Yes, Jesus directly denied the charge, saying, 'I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me' (John 8:49).
Jesus did not argue about being a Samaritan or defend Himself through ancestry. He denied the demon accusation and turned the tables on His accusers, noting that He honored the Father while they dishonored Him. He added that He did not seek His own glory; the Father was the One who sought and judged.
John 8:49 — Jesus directly responds to the demon accusation by denying it and pointing to His honoring of the Father.
When the Jews accused Jesus of being a Samaritan and having a devil, Jesus answered directly: 'Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth' (John 8:48-50, KJV). Later in the same exchange, after the Jews repeated the charge with the words, 'Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death' (John 8:52, KJV), Jesus again pointed to the Father: '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: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying' (John 8:54-55, KJV).
Les Feldick stresses that the Jewish religious leaders were constantly accusing Jesus of being an imposter and demonic. When they said, 'Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon,' Jesus answered, 'I have not a demon, but I honor my Father, and you do dishonor me' (John 8:48-49). Les observes that Jesus did not defend Himself by genealogy or national identity; instead, He turned the tables and pointed out that they claimed Abraham as their father while demonstrating unbelief and blind hostility toward the One who told them the truth. Les also highlights the sharpness—even sarcasm—in Jesus' reply. Jesus told the leaders, 'You have not known Him; but I know Him,' and said that if He claimed otherwise He would be 'a liar like you' (John 8:55). Les explains that they claimed to know God but did not, and Jesus was putting them in their place. Finally, Les points out that when Jesus said, 'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day' (John 8:56), the Jews realized Jesus was claiming to be the I AM, and it infuriated them.
Les Feldick says the religious leaders of Israel were constantly accusing Jesus of being an imposter and demonic. Immediately before the accusation, Jesus had made a staggering claim: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death' (John 8:51). Les remarks that this was 'the territory of God,' and the Jews responded with the charge that He had a devil. They asked, 'Whom makest thou thyself?' (John 8:53), revealing that they understood His words as a claim to be greater than Abraham and the prophets.
In John 8:49, Jesus denies the charge and reframes it: He honors the Father, while the accusers dishonor Him. He adds, 'I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth' (John 8:50). His honor comes from the Father, not from self-assertion, and the judgment of the accusers belongs to God.
Les Feldick thinks there is indeed sarcasm in Jesus' response. When Jesus said, 'if I say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you' (John 8:55), Les says Jesus was putting them in their place. They said they knew the God of Abraham, but Jesus told them, 'Ye have not known him'—He knew the Father, and to deny it would make Him a liar like them.
After Jesus said, 'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad' (John 8:56), the Jews objected, 'Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?' (John 8:57). Les Feldick explains that they caught the full force of His claim—that He was the very God of Abraham, the I AM—and it infuriated them.
The Blindness of the Religious Leaders
Les contrasts the faith of Abraham with the unbelief of the Jewish leaders, showing why they rejected Jesus.
Jesus' Direct Denial
Les quotes John 8:48-50, pointing out that Jesus answered the demon accusation by saying He honored the Father while they dishonored Him.
The Second Accusation and Jesus' Reply
Les highlights the Jews' repeated charge that Jesus had a devil and Jesus' answer that His honor comes from the Father.
The Jews' Attempt to Corner Jesus
Les describes how the Jews kept trying to trap Jesus and prove He was an imposter, leading to the demon accusation.
Jesus' Sharp Rebuke of His Accusers
Les shows that Jesus told the religious leaders they had not known the Father, while He knew Him, and that denying it would make Him a liar like them.
The Claim That Infuriated the Jews
Les explains that Jesus' statement about Abraham rejoicing to see His day revealed His identity as the I AM, infuriating the Jews.
Sarcasm in Jesus' Response
Les observes that Jesus used a form of sarcasm when He said He would be a liar like them, putting the religious leaders in their place.
The Stunning Claim Before the Accusation
Les notes that Jesus' statement about keeping His saying and never tasting death was 'the territory of God,' prompting the demon accusation.
John 8:48: Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
This is the direct accusation that Jesus was demon-possessed, prompting His response.
John 8:49: Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
Jesus explicitly denies the charge and contrasts His honoring of the Father with their dishonor of Him.
John 8:50: And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
Jesus explains that He is not seeking His own glory; the Father is the one who seeks and judges.
John 8:51: Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
This astonishing claim about eternal life is what immediately preceded the Jews' repeated demon accusation.
John 8:52: Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
The Jews repeat the demon accusation and express their disbelief at Jesus' power over death.
John 8:53: Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
The Jews challenge Jesus' identity by asking who He claims to be.
John 8:54: 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:
Jesus points to His Father as the source of His honor, directly answering their challenge.
John 8:55: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
Jesus contrasts His true knowledge of the Father with their false claim to know God.
John 8:56: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Jesus claims Abraham saw His day, revealing His divine identity and provoking the Jews.
John 8:57: Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
The Jews respond in unbelief to Jesus' statement about Abraham, setting up the final confrontation.
Yes. In John 8:49 Jesus answered, 'I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.' He did not defend Himself by ancestry or other human credentials; He pointed to His relationship with the Father.
Les Feldick says the religious leaders constantly accused Jesus of being an imposter. After Jesus said 'If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death' (John 8:52), they responded, 'Now we know that thou hast a devil,' because they saw such a claim as the territory of God alone.
Les Feldick sees sarcasm in Jesus' statement in John 8:55: 'if I say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you.' Jesus was putting the religious leaders in their place because they claimed to know God but did not.
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