They Picked Up Stones
June 15, 2025. John 8:48-59. Pastor Leslie Nolin
“The Jews answered him, 'Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon possessed?” (John 8:48)
We need to place the context of this confrontation in with what was recorded in the previous verses in John 8:31-47. Jesus told the religious leaders that God's true followers would believe His teaching, the truth would set them free and they would not be slaves to sin. They say they are descendants of Abraham, implying they are not sinners.
Jesus, in strong language, informs them that if they were true children of Abraham, they would follow and love Him. Even stronger, He says that their true father is the devil (v.44) who is a murderer and liar from the beginning of time, since they are trying to find any excuse to murder Jesus.
He further states that because they do not hear, they don't even belong to God. This helps us to understand the indignation of the religious leaders.
v.49; “'I am not possessed by a demon' said Jesus, 'but honour my Father and you dishonour me.”
He says He fixes value to His Father, that He would not do anything that would discredit the Father. The opposite is how the religious leaders are treating Him by treating Him with contempt, He is inferring that they, by their actions, are also treating God with contempt.
v.50; “I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is One who seeks it, and He is the judge.”
Paul writes in Philippians, chapter 2, that Jesus did not seek equality with God but instead, made Himself lower by taking on the form of a man. That it was God who raised Him up and exalted Him. Glory was not something He craved, sought after or demanded.
Proverbs 27:2; “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” Jesus allowed His works to prove His being sent by the Father and said it was the Father who would glorify Him, not His own lips.
v.51-52; “'Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.' At this they exclaimed, 'Now we know you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never see death.'”
The word, thanatos, means physical death but also separation of soul and spirit with the implication of future misery in hell. Matthew 10:28; “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14-15; 21:8 all refer to those whose name is written in the Lamb's book of life will not experience the second death, the eternal lake of fire. Thanatos also refers to the misery of the soul caused by sin, being a slave to sin is in itself, death. The self-righteousness of the religious leaders would not allow for this possibility that they could be sinners.
v.53-59; “'Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?' Jesus replied, 'If I glorify myself, my glory remains nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know Him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know Him and obey His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.' 'You are not yet fifty years old,' they said to him, 'and you have seen Abraham!' 'Very truly I tell you,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I AM!' At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”
To understand the indignation of the religious leaders, we need to look at Exodus 3:14 where God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush as I AM. The leaders would have recognized this instantly and known that Jesus was proclaiming His deity.
When Jesus meets the woman at the well, recorded in John 4, the woman said she knew the the Messiah, called Christ, is coming and would explain everything to us. Jesus declared to her, “I, the one speaking to you – I AM. (4:26)”
When the disciples were in a boat during a storm, recorded in John 6, they were fearful that they would sink. They saw Jesus walking on the water and were afraid. Jesus said to them, “I AM; don't be afraid. (6:20)”
Jesus said:
“I AM the Bread of Life. (Jn 6:35,41,48,51)”;
“I AM the Light of the world. (Jn 8:12; 9:5)”;
“I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I AM, you will indeed die in your sins. (Jn 8:24; 13:19)” (see Heb. 11:6);
“When the Son of Man is lifted up, you will know that I AM. (Jn 8:28);
“I AM the Door... (Jn 10:7,9); “I AM the Good Shepherd... (Jn 10:11,14);
“I AM the Resurrection and the Life... (Jn 11:25);
“I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life... (Jn 14:6);
“I AM the True Vine... (Jn 15:1,5).
At one occasion, when Jesus was threatened with stoning, Jesus asked, “why?”, their response was, “We are not stoning you for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God. (Jn 10:33).”
John 18 records the incident of Jesus' arrest. He asked who they were looking for and the answer was, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus responded, “I AM.” and with this response, all those arresting Him fell backwards on the ground. They asked a second time, and again He stated, “I AM.” (Jn 18:1-8)
Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, no witnesses could be found that could give enough evidence to sentence Jesus to death until He was asked who He claimed to be. The accounts in Mark 14:62 and Luke 22: 70-71 state that when Jesus said, “I AM,” this was enough evidence for the indignant religious leaders to have Him sentenced to death.
At Pisidian Antioch, religious leaders were jealous of Paul, contradicted what he was saying and heaped abuse on him. Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly, “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you rejected it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46).”
It is an amazing thing that the Creator of the universe, who could easily destroy mankind, would willingly submit Himself to ridicule, abuse, torture and death out of love for His creation, man – undeserving, rebellious and hateful toward Him yet, He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
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