, you do not believe Me. ⁴⁶Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? ⁴⁷The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

⁴⁸The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?” ⁴⁹Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. ⁵⁰But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. ⁵¹Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.” ⁵²The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone follows My word, he will never taste of death.’ ⁵³You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” ⁵⁴Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; ⁵⁵and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you; but I do know Him, and I follow His word. ⁵⁶Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” ⁵⁷So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” ⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” ⁵⁹Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.