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Commentaries
English
John
  
f) The devil, murderer and liar
(John 8:37-47)
37"I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my words find no place in you.38I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."39They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did."


The Jews regarded themselves as of Abraham’s seed, and assumed that for this reason, the link with the Father of faith, they inherited the promises that God had bestowed on His obedient servant.
Jesus did not reject the privileges of this relationship, but was grieved that the children of Abraham were devoid of the ancestor’s spirit. This had given him the capacity to listen to God’s voice and to keep His word. As a result they shut their hearts to Jesus’ words. These words failed to enter their hearts or to illumine them. They remained ignorant and unbelieving.
Christ’s utterances bore no fruit in that multitude other than refusal and hatred. Most likely, most of them were not at that stage intent on killing Jesus. Jesus, however, uncovered the intents of their hearts and knew that hatred is a prelude to murder. Soon they would cry out "Crucify him, crucify him" (Matthew 27:21–23; John 19:15).
Abraham heard God’s voice and instantly obeyed Him. More wonderfully, Jesus not only listened to his Father’s voice constantly, but saw God’s works and majesty. His revelation was complete, springing from a firm fellowship with God. Jesus is Spirit from His Spirit, and love from His love.
But the Jews hated the One begotten of the Father. This proved that they were not coming from the true God. The source of their thinking was other than heavenly. At this stage of the argument, Jesus tried to draw them into thinking about the identity of their "fathers". It was not Abraham.