John 8 54

John 8:54 kjv

Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

John 8:54 nkjv

Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.

John 8:54 niv

Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.

John 8:54 esv

Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.'

John 8:54 nlt

Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,'

John 8 verses

John 8 54 Meaning

Jesus unequivocally states that any glory He might claim for Himself would be empty and without genuine value. His true glory, His honor, and His divine authority originate solely from God the Father. This declaration serves as a stark contrast to His Jewish opponents, who outwardly claimed God as their own yet failed to recognize or receive the One whom that very God was actively glorifying.

John 8 54 Context

John 8:54 occurs amidst one of Jesus' most intense and confrontational debates with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, likely in the Temple courts during the Festival of Tabernacles. The chapter details a progressive hardening of the Jewish leaders' hearts as Jesus asserts His divine identity, His unique relationship with the Father, and His authority as the "light of the world." The conversation builds through their accusations (adultery, lying, Samaritan, demon-possessed) and Jesus' responses that reveal their spiritual blindness.

Prior to verse 54, Jesus has just stated that "whoever keeps my word will never see death" (v. 51), leading them to question if He is greater than Abraham and the prophets, all of whom died. They scornfully ask, "Who do you think you are?" (v. 53). Jesus' answer in v. 54 is His rebuttal to their challenge, specifically addressing the source of His authority and honor, refuting any self-exaltation while exposing the irony of their claim to God. He moves immediately to the incredible declaration about Abraham in v. 56 ("Before Abraham was born, I am!"), provoking them to stone Him. The context emphasizes the profound chasm between Jesus' divine truth and their entrenched traditionalism and unbelief.

John 8 54 Word analysis

• Jesus answered,: Standard introductory phrase, indicating a response to the ongoing interrogation by the Jewish leaders, highlighting that this statement is a direct counter to their challenge regarding His authority and claims.

• 'If I glorify myself, (ἐάν ἐγὼ δοξάζω ἐμαυτόν ean egō doxazō emauton):

  • ἐάν (ean): "If," introduces a conditional clause. In this context, it implies a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact scenario, as Jesus does not seek self-glory.
  • ἐγὼ (egō): "I," the first-person singular pronoun, emphasizing Jesus as the subject, distinguishing His action from the Father's.
  • δοξάζω (doxazō): "glorify," "honor," "praise," "exalt." It signifies bestowing, declaring, or possessing high honor and splendor.
  • ἐμαυτόν (emauton): "myself," the reflexive pronoun, indicating that the action is directed back to the subject.
  • Significance: Jesus here states the principle that self-acclaim carries no genuine spiritual weight or divine validation. True glory is always received from a higher authority.

• my glory means nothing. (ἡ δόξα μου οὐδέν ἐστιν hē doxa mou ouden estin):

  • ἡ δόξα μου (hē doxa mou): "my glory," referring to the honor or reputation that would be attained through self-glorification.
  • οὐδέν ἐστιν (ouden estin): "is nothing," "means nothing," "is worthless." Emphasizes the emptiness, futility, and lack of real substance or divine validation.
  • Significance: This underscores the divine standard where authentic honor is not self-conferred but divinely bestowed. Any self-exaltation by Jesus would negate His divine mission and authority, reducing it to mere human boastfulness.

• My Father, (Ἐστιν δὲ ὁ Πατήρ μου Estin de ho Patēr mou):

  • Ἐστιν δὲ (Estin de): "But it is," serving as a strong contrastive and emphatic statement.
  • ὁ Πατήρ μου (ho Patēr mou): "My Father," highlighting Jesus' unique, intimate, and exclusive filial relationship with God.
  • Significance: Jesus points to the ultimate source of His glory and authority, establishing His dependence on and unity with God the Father. This is a core theological declaration.

• whom you claim as your God, (ὃν ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι Θεὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν hon humeis legete hoti Theos humōn estin):

  • ὃν ὑμεῖς λέγετε (hon humeis legete): "whom you say/claim," "whom you assert." The verb legete ("you say") suggests verbal profession rather than genuine, deeply personal knowledge or relationship.
  • ὅτι Θεὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν (hoti Theos humōn estin): "that He is your God."
  • Significance: This is a sharp polemic. Jesus highlights the hypocrisy and profound spiritual disconnect of His opponents. They proudly identify Yahweh as "their God" but fail to recognize and accept the One whom this very God glorifies and sends. Their claim to God is empty because they reject His Son.

• is the one who glorifies me.' (ὁ δοξάζών με ho doxazōn me):

  • ὁ δοξάζών (ho doxazōn): "the one glorifying," a present participle, emphasizing ongoing action, not just a past event. It is the Father who continually validates and honors Jesus.
  • με (me): "me," the object of the Father's active glorification.
  • Significance: This is the heart of Jesus' claim. His glory is not human ambition but divine accreditation. It authenticates His words, actions, and very identity.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing.": This group underscores the principle of divine humility. It demonstrates Jesus' alignment with the Father's will, emphasizing that any humanly sought recognition or honor for Himself would be utterly valueless and un-Godly. It pre-empts any accusation of personal ambition.
  • "My Father... is the one who glorifies me.": This statement directly asserts the source of Jesus' authority and validates all His claims. It emphasizes the active, ongoing, and ultimate source of His divine honor, placing it squarely with the Father. It reveals the unity and divine purpose within the Godhead.
  • "whom you claim as your God": This parenthetical yet pivotal clause exposes the deep spiritual irony and contradiction in the Jewish leaders' position. Their verbal confession of God ("your God") is starkly contrasted with their practical rejection of the very one God sent and glorified, thus revealing their fundamental lack of true knowledge of God.

John 8 54 Bonus section

The profound irony highlighted in this verse—the very people claiming "their God" deny His glorified Son—reveals a core Johannine theme: true spiritual insight and knowledge of God come only through faith in Jesus. It's a severe critique of outward religious observance that lacks a true relationship with God revealed in Christ. The concept of God glorifying His Son is central to understanding the plan of salvation, where the Father exalts Jesus (Phil 2:9-11), ensuring His redemptive work on the cross is universally recognized and reverenced, demonstrating God's ultimate seal of approval on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. This passage implicitly calls believers to avoid seeking self-glory and to pursue glory that comes from God alone (Jn 5:44).

John 8 54 Commentary

John 8:54 reveals a critical truth about Jesus' authority and the nature of true glory. Jesus asserts that any self-glory is worthless, thereby establishing that His honor comes not from personal ambition but from the divine will of His Father. This isn't merely a statement of humility; it's a declaration of His divine commission and intrinsic unity with God. He sharply contrasts His opponents' outward claim of "your God" with their internal spiritual blindness, pointing out that their professed relationship with God is empty because they refuse to acknowledge and accept the One whom that very God actively glorifies. In essence, by rejecting Jesus, they were rejecting the God they claimed to worship. The verse succinctly presents Jesus as the perfectly dependent Son, whose legitimacy and honor are entirely God-derived, a reality that deeply challenges the spiritual understanding and identity of His adversaries.