I am that I am

The Jews continue to display traits of their Father.

Jesus has previously told them that Satan was a murdered from the beginning.

That he is the Father of Lies, and that these Jews have proved time and time again that they are of Satan, proven by the lies that spew forth from their truth hating hearts.

Don’t miss that.

They hate the truth.

Jesus has said in verse 43 that they cannot hear the word.

They are so blinded by their own sin and unfaithfulness that they cannot even bears to stand under the truth of Christ’s words.

And they sure won’t abide in it as is the requirement for those who are “truly His disciples.”

Having now identified who their Father is, and you can imagine the anger that fills their hearts, they turn now to childish insults.

This is what children do. When a child cannot win, they resort to name calling, to outlandish claims about the other child.

This is what they are doing in verse 48.

John 8:48 NASB95

The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

Essentially this is the insult.

You are a demon-possessed Samaritan.

Samaritan were viewed as having an improper view of God and were seen by Jews to be heretics.

The Jews hated the Samaritans.

The Samaritan woman at the well is surprised when Jesus, a Jewish man, talks with her.

They are grouping Jesus with the Samaritans because they think Jesus, along with the Samaritans have an improper view of God.

More so than even that, they think that for him to question their legitimacy of Abraham’s offspring would be something a Samaritan would do.

But that is not the only insult they throw out.

They now charge Jesus with being influenced and possessed by demons.

Here again, these Jews prove who they are by the spweing of lies out of their mouths.

This is nothing more and nothing less that an absolute proof of what Jesus has just charged them with.

So how will Jesus respond?

Please understand how Christ can respond.

Christ would be completely just at this point to strike all of these men down with the Word of His power.

They in their sin have blasphemed the name of God.

They have insulted the Lord of Glory.

Christ has the power of their lives in His hands, and yet he answers their lies.

Please don’t miss the grace here.

Don’t miss the mercy here.

Jesus fights lies with truth.

John 8:49 NASB95

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

Jesus, exhibits patience, love, mercy, grace, here, all the while speaking truth.

Jesus offers three simple truths.

I do not have a demon, but I honor My father and you dishonor me. v. 49

No one who honors the Father, will at the same time be dabbling with Satan.

No one who honors the Father, will at the same time be dabbling with Satan.

These two are mutually incompatible.

These two are mutually incompatible.

From the very beginning, Satan has been against the honor and worship of God. If the Father loves being honored above all, it should be also said that Satan hates the honor of the Father above all.

From the very beginning, Satan has been against the honor and worship of God. If the Father loves being honored above all, it should be also said that Satan hates the honor of the Father above all.

So listen to what Jesus says closely here.

So listen to what Jesus says closely here.

Honoring the Father equals demon free.

Honoring the Father equals demon free.

Dishonoring the Son dishonors the Father. They are the ones who appear to have the demons.

Dishonoring the Son dishonors the Father. They are the ones who appear to have the demons.

There is one person to whom we all have to answer.

Essentially, Jesus is saying here that His glory is not something he is seeking from man.

In fact, it is through Jesus humiliation here on earth that he receives the glory.

Philippians 2:5–11 NASB95

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.