⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Verses 44 and 45 make explicit the fatal flaw in the Jews. Jesus now gave the essential reason their volition was shut down toward Him.

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil,

Now Jesus introduced a startling statement about the true nature of His opponents. His antagonists resembled the devil more than Abraham or the Father. Their father was the devil himself.

and the desires of your father you want to do.

The Jews had a sonship problem. As sons of the devil, the opponents of Jesus wanted to do their father’s will. The Jews’ deliberate desire was to do the will of the devil. Desire shows identity.

He was a murderer from the beginning,

“From the beginning” refers to the garden of Eden. The devil from the beginning of his relationship to mankind plotted their destruction. It was his pattern of operation. The devil was a murderer and the Jews of Jesus’ day were murderers. They were one of a kind.

and does not stand in the truth,

There is no relation between the devil and the truth. His purpose is to put out the light of the truth. His main method for extinguishing what God said is lies, especially through false systems of salvation.

because there is no truth in him.

The devil is blind to truth. Those who reject Christ are also blind to truth (2 Co 4:4; Eph 2:2). Since there is no truth in the devil, his mode of operation is by lies, by apostasy.

When he speaks a lie,

The devil contrives religious fraud.

he speaks from his own resources,

The devil is the well-spring of lies. He creates falsity.

for he is a liar and the father of it.

The devil is the father of lies. Lies find their origin in him.

PRINCIPLE:

Conduct is predicated on sonship.

APPLICATION:

Children manifest characteristics of their father. Since the Jews manifested characteristics of the devil, it is clear where their allegiance and commitment lay. It is obvious where many people in our day stand when it comes to their attitude about Christ. Their beliefs belong to Satan’s philosophy of life.

Spiritual sonship is all that matters. We see this both in likeness and conduct. Our character is formed from our core influence. Kinship to the father of lies will manifest itself in what people believe and do. There are two households: the devil’s and God’s.

It is important to recognize that the ultimate reason people reject Christ is the influence of the devil. The devil has no truth in him, so to be influenced by him leads people astray.