Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 8:41

"Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God." — John 8:41 (ASV)

Jesus insisted that the Jews were not the true children of Abraham. Their hatred of Jesus, refusal to listen to truth, and lack of simple faith belied their profession. The Jews’ insistence that they were children of Abraham implied that they regarded their relationship to God as secure because of their lineal descent from the man with whom God had confirmed his covenant. While the covenant had not been abrogated, Jesus made it plain that his hearers needed to exercise individual faith to participate in it. His words give substance to his teaching on the new birth and are paralleled by Paul’s explanation of Abraham’s faith in Gal 3:1–29.

The Jews’ insistence that they were true descendants of Abraham brought Jesus’ flat denial of their spiritual claims, and he attributed their attitude to another source. Their protest, “We are not illegitimate children,” may carry the implication of a sneer: “We are not illegitimate children—but you are!” While John does not speak directly of the virgin birth, there are hints in his gospel of a mystery surrounding his birth. In any case, the Jews were unwilling to listen to Jesus’ claims; yet, at the same time, they were insisting that they came from God.