And they are in verses 24 and 28. Believing that Jesus is “I AM!” And knowing that Jesus is “I AM!”

“Jesus here claims to be the Very Presence of God!”

Verse 25 … “Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.” Jesus just said, “My Teaching is My Person!” Or “My Words are My Identity!”

God’s main “Meeting Place” … the Cross of Calvary! “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth (crucified), will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32, all sinners who believe in Jesus are saved there!

In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus predicted His upcoming Death and Burial and Resurrection three times! Mark 8:31, Mark 9:31 and then in Mark 10:32-34! In the Gospel of John Jesus is “lifted up” three times, a revelation of His Death on Calvary! John 3:14-15 then John 8:28 here and then one more time in John 12:32, as quoted above.

Here’s a “Key” Old Testament Verse that might have had a great impact on John as He presented Jesus in his Gospel …

“Isaiah 43:10 … “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I AM HE: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”

If Jesus is not the Son of God, His claiming to be Such would constitute blasphemy and invite God’s fierce Wrath! As in … “Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I AM, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.” Isaiah 47:8-9

Jesus deriving His Words from the Father … “The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me.” John 14:10

If these “bits” of Truth interest you, you might want to watch the whole Lesson, video Bible Class …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Since there is no Textual “change of location” … we assume the debate, confrontation in this Text to still be in the Temple area of Jerusalem and still during or near the Feast of Tabernacles.

One of the key Points of John’s Gospel is the fact that Jesus mediates, reveals, exposits God the Father. Actually there is no other way to “know” God the Father than through Jesus!

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.” John 14:6.

In today’s Text notice John 8:19 … “Then said they (Pharisees) unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.” See … Jesus is THE WAY to God the Father!

John 1:18 offers further evidence … “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he HATH DECLARED him.” That verb “hath declared” is a blend of “ek” and “ago” in Greek, Jesus “leads out” (in English “exegetes”) God the Father!

We will soon be studying John 14:10 along this line … “The WORDS that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” Jesus speaks what the Father says!

Jesus even reveals the WORKS of His Father … “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” John 5:36, if you recall.

I love this Quote … “Jesus as the Light of the world simply means Jesus is the great Shekinah Glory Cloud of God in these days!”

Yes, Jesus is Light!

But so is God the Father, Psalm 27:1 … “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”

And so is the Word of God, the Scriptures … “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

What a BRIGHT Godhead!

Sometime today take 30 minutes and watch the entire Class …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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When comparing John 7:53 with John 8:1-2 we immediately want to know the distance between the Mount of Olives and the Temple in Jerusalem. Looks like Jesus slept (or prayed) there all night long!

“And every man went unto his own house. But Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down and taught them.”

The distance is nearly two miles! Quite an energizing early morning walk! Jesus was a strong young man, yet God the Son as well!

Stoning a woman for adultery?

Yes, according to the Law … Leviticus 20:10 … “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

But do note that the guilty “man” is not mentioned by the hypocritical Pharisees, who were just using the woman anyway, to trap Jesus in some kind of error! (They once again failed.)

The only words this woman needs to say (in the whole Narrative) is “No man, Lord!” (Apparently calling Jesus “Lord” …from the depths of her heart in faith … got her “saved!”)

1 Corinthians 12:3 applies here … “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

One writer here called Jesus the “Public Defender!” Reminds me of Luke 15:2 … “And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners.” (We had all better be glad He does!)

Jesus showed the woman “Mercy!” And He furthermore showed her accusers their “sins!” What a Saviour!

I mentioned in Class that some (liberal) professors deny that our Text (John 8:1-11) is really in the Bible! Missing in what they call the “best” manuscripts! I long ago decided that if any Paragraph or Word (verb or noun or whatever) is in my Bible, I will take it as genuine! I will preach and teach it!

“ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

Besides, John chapters 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 each begin with a factual “Story” then proceed with a Sermon. So, it sure looks to me like John 8 just might be doing the same thing! The “Woman taken in adultery” stays in my Bible!

Here we have the enemies of Jesus (the Pharisees) quoting Scripture! “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” John 8:4-5

But in reality, the devil also quoted Scripture that day he tempted Jesus so sorely! “And (Satan) saith unto him (Jesus), If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Matthew 4:6, the deceiver quoting Psalm 91:12.

It’s not just what the mouth says … but what the heart believes as well!

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

In this Text we see the Pharisees’ attitude that they are “better” than anyone else in Israel, in the world really. Isaiah 65:5a applies here … “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.”

Then God evaluates that kind of pride … “These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.”(Isaiah 65:5b)

Wow!

Nazareth, Jesus’ supposed hometown (really He was born in Bethlehem) was so small a village that virtually no one knew it existed! Even Nathaniel asked, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

The noun for “town” John uses here is “kome” in Greek. The word is related to the Greek “keimai,” a verb meaning “to lay down” … as when one goes to bed. In other words, Nazareth was what we’d call today a “bedroom community.” No one much worked there. Employment had to be sought elsewhere!

So Jesus really did grow up as “a root out of dry ground,” Isaiah 53:2. But all this arguing is moot, Jesus came from Heaven, from God, as His only Begotten Son!

I mentioned in the class that that Nicodemus advised the whole Sanhedrin to “hear” Jesus (investigate) before coming to a conclusion, before judging Him! Here are some References I did not have time to include in the recording …

Deuteronomy 1:16-17 … “And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.”

And Deuteronomy 19:18 as well. “And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother.”

Our Text also mention Nicodemus again.

Nicodemus’ spiritual path to salvation …

Midnight (John 3), Twilight (here in John 7) then daylight (John 19, boldly claiming the Body of Jesus for respectful Burial)!

“Instead of arresting Jesus, the Temple Police were arrested by Jesus, by His Words!” That’s a great quote!

Messiah (in Greek “Christ”) means “anointed” … and the ancient Jews anointed three “offices” of people. Namely, Kings and Prophets and Priests! And Jesus fulfilled all three Roles perfectly!

Hallelujah!

I hope this material I forgot (or left out due to time constraints) will make you want to watch the whole Lesson now …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Do the math! In verse 37 of our Text Jesus invites us to come get a drink. (Meaning Believe on Him as the Son of God, accept Him as our personal Saviour.) “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

Then immediately (verse 38) that one drink, one swallow maybe, had produced “Rivers of Living Water!” Within that Believer, “Flowing out of his belly.”

Jesus saves us (by our little bit of faith) then gives us this copious Flood of His sweet Holy Spirit!

Wow!

When Jesus mentioned that the “Scripture hath said” (verse 38) He may have had in mind verses like …

Isaiah 55:1 … “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.”

Isaiah 12:3 … “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Isaiah 58:11 … “And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”

Obviously, Jesus loved Isaiah!

Of course, He loved the Psalms too!

Psalm 42:1 … “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”

The Clause in verse 39 teaching us … “The Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified” … means that the Holy Spirit would not be “poured out” on God’s people UNTIL Jesus had died on the old rugged Cross.

This is comparable to an event in the life of ancient Israel recorded in Exodus 17:6. “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”

The Rock (a symbol of Jesus) was struck … and then the life-giving water (a type of the Holy Spirit) flowed! See it? Jesus died and the Holy Spirit then came in His mighty Presence!

Beautiful!

One more thought today … after preaching our short Text (verses 37-39) the Lord Jesus does not speak again in the rest of the chapter, John chapter 7! Nothing more can possibly be said than … “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

Praise the Lord!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell