John 8:13-16

V. 13. The Pharisees therefore said unto Him, Thou bearest record of Thyself; Thy record is not true. V. 14. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true; for I know whence I came and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go. V. 15. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. V. 16. And yet if I judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me.

Jesus' statement that he is the Light of the world again offended the Pharisees in the audience. The fact itself they did not dare to assail, but they disputed its formal validity. A man's testimony concerning himself has no value, it is no testimony, in fact. The answer of Jesus showed that He recognized the correctness of this axiom in general.

But His case did not come under that rule, it was different on account of His divine origin. His testimony concerning Himself is true because He knows from where He has come and where He is going. He has an existence, a being, which goes beyond birth and death. From another world He came down into this world, and, when His time has come, He will return to that other world from where He had His origin.

Of these facts the Jews had no idea and understanding; their thoughts were chained to the conceptions of this life. And that was their own fault, since they refused to believe. Therefore it was impossible for them to do anything but to judge falsely with reference to Christ. They judge according to the flesh, according to appearances, without going into the essence of matters, though the latter was an absolute necessity in the case of Jesus.

The Lord Himself, by contrast, condemns no man in His capacity as Savior. He confines Himself to witnessing, and does not sit in judgment, chap. 3, 17. But if He does pronounce judgment, then His verdict is always correct and just. He did not come into the world for the purpose of judging, reproving, condemning the world, for He is the Light, the Salvation of the world.

But He must sometimes set aside His original, His real purpose in and for this world, in order to condemn the children of unbelief. It is in such cases that His judgment is right and true, also for that reason since His Father, who sent Him, is in and with Him. The two are inseparably connected and united, even though Christ is now appearing in the lowliness and humility of His human nature.