John chapter 8

vs 41

So who is Jesus intimating their father is now? Whoever it is, it is someone who wants to see Jesus dead.

They take umbrage at the suggestion that they are somehow illegitimate (I don't know where this suggestion comes from), and the people then say that their true father is God. It's funny that their first answer was Abraham, and then God only comes out later.

vs 42

Jesus says, though, that their father can't be God. If it was, then they would have accepted Jesus, they would know what he said and they'd love him, because of course they'd be brothers.

vs 43

Instead, they are suffering exactly the opposite effect - they can't understand the words Jesus gives to them, because they are unable to. It's not just that they don't want to, or that they aren't prepared to - they cannot.

vs 44

This is powerful speech. He is calling them all sons of the devil. They all follow in the footsteps of their father - and if that means they are murdering or plotting murder, then it's obvious who their father is. And that's not God. They also ignore the truth, because their father doesn't speak truth, only lies. That's his native language! And they just lap it up.

Now if they weren't insulted by now, surely they will be.

vs 45

So they listen to Satan instead of God, and because Jesus tells them the truth, they don't listen to him either. If Jesus had just been a man, then by now you'd think he had self-fulfilled his own prophecy about them wanting to kill him. He's done pretty well at insulting their heritage and now insulting them personally.

vs 46

But you see, Jesus is not just blasting them for no reason. He is pleading with them. He can show openly that he has not sinned. He is speaking God's truth. He wants them to believe.

vs 47

He's not accusing them of being sons of Satan so that they kill him - he's accusing them of it so they realise that this is what they are, and change to what they want to be - sons of God.

vs 48

So now, after Jesus has called them sons of Satan and not true Jews and haters of God, they think that it's just a mudslinging match, and they come back with some insults of their own.

Demon-possessed is almost understandable. When you see that someone is obviously affected by something supernatural, they can either be of God or of Satan. So they're just picking one instead of the other.

But a Samaritan? Everyone knows he's not a Samaritan. Everyone knows that. It's like calling someone a terrorist. It's just a baseless insult.

vs 49

Jesus corrects them, and warns them. Not only are they wrong, but they are dishonouring one who comes from God.

vs 50

Jesus isn't seeking glory for himself, but God is seeking glory, and they aren't glorifying God at all by their actions at the moment. That same God is judge, and he is going to judge these guys as sons of Satan. Jesus is really warning them. You wonder if any of them had any doubts.