A Study of John 8:12-20

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.”

John 8:12–20 ESV

Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

Speaking to a crowd that included the Pharisees, Jesus said He is the light of the world, and that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. The Pharisees responded by telling Jesus He was bearing witness about Himself, and therefore His testimony was not true. Jesus answered them by saying even though He bore witness about Himself, His testimony is true because He knew where He came from and where He was going. Jesus also added that they did not know where He came from or where He was going.

Next, Jesus spoke to the fact that they judged only according to the flesh, but He judged no one. However, Jesus added, even if and when He does judge, His judgement is true because He does not judge solely in His own authority, but rather, in perfect alignment with the will of God the Father who sent Him.

Jesus then said their law stated that the testimony of two people is true and therefore, His testimony could be relied upon because He and the Father bore witness about Him. The Pharisees then asked Jesus where His Father was, to which He replied, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” This discourse took place in the treasury of the Jerusalem temple, but Jesus was not arrested because His hour had not yet come.

Textual Analysis and Implication (what is being said and what does this mean?):

This discourse between Jesus and the Pharisees opens with Him making the second of seven “I am” statements recorded in John’s Gospel. The first was in John 6:35 when Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Now, Jesus is recorded as saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

If we assume this took place following the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, then Jesus made this statement following the time when a few large lamps were lit in the temple’s court of women, and when the people danced as levitical priests sang songs into the night. Light played an important part in the Feast of Tabernacles, because it was a time when they remembered how Yahweh cared for their ancestors during the wilderness journey of Exodus. In addition to providing them with water and food, Yahweh also guided them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In this context, with the memory of these illuminated nights fresh in their memory, Jesus declared, in the temple treasury, “I am the light of the world.” In saying this, Jesus was taking the symbol of  light that reminded the people of Yahweh’s (God’s) presence and applied it to Himself.

In the Old Testament, passages such as Psalm 119:105 and Psalm 43:3 declare God’s word to be light. Light is also a powerful symbol across many religions and for this reason it speaks profoundly to people from different backgrounds, but John uses the symbol of light in a very Jewish way, as does Jesus. John began this gospel account by introducing Jesus not only as the eternally existent, all creating, incarnate Word, but also as Light in John 1:3-4 saying, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” For these reasons it makes sense that John presents Jesus as the Word, and the light of the world, but Jesus does not stop there. He goes on to say that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

This is another claim to deity by Jesus, and it tells us something important about who He is. Jesus is both the Word and the Light. Jesus is not merely a light, but “the light.” As such, He is the source of life and those who trust Him and follow Him will have the light of life himself. Therefore, those who follow him will not walk in darkness. Even though we may face darkness in this world, the darkness has not and cannot overcome the light; not even the darkness of the cross and the tomb could overcome Jesus the Light. Jesus the Light is the Overcomer.

In response to this claim by Jesus, the Pharisees said, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” The Pharisees did not believe Jesus was the Messiah or God incarnate and they challenged Jesus’ claim based on the law of Moses which stated that multiple witnesses were required to provide sufficient proof in a judicial case.

However, in verse 14 Jesus begins to explain why their objections are wrong. First of all, Jesus already stated in John 5:31 that He is not the only witness to His Messiahship and Divinity. But before He moves on to mentioning the corroborating witness of the Father He states that His own testimony is true, and He is qualified to give such testimony because He came from Heaven to do just that. The Pharisees, in contrast to Jesus, were ignorant of His heavenly origin and ultimate destiny, and were therefore in the wrong.

In verse 15 Jesus says that the Pharisees judged according to the flesh but He judged no one. This means the Pharisees judged by only human standards, in other words, only by what they could see. They could see Jesus was a man, but they refused to believe that He could be a man of Heavenly origin. They would not even entertain the idea that Jesus could be the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Additionally, by saying that He judges no one, Jesus does not mean that He doesn’t judge at all. He means that He does not judge by the same, purely worldly standard by which the Pharisees judged.

In verse 16 Jesus goes on to say what type of judgement He renders in contrast to the Pharisees who judge only by fleshly criteria. When Jesus does judge, His judgement is true because everything He says and does is perfectly aligned with the will of God the Father who sent Him. Jesus knew who He was, and He confidently spoke the truth.

Importantly, Jesus does judge. In the more immediate sense, Jesus judged the people He interacted with in His time on earth. He did not hold back when it came to confronting people on their sin or disbelief, but He did so always with grace in order that they might confess their sin and come to believe in Him and receive mercy. In His first coming though, He came not to judge and bring condemnation, but to save humanity from the condemnation we are already under for sin, but as humanity divides around Him, some believing and others disbelieving, His judgement will come one day. When Jesus returns again, He will judge everyone who has not trusted in Him as their Lord God and Savior.

Being God incarnate, Jesus knew His testimony was sufficient, but the Mosaic law required at least two witnesses to testify to an event, so, in order to confirm the validity of His testimony further, in verses 17-18 Jesus presented another witness, God the Father. The Father also affirmed Jesus to be the Messiah and God the Son.

In response to this the Pharisees asked, “Where is your Father?” and Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” This was no doubt intended as an insult as they alluded to the controversial virgin birth of Jesus. This response is another instance of many where Jesus’ words are misinterpreted. This is also further evidence that Jesus was right when He said the Pharisees judge only according to the flesh. Jesus has just spoken to the unique relationship He has with God the Father, but the Pharisees ask a question about human paternity. Jesus will return to address the issue of fatherhood later in the chapter, but at this point the discourse will turn to other issues.

Lastly for this passage, verse 20 tells us this conversation took place in the temple treasury, but no one arrested Jesus because His hour had not yet come. Even though the animosity against Jesus was building, and there were those in powerful positions who wanted to kill Him (John 7:1, 45-52), Jesus still was not arrested because it was not yet the time appointed by God the Father. Jesus could not and would be arrested until the Father allowed it.

Response (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):

This passage should cause us to think of Jesus as the source of all light and life in the universe. Because He is the source of all light and life it is only by having a restored relationship with Him, through faith in Him that we can receive life and dwell in the light. Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as their God and Savior will spend eternity in the light, but everyone who rejects Him, rejects the source of light Himself and will dwell in darkness for eternity.

This knowledge should cause us to accept Jesus’ freely offered gift of a restored relationship with Him by confessing our sin, and believing in Him for salvation. This knowledge should also cause us to graciously tell others the good news that salvation, eternal life, and best of all, a restored relationship with our Creator who loves us is freely offered to everyone. All we need to do is accept His gift through faith. (Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-10)

Self Reflection:

1. What do I learn about the attributes of Jesus from this passage?

2. What does the attribute of light tell me about Jesus?

3. How can I be a miniature “light” in my community? 

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage (Source: Logos Exegetical Guide and Blue Letter Bible Interlinear):

-Jesus: “Ἰησοῦς”, “Iēsous”; noun, nominative, singular, masculine | proper name – Jesus = “Jehovah is salvation”; the Son of God, the Savior of mankind, God incarnate.

-Light: “φῶς”, “phōs”; noun, nominative, singular, neuter | predicate nominative – φῶς is used to denote truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity congruous with it; especially the saving truth embodied in Christ and by his love and effort imparted to mankind; the light by which the true life is gained.

-[of] World: “κόσμου”, “kosmou”; noun, genitive, singular, masculine | objective genitive – the inhabitants of the world.

-Follows: “ἀκολουθῶν”, “akolouthōn”; verb, present, active, participle, singular, nominative, masculine | substantival participle – go after, obey, to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple; side with his party.

-Darkness: “σκοτίᾳ”, “skotia”; article, dative, singular, feminine | attributive article – literally: darkness due to want of light. metaphorically: ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell.

– [of] Life: “ζωῆς”, “zōēs”; noun, genitive, singular, feminine | descriptive genitive – life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever.

-Pharisees: “Φαρισαῖοι”, “Pharisaioi”; noun, nominative, plural, masculine | proper name – A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to OT books the Pharisees recognised in oral tradition a standard of belief and life. They sought for distinction and praise by outward observance of external rites and by outward forms of piety, and such as ceremonial washings, fastings, prayers, and alms giving; and, comparatively negligent of genuine piety, they prided themselves on their fancied good works. They held strenuously to a belief in the existence of good and evil angels, and to the expectation of a Messiah; and they cherished the hope that the dead, after a preliminary experience either of reward or of penalty in Hades, would be recalled to life by him, and be requited each according to his individual deeds. In opposition to the usurped dominion of the Herods and the rule of the Romans, they stoutly upheld the theocracy and their country’s cause, and possessed great influence with the common people. According to Josephus they numbered more than 6,000. They were bitter enemies of Jesus and his cause; and were in turn severely rebuked by him for their avarice, ambition, hollow reliance on outward works, and affection of piety in order to gain popularity.

-Are Bearing Witness: “μαρτυρεῖς”, “martyreis”; verb, present, active, indicative, second person, singular | finite verb – testify, bear witness, to give (not to keep back) testimony.

-Testimony: “μαρτυρία”, “martyria”; noun, nominative, singular, feminine | subject – evidence, record, report.

-[I] Judge: “κρίνω”, “krinō”; verb, present, active, indicative, first person, singular | finite verb – to pronounce judgement.

-Flesh: “σάρκα”, “sarka”; noun, accusative, singular, feminine | prepositional object – . man as he appears, such as he presents himself to view; man’s external appearance and condition.

-Father: “πατήρ”, “patēr”; noun, nominative, singular, masculine | subject of the dependent clause – God is called the Father; the Father of Jesus Christ, as one whom God has united to himself in the closest bond of love and intimacy, made acquainted with his purposes, appointed to explain and carry out among men the plan of salvation, and made to share also in his own divine nature.

-Law: “νόμῳ”, “nomō”; noun, dative, singular, masculine | prepositional object – the Mosaic law.

-You Know: “οἴδατε”, “oidate”; verb, perfect, active, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb – to know, understand, perceive.

-Treasury: “γαζοφυλακίῳ”, “gazophylakiō”; noun, dative, singular, neuter | prepositional object – treasury, treasure-house.
-Temple: “ἱερῷ”, “hierō”; noun, dative, singular, neuter | prepositional object – a sacred place, temple; used of the temple of Jerusalem.