“Who art thou?”
The full verse · John 8:25 · KJV
said unto , ? unto , the same that I unto from the .
Asked by
Jews: Jesus' hearers in the temple who had asked whether He would kill Himself (John 8:22)
The Scene
In the temple, right after Jesus warns, "if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins," His hearers press Him (John 8:24-25).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJesus had said they must believe "that I am he," and they demanded to know who "he" was. Barnes says that since Jesus "did not expressly say in the previous verse that he was the Messiah, they professed still not to understand him." Gill describes the tone: "this they said with an haughty air, and in a scornful manner," toward one who "threatens with death, in case of unbelief." The question sounds like honest inquiry, but it came from people who had just asked, "Will he kill himself?" (John 8:22).
The Response
What Scripture recordsJesus answered, "Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning" (John 8:25). He had not changed His claim; He pointed them back to what He had been saying all along. Barnes lists what He had professed: "that he was the light of the world; that he was the bread that came down from heaven." Yet "They understood not that he spake to them of the Father" (John 8:27). So Jesus told them when they would know: "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he" (John 8:28). And "As he spake these words, many believed on him" (John 8:30).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsJesus' answer in Greek begins with tēn archēn, "the beginning," and uses lalō, "I am saying," in the present tense. The ESV renders it, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning." Jesus was saying the same thing now that He had said from the start.
Gill gives several possible meanings of "from the beginning," among them what Jesus had declared in this discourse about being the light of the world (John 8:12), and His earlier claims that God was His Father and that He was the Messiah. Barnes explains "I am he" in John 8:24 as "That I am the Messiah."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's story"Who art thou?" is a central question of John's Gospel, and here Jesus answers it by pointing to His consistent testimony. He had already said He was the bread from heaven (John 6:41) and the light of the world (John 8:12). His identity did not shift with the audience.
Jesus also told them where the answer would become plain: at the cross. Barnes explains "When ye have lifted up" as "When you have crucified" (John 8:28). The question they asked in scorn God would answer in the death and lifting up of His Son. Even that day, as Jesus spoke, "many believed on him" (John 8:30).
Look Closer
What prompted them to ask "Who art thou?" at this moment?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You have been telling me who You are all along; what have I not yet heard?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- They asked Jesus who He was but would not receive His answer. What is the difference between asking Jesus a question to learn and asking to argue?
- Which of Jesus' words about Himself, such as "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), has meant the most to you, and why?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Jesus is not hiding who He is. If you want to know Him, start with what He has already said about Himself in the Gospels. He does not change His answer to suit the listener.
It is good to ask Jesus "Who art thou?" The question itself is not the problem. The difference is whether you are ready to receive His answer. The same words that left some confused led others to believe (John 8:27, 30). Ask, and then take Him at His word.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Will he kill himself?”
“Where is thy Father?”
“Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? And the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?”
“How long dost thou make us to doubt?”