John 8:12-30

International Standard Version

Jesus the Light of the World

¹² Later on, Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

¹³ The Pharisees told him, “You’re testifying about yourself. Your testimony isn’t valid.”^[a]

¹⁴ Jesus answered them, “Even though I’m testifying about myself, my testimony is valid^[b] because I know where I’ve come from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. ¹⁵ You’re judging by human standards,^[c] but I’m not judging anyone. ¹⁶ Yet even if I should judge, my judgment would be valid,^[d] because it is not I alone who judges, but I and the one who sent me. ¹⁷ In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two people is valid.^{[e] 18} I’m testifying about myself, and the Father who sent me is testifying about me.”

¹⁹ Then they asked him, “Where is this Father of yours?”

Jesus replied, “You don’t know me or my Father. If you had known me, you would’ve known my Father, too.” ²⁰ He spoke these words in the treasury, while he was teaching in the Temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

The One from Above

²¹ Later on, he told them again, “I’m going away, and you’ll look for me, but you will die in your sin.^[f] You cannot come where I’m going.”

²² So the Jewish leaders^[g] were asking, “He isn’t going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said,^[h] ‘You cannot come where I’m going’?”

²³ He told them, “You are from below, I’m from above. You are of this world, but I’m not of this world. ²⁴ That is why I told you that you will die in your sins, for unless you believe that I AM, you’ll die in your sins.”

²⁵ Then they asked him, “Who are you?”

Jesus told them, “What have I been telling you all along?^{[i] 26} I have much to say about you and to condemn you for.^[j] But the one who sent me is truthful,^[k] and what I’ve heard from him I declare to the world.”

²⁷ They didn’t realize that he was talking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus told them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own authority. Instead, I speak only what the Father has taught me. ²⁹ Moreover, the one who sent me is with me. He has never left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” ³⁰ While he was saying these things, many believed in him.