They trusted their physical descent from Abraham rather than their need for faith, so they saw no sin to confess.
The Jews took pride in being Abraham's seed and believed that made them right with God. Jesus showed them that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, but they responded with unbelief. Les Feldick explains that this confidence in genealogy, along with being told they were God's special covenant people, blinded them to who Jesus was.
John 8:56-57 — Jesus said Abraham rejoiced to see His day, and the Jews responded in sarcastic unbelief.
Romans 9:7 — Paul clarifies that not all of Abraham's physical seed are children of the promise.
John 1:13 — Being born of God is not by blood, of the flesh, or human will.
In John 8, Jesus told the religious leaders, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56). Their response was not faith but contempt: "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" (John 8:57). The Scripture records this exchange without adding that they saw their guilt; instead, they stayed in their unbelief. Paul wrote in Romans 9:7, "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Physical descent from Abraham did not automatically make someone a child of the promise. And John 1:13 says that those who are born into God's family "were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Galatians 3:7 puts the matter plainly: "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." So the Bible's own record shows that ancestry alone was never the basis for righteousness; faith was required.
Les Feldick points out that Israel had become 'puffed up and arrogant' because they saw themselves as the children of the covenant, the prophets, and the promises. They thought, 'We've got it made,' but Paul came along to blow them out of the saddle—they still had to enter in by faith, not simply by genealogy (Clip 1). Les also explains that for years the Jews had been taught, 'You are God's covenant people, you're special.' That teaching controlled their thinking so completely that they never saw the truth of why God called them out in the first place—to bring blessing to all families of the earth through the crucified Messiah (Clip 7). The majority were blinded; only a few recognized Jesus as the Messiah (Clip 6). When Jesus told them that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, they answered with sarcasm: 'Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?' Les shows how this unbelief was rooted in their assumption that physical descent made them God's favorites (Clips 2, 3, 5). And he draws on John 1:13 to show that being born into God's family is 'not of blood'—so their Abrahamic bloodline did not give them spiritual life (Clip 0).
Les explains that Israel was taught for years, 'You are God's covenant people, you're special.' This got such control of their thinking that they never saw the truth of why God called them out in the first place. They became puffed up and arrogant, thinking that because they were children of the covenant and the prophets they had nothing to worry about. Consequently, when Jesus confronted them, they could not recognize their own sin or their need for faith.
Jesus told the Jewish leaders, 'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad' (John 8:56). Les points out that Abraham, centuries earlier, had actually fellowshipped with the Lord in human form and knew about the coming Son of God. Instead of believing, the Jews mocked Jesus, saying He was not yet fifty years old and had not seen Abraham (John 8:57). Les shows that their sarcastic reply revealed their unbelief in who Jesus claimed to be.
Paul tells the Romans that 'neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children' (Romans 9:7). Les emphasizes that even Ishmael's and Esau's descendants were physically children of Abraham, but they were not the children of promise. The point, Les stresses, is that the Jews could not rely on their genealogy to enter into God's promises; they still had to enter by faith.
Les explains that every Jew was longing for the King, the Messiah, and the Redeemer, but only a few recognized who Jesus was. The rest were blinded, as the Book says, and rejected Him. Their long-held belief that they were special because of the covenant kept them from seeing the truth of the Messiah.
Spiritual Birth: Not by Blood
Les reads John 1:13 to show that being born into God's family is not by blood or human will, which undercuts the Jewish reliance on physical descent.
Genealogy Is Not Enough
Les explains that Israel was proud of being children of the covenant, but Paul shows they must enter by faith, not by being Abraham's physical descendants.
The Jews' Sarcastic Unbelief
Les highlights how the Jews responded with sarcasm when Jesus said Abraham rejoiced to see His day, demonstrating their refusal to believe.
Jesus Knew Abraham; They Didn't Know God
Les points out that Abraham fellowshipped with the Lord and rejoiced in the coming Messiah, while the religious leaders did not know God.
Children of Abraham by Faith
Les uses Galatians 3:7 to show that the true children of Abraham are those who are of faith, not those merely descended from him physically.
Two Thousand Years of Unbelief
Les emphasizes that Abraham lived about 2,000 years earlier, yet Jesus claimed to know him; the Jews were aghast and remained in unbelief.
The Majority Were Blinded
Les explains that the majority of Israel were blinded and rejected Jesus; only a few recognized Him and became the elect.
Special Covenant People
Les shows that years of being told 'you are God's covenant people, you're special' so controlled Jewish thinking that they never saw why God called them out.
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.
Jesus tells the religious leaders that they do not know God, while He does.
John 8:56: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Jesus connects Abraham's joy to His own coming, which the Jews reject.
John 8:57: Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
The Jews respond to Jesus' claim about Abraham with sarcastic doubt.
Romans 9:7: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Paul distinguishes physical seed from children of the promise.
John 1:13: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Spiritual birth does not come through genealogy or human effort.
Galatians 3:7: Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Faith, not physical descent, makes someone a child of Abraham.
Les Feldick explains that Israel was proud of being children of the covenant and thought they had it made. They believed their genealogy placed them in God's favor, so they didn't see their need for faith or repentance.
Les teaches that the majority of Israel were blinded; only a few recognized Jesus as the Messiah. They had been told for years that they were God's special covenant people, and that pride kept them from seeing the truth.
According to Galatians 3:7, those who are of faith are the children of Abraham. Les adds that being a physical descendant, like Ishmael or Esau, did not make one a child of the promise.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did God Hate Esau? Romans 9:13 and Sovereignty Explained