Scripture Reference: John 8
Honor and Dishonor
Please read John 8:48-59 for background to this section.
The religious leaders could not refute our Lord’s statements, so they attacked His person. Some students think that the leaders’ statement in John 8:41, “We were not born of fornication,” was a slur on our Lord’s own birth and character. After all, Mary was with child before she and Joseph were married. But the personal attacks in John 8:48 are quite obvious. For a Jew to be called a Samaritan was the grossest of insults, and then to be called a demon-possessed person only added further insult-to-injury.
Note that Jesus did not even dignify the racial slur with an answer. They were dishonoring Him, but He was honoring the Father. You will recall that He made it clear that it was impossible to honor the Father without honoring the Son (John 5:23). They were seeking their own glory (see John 5:41–44), but He was seeking the glory that belongs to God alone. Tradition-centered religion, without Christ, is often a “mutual admiration society” for people who want the praise of men.
Jesus had warned them that they would die in their sins because of their unbelief, and now He invited them to trust His Word and “never see death” (John 8:51). He had said this before in His synagogue sermon (John 6:39–40, 44, 54). Once again, the leaders lacked the spiritual insight to understand what He was saying. Abraham was dead, yet he was a godly man; and the faithful prophets were also dead. This kind of talk only convinced them the more that He had a demon! (John 7:20)
How did Abraham “see” our Lord’s day, that is, His life and ministry on earth? The same way he saw the future city: by faith (Hebrews 11:10, 13–16). God did not give Abraham some special vision of our Lord’s life and ministry, but He did give him the spiritual perception to “see” these future events. Certainly Abraham saw the birth of the Messiah in the miraculous birth of his own son, Isaac. He certainly saw Calvary when he offered Isaac to God (Genesis 22). In the priestly ministry of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17–24), Abraham could see the heavenly priesthood of the Lord. In the marriage of Isaac, Abraham could see a picture of the marriage of the Lamb (Genesis 24).
His statement found in John 8:58 can be translated, “Before Abraham came into being, I AM.” Again, this was another affirmation of His divine sonship; and the Jewish leaders received it as such. He had once again made Himself equal with God (John 5:18), and this was the sin of blasphemy, worthy of death (Leviticus 24:16). Jesus was divinely protected and simply walked away. His hour had not yet come. We cannot help but admire His courage as He presented the truth and invited blind religious men to trust Him and be set free.
The most difficult people to win to the Savior are those who do not realize that they have a need. They are under the condemnation of God, yet they trust their religion to save them. They are walking in the darkness and not following the light of life. Because of their bondage to sin, and, in spite of their religious deeds, these people are dishonoring the Father and the Son. These are the types of people who crucified Jesus Christ, and Jesus called them the children of the devil.
Whose child are you? Is God your Father because you have received Jesus Christ into your life? (John 1:12–13) Or is the devil your father because you are depending on a counterfeit righteousness, and not the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ?
If God is your Father, then heaven is your home. If He is not your Father, then an eternity of darkness and hell is your destiny.
It truly is a matter of life or death!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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