Chapter 8 shows Christ in conflict with Jewish leaders
and presents a series of important contrasts. In
verses 1-20 the contrast is between light and
darkness. As the Light of the world, Christ claimed to
be God, for God is Light. While darkness speaks of
death, ignorance and sin, light speaks of life,
knowledge and holiness. Light reproves sin (John
3:20). The lost sinner lives in darkness (Ephesians
2:1-3), and will spend eternity in darkness if he
rejects Christ (Matthew 25:30). Notice throughout this
chapter that the Jews argue with Christ, rather than
submitting to Him.

In verses 21-30 the contrast is between heaven
and earth, the contrast being that there are two
births. One is a heavenly birth, by God’s Spirit from
above. The other is the natural birth, when we are
born in the flesh. There are two ways to die. The
sinner dies in his sins, while the believer dies in
the Lord. The difference is faith in Jesus Christ.

Another contrast is between the children of
God and the children of Satan (verses 41-47). The
Bible speaks of four different kinds of children. By
nature we are born children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).
When we reach the age of deliberate sin and rebellion,
we become children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2).
When we place our faith in Christ, we become children
of God (John 1:12). Finally, the person who rejects
Christ, preferring self-righteousness, the devil’s
substitute, becomes a child of the devil. Remember
that children of the devil are not always immoral
drunkards or gamblers; many times they are self-
righteous men who reject Christ. Much of what passes
for Christianity today is not true, spiritual, Bible-
based religion, but is the devil’s counterfeit.
Millions of people today are blinded by Satan, and
have a form of godliness, but have never received
Christ as their own personal Saviour.