John

Jesus and the Adulterous Woman

As for Jesus, he went to the Mount of Olives.

At daybreak, Jesus returned to the temple. The crowd gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.

Then the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand before everyone:

“Teacher,” they said, “this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.

Now, the law of Moses requires that such women be stoned to death. But what do you say?”

They asked this to test Jesus and have a reason to accuse him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

As they persisted in questioning him, he straightened up and said:

“Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Then he bent down again, writing on the ground.

Hearing this, they left one by one, starting with the elders. Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Then Jesus stood up and asked her:

“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

She replied:

“No one, sir.”

Then Jesus said:

“Neither do I condemn you. Go now and from now on do not sin again.”

Jesus, Light of the World

Jesus spoke to them again:

“I am the light of the world; the one who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have light and life.”

So the Pharisees replied:

“Now you are speaking on your own behalf; your testimony is worthless.”

Then Jesus said:

“Even though I bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I have come from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.

You judge by human standards; as for me, I don’t judge anyone.

But if I had to judge, my judgment would be valid for I am not alone: the Father who sent me is with me.

In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid;

so I am bearing witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.”

They asked him:

“Where is your Father?”

Jesus answered:

“You don’t know me or my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father as well.”

Jesus said these things when he was teaching in the temple area, in the place where they received the offerings. No one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

The Origin and Purpose of Jesus

Again, Jesus said to them:

“I am going away, and though you look for me, you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

The Jews wondered:

“Why does he say that we can’t come where he is going? Will he kill himself?”

But Jesus said:

“You are from below, and I am from above; you are of this world, and I am not of this world.

That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you shall die in your sins unless you believe that I am He.”

They asked him:

“Who are you?”

Jesus said:

“Just what I have told you from the beginning.

I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is truthful and everything I learned from him, I proclaim to the world.”

They didn’t understand that Jesus was speaking to them about the Father.

So Jesus said:

“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of my own, but I say just what the Father taught me.

He who sent me is with me and has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”

As Jesus spoke like this, many believed in him.

The Truth Sets You Free

Jesus went on to say to the Jews who believed in him:

“You will be my true disciples if you keep my word

Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

They answered him:

“We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves of anyone. What do you mean by saying: You will be free?”

Jesus answered them:

“Truly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

A slave doesn’t remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

So, if the Son makes you free, you will be really free.

I know that you are the descendants of Abraham, yet you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

For my part, I speak of what I have seen in my Father’s presence, but you do what you have heard from your father.”

The True Children of God

They answered him:

“Our father is Abraham.”

Then Jesus said:

“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do as Abraham did. The True Children of God

But now you want to kill me, the one who tells you the truth—the truth that I have learned from God. That is not what Abraham did;

what you are doing are the works of your father.”

The Jews said to him:

“We are not illegitimate children; we have one Father, God.”

Jesus replied:

“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came forth from God and I am here. And I didn’t come on my own; he himself sent me.

Why do you not understand my teaching? It is because you cannot bear my message.

The father you spring from is the devil, and you will carry out the evil wishes of your father, who has been a murderer from the beginning. He didn’t uphold the truth for, in him, there is no truth; and now, when he speaks for himself, he lies. He is a liar and the father of lies.

But because I speak the truth and you don’t believe me.

Who among you can find anything false in me? Then, if I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?

He, who is of God, hears the words of God; you don’t listen because you are not of God.”

Jesus’ Unity with God

The Jews retorted: “

Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?”

Jesus said:

“I am not possessed, and you try to shame me when I give honor to my Father.

I don’t care about my own glory; there is one who cares for me, and he will be the judge.

Truly, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”

The Jews replied: “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets as well, but you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never experience death.’

Do you claim to be greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets who also died? Who do you claim to be?”

Then Jesus said:

“If I were to praise myself, it would count for nothing. But he who gives glory to me is the Father, the very one you claim as your God,

although you don’t know him. I know him, and if I were to say that I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him, and I keep his word.

As for Abraham, your ancestor, he looked forward to the day when I would come; and he rejoiced when he saw it.”

The Jews then said to him:

“You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?”

Jesus said:

“Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

They then picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid and left the temple area.