John 8:41 (ASV)

Passage

Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God.

Nearby Context

John 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham`s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

John 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.

John 8:41 Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God.

John 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me.

John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? [Even] because ye cannot hear my word.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "works", "father", "said", "born", "fornication", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "works" and "father", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 40's "But now ye seek to kill me..." into verse 42's "Jesus said unto them If God were...", so "works" and "father" 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 "works" and "father" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.