Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 8:25

"They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? Jesus said unto them, Even that which I have also spoken unto you from the beginning." — John 8:25 (ASV)

The question asked by the Pharisees shows their exasperation with Jesus’ hints and seemingly extravagant claims. The crowd had ventured many guesses about his identity . The longer his explanation, the less satisfying it seemed to be. Jesus avoided making a direct claim to deity, but he relied on his works and character to speak for themselves . They witnessed to the fact that he had come from another world, that he was different from humanity in general, and that he had a unique mission to fulfill.