On the last day of the Festival of Tabernacles, the seventh day, Jesus is teaching in the part of the temple called “the treasury.” (John 8:20; Luke 21:1) This apparently is in the Court of Women, where people deposit their contributions.

At night during the festival, this area of the temple is specially illuminated. Four giant lampstands are there, each with four large basins filled with oil. The light from these lamps is strong enough to illuminate the surroundings to a great distance. What Jesus now says may remind his listeners of this display: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will by no means walk in darkness, but will possess the light of life.”​—John 8:12.

The Pharisees take exception to Jesus’ statement and say: “You bear witness about yourself; your witness is not true.” Jesus replies: “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my witness is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from and where I am going.” He adds: “In your own Law it is written: ‘The witness of two men is true.’ I am one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”​—John 8:13-18.

Not accepting his reasoning, the Pharisees ask: “Where is your Father?” Jesus gives the forthright reply: “You know neither me nor my Father. If you did know me, you would know my Father also.” (John 8:19) Even though the Pharisees still want Jesus arrested, no one touches him.

Jesus repeats a statement he has already made: “I am going away, and you will look for me, and yet you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” The Jews, completely misunderstanding Jesus’ words, begin to wonder: “He will not kill himself, will he? Because he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’” They do not understand what Jesus means, because they are unaware of his origin. He explains: “You are from the realms below; I am from the realms above. You are from this world; I am not from this world.”​—John 8:21-23.

Jesus is referring to his prehuman existence in heaven and to his being the promised Messiah, or Christ, whom these religious leaders should be expecting. Nevertheless, they ask with great contempt: “Who are you?”​—John 8:25.

In the face of their rejection and opposition, Jesus answers: “Why am I even speaking to you at all?” Still, he directs attention to his Father and explains why the Jews should listen to the Son: “The One who sent me is true, and the very things I heard from him I am speaking in the world.”​—John 8:25, 26.

Then Jesus expresses confidence in his Father, which these Jews lack: “After you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing of my own initiative; but just as the Father taught me, I speak these things. And the One who sent me is with me; he did not abandon me to myself, because I always do the things pleasing to him.”​—John 8:28, 29.

Some Jews, though, do put faith in Jesus, and he says to them: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”​—John 8:31, 32.

To some, this talk of being set free seems strange. They object: “We are Abraham’s offspring and never have been slaves to anyone. How is it you say, ‘You will become free’?” The Jews know that at times they have been under foreign domination, yet they refuse to be called slaves. Jesus points out, however, that they still are slaves: “Most truly I say to you, every doer of sin is a slave of sin.”​—John 8:33, 34.

Refusing to admit their slavery to sin puts the Jews in a dangerous position. “The slave does not remain in the household forever,” Jesus explains. “The son remains forever.” (John 8:35) A slave has no rights to an inheritance, and he may be dismissed at any time. Only the son actually born or adopted into the household remains “forever,” that is, as long as he lives.

Thus, the truth about the Son is the truth that sets people free from death-dealing sin forever. “If the Son sets you free, you will be truly free,” Jesus declares.​—John 8:36.

Still in Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles (or, Booths), Jesus goes on teaching vital truths. Some Jews present had just said to him: “We are Abraham’s offspring and never have been slaves.” Jesus responds: “I know that you are Abraham’s offspring. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you. I speak the things I have seen while with my Father, but you do the things you have heard from your father.”​—John 8:33, 37, 38.

Jesus’ point is simple: His Father is different from theirs. Unaware of what Jesus means, the Jews repeat their claim: “Our father is Abraham.” (John 8:39; Isaiah 41:8) They are literally his descendants. So they feel that they are of the same faith as God’s friend Abraham.

However, Jesus gives a shocking reply: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham.” Indeed, a real son imitates his father. “But now you are seeking to kill me,” Jesus continues, “a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.” Then Jesus makes the puzzling statement: “You are doing the works of your father.”​—John 8:39-41.

The Jews still do not grasp to whom Jesus is referring. They claim that they are legitimate sons, saying: “We were not born from immorality; we have one Father, God.” Is God really their Father, though? “If God were your Father,” Jesus says, “you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I have not come of my own initiative, but that One sent me.” Jesus asks a question and answers it himself: “Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot listen to my word.”​—John 8:41-43.

Jesus has tried to show what the consequences of rejecting him are. But now he pointedly says: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father.” What is their father like? Jesus identifies him clearly: “That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth.” Jesus adds: “The one who is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.”​—John 8:44, 47.

That condemnation angers the Jews, who answer: “Are we not right in saying, ‘You are a Samaritan and have a demon’?” By calling Jesus “a Samaritan,” they are expressing contempt for him. But Jesus ignores their slur, responding: “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.” That this is a serious matter can be seen by Jesus’ startling promise: “If anyone observes my word, he will never see death at all.” He does not mean that the apostles and others who follow him will literally never die. Rather, they will never see eternal destruction, “the second death,” with no hope of a resurrection.​—John 8:48-51; Revelation 21:8.

But the Jews take Jesus’ words literally, saying: “Now we do know that you have a demon. Abraham died, also the prophets, but you say, ‘If anyone observes my word, he will never taste death at all.’ You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are you? . . . Who do you claim to be?”​—John 8:52, 53.

It is obvious that Jesus is making the point that he is the Messiah. But rather than directly answer their question about his identity, he says: “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, the one who you say is your God. Yet you have not known him, but I know him. And if I said I do not know him, I would be like you, a liar.”​—John 8:54, 55.

Jesus now refers back to the example of their faithful forefather: “Abraham your father rejoiced greatly at the prospect of seeing my day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” Yes, believing God’s promise, Abraham looked forward to the arrival of the Messiah. “You are not yet 50 years old, and still you have seen Abraham?” the Jews respond in disbelief. Jesus answers: “Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.” He is referring to his prehuman existence as a mighty spirit in heaven.​—John 8:56-58.

The Jews, enraged by Jesus’ claim to have lived before Abraham, get ready to stone him. But Jesus leaves unharmed.