NOTES for Joh 8:12-20

The Pharisees set the observance of legal formalities against Christ's testimony about Himself. According to the letter of the law, what they say is correct: words confirmed by witnesses carried greater force for those present. But even in that case the Pharisees would have found grounds to disqualify the witnesses, since they are not concerned with establishing the truth. On the contrary, they fear that the truth of Jesus' words may be confirmed. But the truth He reveals exceeds human understanding. Christ's words surpass earthly logic; they can either be accepted or rejected, but they cannot be exhausted to the end.

One example of how much the logic of Christ's speech differs from the logic of everyday thinking is given here as well. Reasoning in the usual way, after the words "you judge according to the flesh, but I..." one would expect something like "judge according to the spirit," since the subject is judgment and what it should be. But Christ continues unexpectedly: "judge no one," removing human ideas about justice and allowing us to touch, a little, another understanding of it.