Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” ~ John 8:58 ESV
Sharing the truth of the Bible with false teachers who refuse to accept it—even when it’s clearly explained—can be frustrating. But we must remember, this is nothing new. Jesus Himself faced the very same resistance during His ministry on earth. Jesus in John 8:31–59, Jesus tells those who claimed to believe in Him that true disciples abide in His word and that the truth will set them free. When they object, claiming descent from Abraham, Jesus explains that their actions show they are not truly Abraham’s children but are doing the works of the devil. He declares His divine origin and authority, offering eternal life to those who keep His word. The conversation escalates, and the people accuse Him of being demon-possessed. Jesus ends with the powerful statement, “Before Abraham was, I am,” declaring His divinity—at which point they try to stone Him.
This was deeply offensive to the religious leaders of the time because they believed they were the only ones who truly knew God and spoke for Him. But in their spiritual blindness, they made a shocking claim in John 8:48: “You have a demon.” To call Jesus Christ—the sinless Son of God—demon-possessed is an extreme form of blasphemy. That kind of accusation reveals just how upside-down their understanding of God really was. The irony is heartbreaking: they were the ones actually under the influence of evil, so trapped in their sin that they couldn’t recognize God even when He stood right in front of them. The Light of the world was in their midst, and they called Him darkness.
Jesus replied with calm truth in verse 49: “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.” Then, in verse 51, He makes an amazing promise: “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.” He was offering them eternal life—rescue from death itself. But their hearts were so hard that they only mocked Him again: “Now we know that You have a demon.” This moment shows clearly that no human effort, no clever words or strategies, can overcome the deep resistance of a sinful heart. If anyone thinks that human wisdom or skill can break through that kind of hardness, they’re fooling themselves. Even Jesus—speaking perfect truth with divine authority—was rejected.
This is the tragic reality of fallen humanity: spiritually dead, blind to the truth, enslaved to darkness. The natural heart does not welcome the light—it pulls away from it. The truth doesn’t fit the nature of someone who hasn’t been changed by God, so simply telling the truth isn’t enough to make someone believe. Calling Jesus “demon-possessed” wasn’t just a harsh insult—it was proof of how completely cut off they were from God. Still, in their hatred, Jesus offered them life. But that offer came with a requirement: they had to face the truth about themselves—that they were bound by sin and spiritually children of the devil. That’s why they rejected Him. That’s why they sent Him to the Cross. And that’s why they persecuted those who followed Him—because the truth was more than they could bear.
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