“But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.”
My Notes
What Does John 8:40 Mean?
"But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham." Jesus names exactly what's happening: you're trying to KILL Me. And My crime? Telling you the TRUTH. Truth I heard FROM GOD. And then the devastating comparison: Abraham — the father you claim — didn't do THIS. Abraham didn't murder truth-tellers. Your behavior proves you're NOT Abraham's children, whatever your genealogy says.
The phrase "a man that hath told you the truth" (anthrōpon hos tēn alētheian hymin lelalēka — a person who has spoken the truth to you) reduces the offense to its simplest form: Jesus is a MAN who told the TRUTH. That's the crime. The truth-telling is the capital offense. The murder-plot targets a TRUTH-SPEAKER. The opposition isn't to a political threat or a military rebel. It's to a man who spoke truth he heard from God.
The "this did not Abraham" (touto Abraam ouk epoiēsen — this Abraham did not do) is the comparison that DESTROYS their claim: the Pharisees claim Abraham as their father (verse 39). Jesus says: Abraham didn't do THIS. Abraham didn't try to kill people for telling God's truth. Abraham RECEIVED God's visitors. Abraham BELIEVED God's message. Abraham didn't murder God's messengers. Your behavior contradicts your ancestry.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What truth-teller are you rejecting — and does your behavior match the heritage you claim?
- 2.What does Jesus' crime being 'told you the truth' teach about why truth provokes violence?
- 3.How does Abraham's behavior with God's messengers contrast with the Pharisees' treatment of Jesus?
- 4.What truth heard from God is being opposed in your context — and by whom?
Devotional
You're trying to kill Me — a man who told you the truth from God. ABRAHAM didn't do this. The comparison demolishes their claim of Abrahamic heritage: the father they claim would never do what they're doing. Abraham received God's messengers. They murder God's messenger. The behavior contradicts the genealogy.
The 'a man that hath told you the truth' strips the murder-plot to its essence: the victim is a MAN. The offense is TRUTH. The truth was heard FROM GOD. There's nothing else. No military threat. No political rebellion. No criminal activity. Just a person who told the truth. That's what you're killing. A truth-teller. The murder-target is defined by one quality: he spoke truth.
The 'which I have heard of God' elevates the truth from human opinion to DIVINE ORIGIN: the truth Jesus told isn't His personal analysis. It's what He HEARD from God. The murder-plot isn't targeting human reasoning. It's targeting DIVINE COMMUNICATION. By killing the truth-teller, they're attacking the God who gave the truth. The messenger is the target. The message's Author is the real opponent.
The 'this did not Abraham' is the comparison that makes their claim ABSURD: you say Abraham is your father (verse 39). Abraham's behavior was the OPPOSITE of yours. Abraham received divine visitors (Genesis 18). Abraham believed God's impossible promises. Abraham obeyed God's hardest commands. Abraham didn't KILL people who brought God's word. You do. The genealogy says one thing. The behavior says another.
What truth-teller are you rejecting — and does your behavior match the spiritual heritage you claim?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Why do ye not understand my speech?.... Language, idiom, dialect, and form of speaking, in a figurative way; for they…
Ye seek to kill me - See Joh 8:37. This did not Abraham - Or such things Abraham did not do. There are two things noted…
Here Christ and the Jews are still at issue; he sets himself to convince and convert them, while they still set…
-On the contrary, ye seek to commit murder, and a murder of the most heinous kind. Ye would kill One who hath spoken…
Cross References
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