John 8:38-59 has a confrontation happening between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. They cannot understand what Jesus is saying. “If God was your father,” said Jesus, “you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn’t come on my own. He sent me”. He continues to speak truth to them that He is in fact the Son of God, although they cannot comprehend it. They don’t believe, nor understand, what Jesus is telling them. And they are scholars and students of the Law, yet somehow forget all the prophecy related to Jesus coming.
Jesus really gets irritated with them and goes over the line in accusing them of being from the enemy. “Why can’t you understand one word I say? Here’s why: You can’t handle it. You’re from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him”. Not exactly how you win friends and influence people, or stay under the radar. He calls them liars and evil and from the devil. This is getting under their skin. But Jesus presses them and asks “Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act”?
The Jewish leaders are beside themselves. They say “We were right all along when we called you a Samaritan and said you were crazy–demon-possessed”. They believe Jesus is off His rocker and is talking about being with Abraham and from God and they can’t understand it at all. But Jesus reminds them of “Abraham–your “father’–with jubilant faith looked down the corridors of history and saw my day coming”. Jesus coming was not a surprise. It had been prophesied often in scripture. They conveniently choose to forget all that.
But Jesus doesn’t back down, He continues to speak truth. “Believe me,” said Jesus, “I am who I am long before Abraham was anything”. This really sets the Jewish leaders off. Jesus has put Himself above and before Abraham. He placed Himself where He rightfully belongs – at the right hand of the Father. But “That did it–pushed them over the edge. They picked up rocks to throw at him. But Jesus slipped away, getting out of the Temple”. They want to kill Him right there, but the time was not right yet, and Jesus walked away without so much as a stone thrown. But the showdown is coming. Jesus has pushed their buttons and they will take action against Him soon.
Arlin Sorensen's Thoughts on Scripture 