Jesus Predicts His Departure

²¹ Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and ^(A)you will seek Me, and ^(B)will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

²² So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”

²³ And He said to them, ^(C)“You are from beneath; I am from above. ^(D)You are of this world; I am not of this world. ^24 (E)Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; ^(F)for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

²⁵ Then they said to Him, “Who are You?”

And Jesus said to them, “Just what I ^(G)have been saying to you from the beginning. ²⁶ I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but ^(H)He who sent Me is true; and ^(I)I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

²⁷ They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

²⁸ Then Jesus said to them, “When you ^(J)lift^[a] up the Son of Man, ^(K)then you will know that I am He, and ^(L)that I do nothing of Myself; but ^(M)as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. ²⁹ And ^(N)He who sent Me is with Me. ^(O)The Father has not left Me alone, ^(P)for I always do those things that please Him.” ³⁰ As He spoke these words, ^(Q)many believed in Him.

The Truth Shall Make You Free

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you ^(R)abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the ^(S)truth, and ^(T)the truth shall make you free.”

³³ They answered Him, ^(U)“We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(V)whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And ^(W)a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ^36 (X)Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.