John 8:24 kjv
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
John 8:24 nkjv
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."
John 8:24 niv
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins."
John 8:24 esv
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."
John 8:24 nlt
That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins."
John 8 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 8:21 | Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek Me... you will die in your sin.” | Earlier warning of death in sin. |
| Jn 3:16 | “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” | Condition for eternal life is belief in Christ. |
| Jn 3:18 | “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” | Unbelief leads to condemnation. |
| Jn 3:36 | “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” | Life vs. wrath based on belief. |
| Jn 5:24 | “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” | Passage from death to life through belief. |
| Jn 8:28 | Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He...” | Future recognition of "I am He" post-crucifixion. |
| Jn 8:58 | Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” | Jesus’ strongest "I AM" claim, equating Himself with God. |
| Jn 13:19 | “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.” | Prediction leading to belief in His divine identity. |
| Jn 20:31 | but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. | Purpose of John's Gospel: belief for life. |
| Ex 3:14 | And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” | Original revelation of the divine "I AM" to Moses. |
| Is 43:10 | “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen... that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He.” | Old Testament use of "I am He" (Hebrew: ani hu) for God's uniqueness. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | The consequence of sin is death, the solution is Christ. |
| Eph 2:1-3 | And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked... and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. | Description of spiritual death due to sin. |
| Acts 4:12 | “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” | Exclusivity of salvation through Christ. |
| Heb 9:27 | And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, | Death as precursor to judgment, especially spiritual. |
| Rev 20:14-15 | Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. | The ultimate "death in sins" is the second death. |
| 1 Jn 5:12 | He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. | Life dependent on having the Son. |
| Mt 10:28 | “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” | Reference to spiritual death beyond physical death. |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” | Jesus as the exclusive path to God. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation... | Christ's pre-existence and divine nature. |
| Col 1:15-17 | He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created... | Jesus as creator and divine. |
John 8 verses
John 8 24 Meaning
Jesus delivers a stern warning to the Jewish leaders and listeners, stating that their spiritual condemnation and separation from God are assured if they refuse to believe in His divine identity. The repetition emphasizes the grave and unavoidable consequence: remaining dead in their sins without the only means of salvation, which is faith in Jesus as the pre-existent, absolute "I AM."
John 8 24 Context
This verse is part of Jesus' teaching in Jerusalem, specifically during the Feast of Tabernacles, as described in John chapter 8. Jesus is in continuous discourse and confrontation with the Jewish leaders and, at times, with some among the crowd. He has just stated that He is from above, and they are from below (Jn 8:23), highlighting the fundamental difference in their origins and natures. The conversation revolves around His identity, His divine mission, and the source of their spiritual blindness and hostility. Earlier, Jesus had already warned them that they would "die in your sin" (Jn 8:21) because they could not follow Him to where He was going. Verse 24 is a reiteration and expansion of this solemn warning, making explicit the condition for avoiding this fate: belief in His "I AM" claim.
John 8 24 Word analysis
- Therefore: Greek: oun (οὖν). This conjunction indicates a logical conclusion or a summary based on what was previously stated. Jesus is drawing an unavoidable consequence from the earlier points about His unique origin and destination (Jn 8:21-23), contrasting it with their inability to follow Him due to their sin and earthly mindset.
- I said to you: Jesus asserts His divine authority and consistency in His warnings. This statement reiterates the severe pronouncement first made in Jn 8:21.
- you will die: This refers not merely to physical death, but primarily to spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God. It denotes an ongoing state of condemnation and being cut off from divine life, enduring God's just judgment.
- in your sins: Greek: en tais hamartiais hymōn (ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν). This phrase emphasizes not just because of their sins, but remaining within the sphere, power, and guilt of their sins. They would be irrevocably trapped in their unrighteous state, unforgiven, without reconciliation to God. The plural "sins" highlights the accumulated transgressions and their collective state of rebellion.
- for if you do not believe: This clause presents the singular, crucial condition. "Believe" (pisteuō - πιστεύω) in John's Gospel is a central concept, signifying a decisive, trusting commitment to Jesus, not just intellectual assent. It means receiving Him, resting on Him, and entrusting one's life to Him.
- that I am He: Greek: hoti egō eimi (ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰμι). This is the absolute and profound core of the verse. It is a direct and unmistakable claim to divine identity. The phrase egō eimi echoes God's self-revelation to Moses in Ex 3:14 ("I AM WHO I AM") and appears frequently in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) for Yahweh. For Jesus to say "I am He" or simply "I AM" is to equate Himself with the pre-existent, sovereign God of Israel. This belief in His divine being, His eternal nature, and His absolute self-existence, is paramount for salvation. Failure to acknowledge and trust in this specific identity means forfeiting the only remedy for sin.
- you will die in your sins: The repetition powerfully underlines the certainty and grave finality of the outcome if the condition of belief is not met. It underscores the spiritual crisis and their dire eternal fate without accepting Jesus as the Divine One.
John 8 24 Bonus section
The egō eimi statements of Jesus are a defining characteristic of John's Gospel, uniquely revealing His absolute deity. While many use the simple "I am" for identification (e.g., "I am Jesus"), Jesus' use of egō eimi in this absolute sense (especially when implying "I AM HE" or standing alone) consistently provokes the Jews to seek to stone Him, indicating they clearly understood His claim to be divine (Jn 8:58-59). The absence of an explicit predicate ("I am the good shepherd," "I am the light of the world") in Jn 8:24 and 8:58 strengthens its absolute nature, directly mirroring Yahweh's self-revelation. This highlights the radical challenge Jesus posed to the prevailing Jewish understanding of monotheism and His claim to be that unique, one God.
John 8 24 Commentary
John 8:24 encapsulates the pivotal message of the Gospel: salvation hinges entirely upon belief in Jesus' divine identity. The consequence of rejecting Him as the "I AM" — the eternally existent God — is to remain in a state of unforgiven sin, leading to eternal separation from God. Jesus’ stern warning underscores that mere moral living or adherence to religious laws is insufficient; the fundamental requirement is faith in who Jesus truly is. This belief is not merely intellectual recognition but a trust and submission that radically transforms one's relationship with God, transitioning from spiritual death to life. The gravity of this statement lies in presenting Jesus as the exclusive and ultimate solution to humanity's sin problem. Without accepting His divine person and atoning work, the individual's sins stand unaddressed, leading inevitably to judgment.