Study Desk

Then He said to them again, "I'm going away;^(ac) you will look for Me, and you will die in your sin.^(ad) Where I'm going, you cannot come." ^(ae)

So the Jews said again, "He won't kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I'm going, you cannot come'^(af) ?"

"You are from below," He told them, "I am from above.^(ag) You are of this world;^(ah) I am not of this world.^(ai)

Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am He,^[h] you will die in your sins."

"Who are You?" they questioned. "Precisely what I've been telling you from the very beginning," Jesus told them.

"I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the One who sent Me^(aj) is true, and what I have heard from Him—these things I tell the world." ^(ak)

They did not know He was speaking to them about the Father.

So Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man,^(al) then you will know that I am^(am) He, and that I do nothing on My own.^(an) But just as the Father taught Me, I say these things.

The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone,^(ao) because I always do what pleases Him."

As He was saying these things, many believed in Him.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, ^[i](ap) you really are My disciples.

You will know the truth,^(aq) and the truth will set you free."

"We are descendants^[j] of Abraham,"^(ar) they answered Him, "and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free' ?"

Jesus responded, "I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.^(as)

A slave does not remain in the household forever,^(at) but a son does remain forever.^(au)

Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

I know you are descendants^[k] of Abraham,^(av) but you are trying to kill Me because My word^[l] is not welcome among you.

I speak what I have seen^(aw) in the presence of the Father; ^[m](ax) therefore, you do what you have heard from your father."

"Our father is Abraham!" they replied. "If you were Abraham's children," Jesus told them, "you would do what Abraham did.^(ay)

But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth^(az) that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this!

You're doing what your father does." ^(ba) "We weren't born^(bb) of sexual immorality,"^(bc) they said. "We have one Father—God."^(bd)

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me,^(be) because I came from God^(bf) and I am here. For I didn't come on My own, but He sent Me.

Why don't you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to^[n] My word.^(bg)

You are of your father the Devil,^(bh) and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer^(bi) from the beginning^(bj) and has not stood in the truth,^(bk) because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature,^[o] because he is a liar and the father of liars.^[p]

Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

Who among you can convict Me of sin?^(bl) If I tell the truth, why don't you believe Me?

The one who is from God listens to God's words. This is why you don't listen, because you are not from God."

The Jews responded to Him, "Aren't we right in saying that You're a Samaritan^(bm) and have a demon?"^(bn)

"I do not have a demon," Jesus answered. "On the contrary, I honor My Father and you dishonor Me.

I do not seek My glory;^(bo) the One who seeks it also judges.

I assure you: If anyone keeps My word,^(bp) he will never see death—ever!"

Then the Jews said, "Now we know You have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death—ever!'

Are You greater than our father Abraham who died? Even the prophets died. Who do You pretend to be?"^[q]

"If I glorify Myself," Jesus answered, "My glory is nothing. My Father—you say about Him, ‘He is our God'—He is the One who glorifies Me.

You've never known Him, but I know Him. If I were to say I don't know Him,^(bq) I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him,^(br) and I keep His word.

Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it^(bs) and rejoiced."

The Jews replied, "You aren't 50 years old yet, and You've seen Abraham?"^[r]

Jesus said to them, "I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am." ^[s](bt)

At that, they picked up stones^(bu) to throw at Him.^(bv) But Jesus was hidden^[t](bw) and went out of the temple complex.^[u](bx)

As He was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth.

His disciples questioned Him: "Rabbi,^(a) who sinned, this man^(b) or his parents,^(c) that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered. "This came about so that God's works^(d) might be displayed in him.

We^[a] must do the works^(e) of Him who sent Me^[b] while it is day.^(f) Night is coming when no one can work.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." ^(g)

After He said these things He spit on the ground, made some mud^(h) from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes.

"Go," He told him, "wash in the pool of Siloam" ⁽ⁱ⁾ (which means "Sent"). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.^(j)

His neighbors and those who formerly had seen him as a beggar said, "Isn't this the man who sat begging?"

Some said, "He's the one." "No," others were saying, "but he looks like him." He kept saying, "I'm the one!"

Therefore they asked him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"

He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam^(k) and wash.' So when I went and washed I received my sight."^(l)

"Where is He?" they asked. "I don't know," he said.

They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees.^(m)

The day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.⁽ⁿ⁾

So again the Pharisees asked him how he received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," he told them. "I washed and I can see."

Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God,^(o) for He doesn't keep the Sabbath!" But others were saying, "How can a sinful man^(p) perform such signs?" And there was a division^(q) among them.

Again they asked the blind man,^[c] "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" "He's a prophet,"^(r) he said.

The Jews did not believe this about him—that he was blind and received sight—until they summoned the parents of the one who had received his sight.

They asked them, "Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"

"We know this is our son and that he was born blind," his parents answered.

"But we don't know how he now sees, and we don't know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he's of age. He will speak for himself."

His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him as Messiah,^(s) he would be banned from the synagogue.

This is why his parents said, "He's of age; ask him."

So a second time they summoned the man who had been blind and told him, "Give glory^(t) to God.^[d](u) We know that this man is a sinner!"

He answered, "Whether or not He's a sinner, I don't know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!"

Then they asked him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"

"I already told you," he said, "and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don't want to become His disciples too, do you?"

They ridiculed him: "You're that man's disciple, but we're Moses'^(v) disciples.

We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man—we don't know where He's from!"^(w)

"This is an amazing thing," the man told them. "You don't know where He is from, yet He opened my eyes!

We know that God doesn't listen to sinners,^(x) but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will,^(y) He listens to him.^(z)

Throughout history^[e] no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind.^(aa)

If this man were not from God, He wouldn't be able to do anything."^(ab)

"You were born entirely in sin,"^(ac) they replied, "and are you trying to teach us?" Then they threw him out.^[f](ad)

When Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, He found him and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" ^[g](ae)

"Who is He, Sir,^(af) that I may believe in Him?" he asked.

Jesus answered, "You have seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you."

"I believe, Lord!" he said, and he worshiped Him.

Jesus said, "I came into this world^(ag) for judgment,^(ah) in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind." ^(ai)

Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and asked Him, "We aren't blind too, are we?"

"If you were blind," Jesus told them, "you wouldn't have sin. ^[h](aj) But now that you say, ‘We see'—your sin remains.

"I assure you: Anyone who doesn't enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.^(a)

The one who enters by the door is the shepherd^(b) of the sheep.^(c)

The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.

They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don't recognize the voice of strangers."

Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand^(d) what He was telling them.

So Jesus said again, "I assure you: I am^(e) the door of the sheep.^(f)

All who came before Me^[a] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them.

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.

A thief comes only to steal^(g) and to kill and to destroy.^(h) I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

"I am the good shepherd.⁽ⁱ⁾ The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^(j)

The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them^[b] and runs away when he sees a wolf^(k) coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them.

This happens because he is a hired man and doesn't care about the sheep.

"I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me,

as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father.^(l) I lay down My life^(m) for the sheep.

But I have other sheep⁽ⁿ⁾ that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.^(o)

This is why the Father loves Me,^(p) because I am laying down My life^(q) so I may take it up again.

No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father." ^(r)