Thessalonian Faith

Two Destinies, One Savior, Your Choice (John 8:21–30)

(43-27a)

For this week’s study:

  1. Any time you read or study the Bible, always start with prayer, asking God to guide you, so you understand God’s message and learn His methods for living.
  2. Read John 8:21–30 several times using your Bible, and the two translations provided below, to understand the boundaries, content and flow of the study passage. (Reading the passage once a day from any of those translations is recommended.)
  3. Read and respond to the “Study Guide” and use the “Study Resources” provided below to learn more from this study passage.

Read the Passage

Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

<21>Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

<22>So the Jews began to ask, “Will He kill Himself, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

<23>Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. <24>That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

<25>“Who are You?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. <26>“I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”

<27>They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father. <28>So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. <29>He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

The Truth Will Set You Free

(2 John 1:4–6)

<30>As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

A matter of life and death

<21>Jesus spoke to them again, ‘I am about to leave you. My mission here is coming to an end. You will look for me, but by then it will be too late. You won’t find me. You want to go your own way and have nothing to do with me. Because of that, you will die in your sin. Your sin of refusing to believe in me will not be forgiven. You cannot come to where I am going.’

<22>The Jews didn’t understand him when he said, ‘You cannot come to where I am going’, so they asked, ‘Surely he isn’t going to kill himself, is he?’

<23>But Jesus went on speaking, ‘Your home is here on earth; I have come from my home in heaven. Because our origins are different, the whole basis of our lives is different. Your outlook is too narrow. You’re completely taken up with earthly things. You belong to this world; I do not belong here. <24>That is why I told you that unless your hearts are changed, you will die in your sins. If you do not believe that I am the One who I say I am, the Messiah, then by rejecting me you will remain separate from me for ever and die in your sins. This is a matter of life and death.’

<25>They did not understand these serious words so asked him with contempt, ‘Who are you anyway to make such claims? Who do you think you are to judge us like that?’

‘I am exactly what I’ve been telling you,’ Jesus answered. <26>‘I have a lot I could say about you that would judge you. I have the authority to judge because the One who sent me can be trusted. I am telling the world what I have heard from him.’

<27>They failed to understand that he was telling them about his Father, <28>so Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross and he has risen from death and returned to the Father, the truth will dawn on you. One day you will realize that I am the One I claim to be, the Messiah, but then it will be too late. I do nothing independently of the Father, but I speak only what the Father has [instructed] me. <29>The One who sent me is always with me. He has not left me on my own to do what I want, because I always do what pleases him.’

<30>As Jesus spoke all these words, many people believed in him.

* Words in italics are not translated from the original Greek text.  They have been added to explain and at times apply the text, much as a preacher does on a Sunday or notes do at the foot of the page in a study Bible. These additions are integrated with the text itself, and are in italics, so readers can see what has been explained, changed or added.

Study the Passage

Study Guide

(NOTE: The Word Come Alive Extended Translation above can help you answer these questions.)

What does Jesus mean when he says, ‘You will die in your sin’?

Why do people die in their sin?

How can someone avoid dying in their sin?

What can we do to ensure that we are not so focused on earthly things that we miss the spiritual truths Jesus is teaching?

How would you answer the question that the Pharisees asked Jesus in verse 25?

How can we encourage others to seek Jesus since belief in Him is paramount?

Study Resources

To learn more about this study passage, go to
https://www.bibleref.com/John/8/John-8-21.html. Read the commentary of each verse in the study passage.  (Also read the Context Summary and the Chapter Summary.)

If you have any questions about this passage, type the verse reference or your question in the search box at the top of
https://www.gotquestions.org/ and explore the results.

If you have a study Bible, read the footnotes and study notes to see how they help you understand this passage. Also check out any maps, charts and articles related to the study passage.