81 And at dawn he came again to the temple, 2 and all the people were coming unto him, and having sat down, he was teaching them; 3 and the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman having been taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst, 4 they say to him, 'Teacher, this woman was taken in the very crime—committing adultery, 5 and in the law, Moses did command us that such be stoned; thou, therefore, what dost thou say?' 6 and this they said, trying him, that they might have to accuse him. And Jesus, having stooped down, with the finger he was writing on the ground, 7 and when they continued asking him, having bent himself back, he said unto them, 'The sinless of you—let him first cast the stone at her;' 8 and again having stooped down, he was writing on the ground, 9 and they having heard, and by the conscience being convicted, were going forth one by one, having begun from the elders—unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 And Jesus having bent himself back, and having seen no one but the woman, said to her, 'Woman, where are those—thine accusers? did no one pass sentence upon thee?' 11 and she said, 'No one, Sir;' and Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I pass sentence on thee; be going on, and no more sin.'
12 Again, therefore, Jesus spake to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world; he who is following me shall not walk in the darkness, but he shall have the light of the life.' 13 The Pharisees, therefore, said to him, 'Thou of thyself dost testify, thy testimony is not true;' 14 Jesus answered and said to them, 'And if I testify of myself—my testimony is true, because I have known whence I came, and whither I go, and ye—ye have not known whence I come, or whither I go. 15 'Ye according to the flesh do judge; I do not judge any one, 16 and even if I do judge my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me; 17 and also in your law it hath been written, that the testimony of two men are true; 18 I am 'one' who is testifying of myself, and the Father who sent me doth testify of me.' 19 They said, therefore, to him, 'Where is thy father?' Jesus answered, 'Ye have neither known me nor my Father: if me ye had known, my Father also ye had known.' 20 These sayings spake Jesus in the treasury, teaching in the temple, and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come;
21 therefore said Jesus again to them, 'I go away, and ye will seek me, and in your sin ye shall die; whither I go away, ye are not able to come.' 22 The Jews, therefore, said, 'Will he kill himself, because he saith, Whither I go away, ye are not able to come?' 23 and he said to them, 'Ye are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am not of this world; 24 I said, therefore, to you, that ye shall die in your sins, for if ye may not believe that I am 'he', ye shall die in your sins.' 25 They said, therefore, to him, 'Thou—who art thou?' and Jesus said to them, 'Even what I did speak of to you at the beginning; 26 many things I have to speak concerning you and to judge, but He who sent me is true, and I—what things I heard from Him—these I say to the world.' 27 They knew not that of the Father he spake to them;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 8:1-27
Commentary on John 8:1-11
(Read John 8:1-11)
Christ neither found fault with the law, nor excused the prisoner's guilt; nor did he countenance the pretended zeal of the Pharisees. Those are self-condemned who judge others, and yet do the same thing. All who are any way called to blame the faults of others, are especially concerned to look to themselves, and keep themselves pure. In this matter Christ attended to the great work about which he came into the world, that was, to bring sinners to repentance; not to destroy, but to save. He aimed to bring, not only the accused to repentance, by showing her his mercy, but the prosecutors also, by showing them their sins; they thought to insnare him, he sought to convince and convert them. He declined to meddle with the magistrate's office. Many crimes merit far more severe punishment than they meet with; but we should not leave our own work, to take that upon ourselves to which we are not called. When Christ sent her away, it was with this caution, Go, and sin no more. Those who help to save the life of a criminal, should help to save the soul with the same caution. Those are truly happy, whom Christ does not condemn. Christ's favour to us in the forgiveness of past sins should prevail with us, Go then, and sin no more.
Commentary on John 8:12-16
(Read John 8:12-16)
Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more. What a dark dungeon would the world be without the sun! So would it be without Jesus, by whom light came into the world. Those who follow Christ shall not walk in darkness. They shall not be left without the truths which are necessary to keep them from destroying error, and the directions in the way of duty, necessary to keep them from condemning sin.
Commentary on John 8:17-20
(Read John 8:17-20)
If we knew Christ better, we should know the Father better. Those become vain in their imaginations concerning God, who will not learn of Christ. Those who know not his glory and grace, know not the Father that sent him. The time of our departure out of the world, depends upon God. Our enemies cannot hasten it any sooner, nor can our friends delay it any longer, than the time appointed of the Father. Every true believer can look up and say with pleasure, My times are in thy hand, and better there than in my own. To all God's purposes there is a time.
Commentary on John 8:21-29
(Read John 8:21-29)
Those that live in unbelief, are for ever undone, if they die in unbelief. The Jews belonged to this present evil world, but Jesus was of a heavenly and Divine nature, so that his doctrine, kingdom, and blessings, would not suit their taste. But the curse of the law is done away to all that submit to the grace of the gospel. Nothing but the doctrine of Christ's grace will be an argument powerful enough, and none but the Spirit of Christ's grace will be an agent powerful enough, to turn us from sin to God; and that Spirit is given, and that doctrine is given, to work upon those only who believe in Christ. Some say, Who is this Jesus? They allow him to have been a Prophet, an excellent Teacher, and even more than a creature; but cannot acknowledge him as over all, God blessed for evermore. Will not this suffice? Jesus here answers the question. Is this to honour him as the Father? Does this admit his being the Light of the world, and the Life of men, one with the Father? All shall know by their conversion, or in their condemnation, that he always spake and did what pleased the Father, even when he claimed the highest honours to himself.