Tag: jesus-angry

April 10, 2025

John chapter 8 verse 44

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

VERSE CONTEXT

The speaker here is Jesus Christ. He is not talking to criminals, pagans, or Rome’s political leaders. He is talking to the religious leaders of His day—the scribes and Pharisees—who claimed to represent God. These were men who dressed in the garments of holiness, who quoted the Scriptures, and who had the respect of the people. Yet Jesus, knowing their hearts, looks them dead in the eye and says: “Ye are of your father the devil.”

That phrase was not just cutting—it was shocking, even scandalous. In the Jewish culture of the first century, lineage was everything. To say someone was not a child of Abraham, but rather a child of Satan, was not only an insult—it was a declaration that they were outside the covenant of God, servants of the enemy, and under divine judgment. It wasn’t just offensive—it was damning.

But Jesus didn’t stop there. He exposed their moral character by saying:

“The lusts of your father ye will do.”

That word “lusts” doesn’t just mean sensual temptation. It refers to evil desires, corrupted intentions, and the will to do wickedness. Jesus was saying: You don’t love God—you love evil. You carry out the devil’s agenda.

Then He builds His case further by stating:

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth… he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Jesus was drawing a line from Cain, who murdered his brother, to these men who now sought to kill the Son of God. He was saying that they shared the spiritual DNA of Satan—murder, deception, pride, rebellion. And then came the coup de grâce:

“There is no truth in him.”

In one statement, Jesus condemns their entire religious system. He doesn’t offer compromise. He doesn’t smooth it over. He exposes their lies, unmasks their hypocrisy, and tells them they are liars—just like their father, the devil.

Now pause and think about the weight of that accusation. Even today, to be called a liar is offensive. It strikes at a man’s integrity. But in the religious setting of first-century Judaism, to call a Pharisee or scribe a liar would have been seen as blasphemy or social assault. And Jesus didn’t care about their offense—because He was speaking truth, and truth is always more loving than comfort.

This verse utterly destroys the false idea that Jesus was some soft, tolerant teacher who would never raise His voice or hurt someone’s feelings. He didn’t come to coddle sin—He came to confront it. He came to uphold the Father’s holiness, and when men twisted the truth of God, He unleashed holy fire.

And that is the Jesus we must follow. Not a weak imitation made in the world’s image. We are not called to be passive observers of evil. We are not called to whisper the truth in shadows. We are called to stand, to rebuke sin, to expose lies, and to be filled with unction and zeal just as our Savior was.

Jesus didn’t say, “You made some mistakes, but God loves you anyway.”

He said, “Ye are of your father the devil.”

That’s love. That’s truth. And that’s the voice we need today in pulpits, on street corners, in homes, and in every place where God’s name is being dishonored.

BROADER CONTEXT

The Gospel of John was written by the apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” and it is structured not just to tell stories of Christ’s life, but to prove His divinity. Over and over again, John uses Christ’s words, miracles, and interactions to declare that Jesus is the Son of God, the Light of the World, and the only way to salvation (John chapter 14 verse 6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”). The purpose is made plain in John chapter 20 verse 31:

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Now, John chapter 8 opens in familiar territory: the account of the woman taken in adultery. But this entire chapter is about truth vs. deception, light vs. darkness, and spiritual liberty vs. bondage to sin. As the chapter unfolds, Jesus speaks first to the crowd, then to the Pharisees, and by verse 12 declares:

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

This was not a soft statement—it was a divine claim, and it set the Pharisees on edge. They challenge Him immediately, saying He bears record of Himself and thus His testimony isn’t valid. What follows is a prolonged and escalating confrontation.

In verse 31, we find Jesus speaking to those Jews who believed on Him—but the very next verses prove their belief was shallow and false, because Jesus tells them that true discipleship means continuing in His word, not just agreeing with Him for a moment.

That’s when the temperature rises. Jesus says:

“Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (verse 34).

And when they boast of their Abrahamic lineage, He makes a sharp distinction between physical descent and spiritual allegiance. That’s what sets up the dagger-point of John chapter 8 verse 44. He is not talking to atheists or Romans—He is speaking to professing religious Jews who claimed to love God but refused to believe the Son He sent.

Jesus is not being “unkind”—He is being righteously bold. He is not sinning in anger—He is acting in holy love. These men were leading others to hell while wearing the robes of holiness. That is not a moment for diplomacy. That is a moment for truth without apology.

And we must say it plainly—this same scene is playing out today. False teachers in pulpits, celebrity pastors promoting compromise, entire denominations abandoning truth in the name of tolerance—and the modern church has responded by going silent, soft, and scared.

But Jesus didn’t.

And if we belong to Him, neither can we. Jude chapter 1 verse 3 commands us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” That word “contend” means to struggle for, to fight for—it is not passive. The faith isn’t just something we confess—it’s something we protect and proclaim, even when it offends.

We are not more loving than Jesus when we remain silent about sin.

We are not more gracious than Jesus when we tolerate error in His name.

We are not more holy than Jesus when we trade boldness for political correctness.

The real Christ—the one who said “Ye are of your father the devil”—is the Christ we follow. And the same Jesus who rebuked liars, flipped tables, and warned of hellfire, is the one who told us in Luke chapter 9 verse 26:

“For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed.”

He was not ashamed to call out sin.

We must not be ashamed to do the same.

APPLICATION

Appreciating God’s Greatness

John chapter 8 verse 44 shows us a side of Jesus that the world tries to ignore—the zealous, confrontational, truth-telling King. The greatness of God is not found only in His mercy, but in His fierce holiness, His unwavering justice, and His refusal to compromise with evil. When Jesus calls out the Pharisees, He is defending His Father’s name, His Word, and His mission. That is love—not passive acceptance, but active protection of righteousness. Psalm chapter 97 verse 10 says:

“Ye that love the Lord, hate evil…”

And Jesus, who is the express image of the Father, did exactly that. He didn’t “tolerate” falsehood—He crushed it with truth. That’s greatness. That’s glory. That’s God incarnate doing battle for souls.

For the Believer

This verse calls us to zeal, to courage, and to conviction. Jesus wasn’t worried about hurting feelings—He was concerned with saving souls, and He knew that sin, lies, and religious deception were leading people straight to hell. So He confronted it. Openly. Publicly. Fearlessly.

We are called to do the same. Titus chapter 2 verse 15 gives us our marching orders:

“These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

Too many Christians today are more afraid of offending sinners than offending God. We’ve confused niceness with love, and as a result, many believers remain silent while churches embrace the world’s version of grace—a version that permits sin, promotes error, and protects feelings instead of honoring God.

But Romans chapter 12 verse 9 says:

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”

That word “dissimulation” means pretending. Fake love. And Jesus never loved like that. His love was full of truth, and His truth was full of holy fire.

Call to Action:

• Speak truth even when it costs you relationships.
• Defend the faith even when others stay silent.
• Rebuke sin not with malice, but with unction and clarity, knowing that eternal souls are at stake.
• Study the real Jesus—not the soft caricature, but the Lion who roars against darkness.

We are not called to blend in. We are called to stand out, to stand firm, and to stand fast.

For the Unbeliever

To the unbeliever, this verse may feel harsh. It may sound judgmental. But it is, in truth, the most loving thing Jesus could have said. Because He was telling the truth—even when it hurt. If He had kept silent, they would have stayed deceived. But He loved them too much to let them die in their sins without a warning.

Jesus is still speaking today. And if you’ve rejected the truth, distorted God’s Word, or followed a religion that denies the Son, Jesus says this to you: You are of your father the devil. But He doesn’t say it to condemn you permanently—He says it to wake you up. To rescue you from deception. To call you to repentance.

John chapter 1 verse 12 gives the invitation:

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

You don’t have to stay a child of the devil. You can become a child of God. But only through Jesus Christ.

FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT

Jesus was not weak. He was not passive. He was not afraid. He stood for truth when the world hated it. And He calls us to do the same. Let this verse remind us that true love doesn’t hide the truth—it proclaims it, even when it stings. If we are to be like Christ, then we must be bold. We must be clear. We must be unashamed.

The time for quiet Christianity is over.

The time for courageous truth-tellers is now.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we praise You today for sending us a Savior who did not flinch in the face of evil. Thank You for the truth of Jesus Christ, for His boldness, His righteousness, and His unwavering defense of Your holy name. Lord, make us more like Him. Give us the courage to speak when others are silent, to stand when others fall away, and to love not in softness, but in holiness. Help us reject fear, reject compromise, and reject every false version of love that permits sin. Fill us with Your Spirit. Let us be truth-bearers and light-shiners in a dark and deceived world. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.

CLOSING

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Shalom Shalom.