John 8:55

Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

John 8:55 (KJV)

Context

In the surrounding passage (John 8:48-54), the Jewish leaders accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan and having a demon. Jesus responds by defending His relationship with the Father, declaring that the Father glorifies Him.

Meaning

Jesus contrasts the Jews’ lack of true knowledge of the Father with His own intimate knowledge. They did not know the Father spiritually, but Jesus knows Him fully because He shares the Father’s nature and will.

Jesus then says that if He denied knowing the Father, He would be a liar like them. This underscores His absolute truthfulness and His unity with the Father.

The verse concludes with Jesus affirming that He keeps the Father’s saying. This connects knowledge of God with obedience to His word, a theme echoed in 1 John 2:4, where claiming to know God while not keeping His commandments makes one a liar.

Application

True knowledge of God is inseparable from obedience. As Jesus perfectly knew and obeyed the Father, believers are called to grow in both intimacy with God and faithful obedience to His word.

Reflection

Jesus alone perfectly knows and obeys the Father, and His testimony is true. Trusting in Him means resting in His faithful witness and following His example of obedience.