John 8:38 – “I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

Extended Explanation

In this verse, Jesus makes a striking contrast between Himself and His listeners. He declares that He speaks what He has seen from being with the Father. In other words, Jesus’ teachings and authority come directly from God. He is not offering human ideas or opinions—He is revealing divine truth.

However, Jesus also accuses His audience of following a different father. This is a shocking statement because He is speaking to religious leaders who claim to be children of Abraham and followers of God. But Jesus is implying that they are actually following another father—a theme He develops further in the conversation.

This verse lays the foundation for what Jesus will say next: their real father is not Abraham or God, but the devil (John 8:44). Even though they are physically descended from Abraham, their actions show that they are aligned with the enemy of God rather than with God Himself.

Historical Context

Jesus is speaking in the temple courts in Jerusalem, addressing the religious leaders and others in the crowd. The Jewish people took great pride in being descendants of Abraham. They believed this gave them a special place in God’s plan. However, Jesus challenges this idea by focusing on spiritual parentage rather than physical lineage.

In Jewish culture, a person’s identity was closely tied to their ancestors. The religious leaders assumed that being born into Abraham’s lineage automatically made them God’s children. But Jesus teaches that true children of Abraham do what Abraham did—they live by faith and obey God. These religious leaders, however, were rejecting God’s Son, proving that their real allegiance was to someone else.

Theological Implications

1. Jesus Speaks with Divine Authority – His words come directly from what He has seen in the Father’s presence, proving His divine origin.
2. Spiritual Parentage Matters More Than Physical Lineage – A person’s true father is revealed by their actions and beliefs, not their ancestry.
3. Those Who Reject Jesus Are Following Another Father – People either belong to God or to the devil. There is no neutral ground.

Literary Analysis

John’s Gospel frequently uses contrast to highlight deep spiritual truths. Here, Jesus sets up a contrast between two fathers:

• God the Father, whose truth Jesus speaks.
• The “father” of the religious leaders, which Jesus will later reveal to be Satan (John 8:44).

Jesus also contrasts seeing vs. hearing:

• Jesus has “seen” the Father’s presence – He has firsthand knowledge of divine truth.
• The religious leaders “have heard” from their father – This implies secondhand deception, as lies are passed down from the devil.

Biblical Cross-References

• John 1:18 – “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” (Jesus has direct access to the Father.)
• John 14:10 – “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.” (Jesus only speaks what comes from the Father.)
• John 8:44 – “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.” (Jesus later identifies their true spiritual father.)
• Romans 9:6-8 – “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children.” (True children of Abraham are those who follow God by faith.)

What This Verse Means for Today’s Christian

This verse reminds us that who we follow matters. People often assume that being religious, coming from a Christian family, or attending church makes them right with God. But Jesus shows that our actions and beliefs reveal who we truly belong to.

It also challenges us to ask: Are we listening to God’s truth, or are we being influenced by something else? The religious leaders thought they were following God, but in reality, they were resisting Him. Today, many people think they are spiritually fine while rejecting Jesus’ teachings.

True faith is not about heritage or religious rituals—it’s about listening to Jesus and following His words.

How This Verse Relates to a Loving God

God’s love is seen in the fact that He sent Jesus to speak the truth directly from His presence. God does not leave people in confusion—He clearly reveals what is true.

However, love also includes correction. Jesus does not shy away from calling out false religion and hypocrisy. This is not because He enjoys confrontation, but because He loves people enough to tell them the truth so they can repent and be saved.

God does not force people to follow Him. Instead, He calls them to recognize who they are truly following—and to turn back to Him.

How This Verse Connects to Jesus Christ

Jesus is the only one who has seen the Father and can fully reveal Him. His words are not based on speculation or human wisdom—they come directly from God.

• John 6:46 – “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.” (Jesus has firsthand knowledge of God.)
• Hebrews 1:3 – “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” (Jesus perfectly reveals the Father.)
• John 14:9 – “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (Knowing Jesus is the key to knowing God.)

Jesus also exposes false spiritual parentage. He makes it clear that there are only two choices:

1. Be a child of God through faith in Jesus.
2. Remain a child of the devil by rejecting the truth.

There is no neutral ground. Every person must choose who their true father is.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. What does it mean that Jesus speaks only what He has seen in the Father’s presence?
2. How can a person claim to follow God but actually be listening to the wrong spiritual father?
3. How do our actions and beliefs reveal who we truly follow?
4. In what ways do people today reject Jesus’ words while still thinking they are right with God?
5. How can we make sure we are truly listening to Jesus and following Him rather than being influenced by worldly or deceptive teachings?