John 8:14 (ASV)

Passage

Jesus answered and said unto them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I come, or whither I go.

Nearby Context

John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 8:13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true.

John 8:14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I come, or whither I go.

John 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

John 8:16 Yea and if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jesus", "answered", "said", "even", "bear", "witness", and "myself". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jesus" and "answered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "The Pharisees therefore said unto him Thou..." into verse 15's "Ye judge after the flesh I judge...", so "jesus" and "answered" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "jesus" and "answered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.