Jesus, the Exact Representation of the Father and the Only Way to Him

John 8:19–24 (NKJV)

¹⁹ Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”

Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”

²⁰ These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

²¹ Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

²² So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?” ²³ And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴ Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Message

Jesus was not alone, but He was with the Father who sent Him (John 8:16^b). The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Where is Your Father?” (19) Jesus answered them that Jesus is the image of the invisible Father (Section I) and the only way to the Father (Section II).

I. Jesus, the Exact Representation of the Father (19, 20)

See v19^a.

^19a Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”

This question may be in response to what Jesus has said in John 8:16^b (“I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.”). Jesus answered in v19^b.

^19b Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”

John 14:7-11 gives additional information about this:

• He who has seen Jesus has seen the Father (John 14:9^b).
  • Jesus is in the Father, and the Father in Jesus (John 14:10^a).
    • The words that Jesus speaks to them He does not speak on His own authority; but the Father who dwells in Him does the works (John 14:10^b).

Jesus is the image of the invisible Father (Colossians 1:14^a NKJV) and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:3 NIV).

See v20.

²⁰ These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

The Father put ‘times’ or ‘seasons’ in His own authority, and they are unknown to us (Acts 1:7). ‘His hour’ (of the arrest, trial and death) set by the Father had not yet come. Therefore, events such as His arrest, trial or death related to ‘His hour’ couldn’t happen.

II. Jesus, the Only Way to the Father (21-24)

See v21.

²¹ Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

Jesus said the words similar to this verse in John 7:33-34. In v21, ‘and will die in your sin’ is additionally mentioned by Jesus. We can think that ‘dying in one’s sin’ and ‘inability to come to where Jesus goes (the heaven, or where the Father is)’ are related.

Jesus said a similar thing (“Where I go you cannot come”) to His disciples in John 13:33 NKJV.

³³ Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.

But Jesus will come again and receive His disciples to Himself (John 14:3^b NKJV).

^3b I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:4) and the only way to the Father (John 14:6).

See v22-23.

²² So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?” ²³ And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

Jesus was with the Father in heaven before He was born on earth. Jesus is the heavenly man while we are earthly men just like the first man Adam. John, who came to witness Jesus, taught the superiority of the heavenly man, Jesus (=He who comes from above, He who comes from heaven) in John 3:31-36. See John 3:31-32^a, 34-36.

SUPERIOR TO ANY AND ALL EARTHLY MEN: ³¹ He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. ³² And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; (John 3:31-32^a NKJV)

GOD’S INITIATIVES: He is sent by God from heaven to earth (John 3:34^a NLT).

• UNLIMITED HOLY SPIRIT: God gives Him the Spirit without limit (John 3:34^b NLT)
• SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD: and so He speaks God’s word (John 3:34^b NLT).
• THE POWER OF RESURRECTION AND THE AUTHORITY OF JUDGEMENT: The Father loves His Son and has put everything into His hands (John 3:35 NLT).
• LIFE OR WRATH: Anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life (John 3:36^a NLT); and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36^b NKJV).

See v24.

²⁴ Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

‘You will die in your sins’ was already mentioned once by Jesus in v21. This consequence is the result of their unbelief in Jesus (24^b). The two different consequences are also taught in John 3:36. Jesus, the heavenly man is above all (=superior to any and all earthly men). How important to believe in the heavenly man, Jesus!