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Christ agreed that, from a natural standpoint, they were physically descended from
Abraham:
"I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill Me, because you
have no room for My word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence,
and you do what you have heard from your father" (8: 37, 38, N.I.V.).
The Lord Jesus differentiates between "My Father" and "your father". By the time
this address is finished we shall see that Christ is teaching that there are two families with
two fathers which are utterly opposed to one another, and the implications of this we
must consider.
" `Abraham is our father', they answered. `If you were Abraham's children' said
Jesus, `then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill
Me, a man who told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such
things. You are doing the things your own father does'. `We are not illegitimate
children', they protested. `The only Father we have is God Himself'." (8: 39-41,
N.I.V.).
Romans 9: 1-8 makes it quite clear that physical descent from Abraham does not
prove that such are the real children of God.
"For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of
Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Rom. 9: 6, 7,
A.V.). Abraham had children by other women, but they did not constitute the true seed.
Physical descent was not enough. The real seed only came through Isaac, and in this way
were linked to special promise of God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The Jews whom Christ was addressing were not the true seed of Abraham, for had
they been so they would have followed Abraham's example and proclaimed it by their
actions. The Lord told them that if they had been Abraham's children, they would have
performed Abraham's works. Instead of this they were doing their father's works
(John.viii.39-41) and that father, as the context makes clear, was none other but Satan,
the murderer from the beginning (8: 44). In their mad desire to murder Him, they were
acting like their father. Abraham welcomed and believed the Word of God and obeyed
His commandments. God said of him, "Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge,
My commandments, My statutes and My laws" (Gen. 26: 5). The acts of the Pharisees
were totally contrary to this. They did not exhibit Abraham's character. Nor was there
anything of the heavenly Father's character to be seen in them, however much they might
protest that they were Abraham's real children. All the time the Pharisees were failing
because their carnal minds were limited to the physical side of things. And because of
this they did not understand what Christ was saying to them, nor did they show any love
for Him Who had come from God to make Him known to them and at great cost to be
their Redeemer and King (John 8: 42, 43).
Now the Lord in plain language says to them:
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in