Passage
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
John 8:49 (LSB)
Nearby Context
John 8:47 He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
John 8:48 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
John 8:49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
John 8:50 But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
John 8:51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death—ever.”
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "jesus", "answered", "demon", "honor", "father", and "dishonor". 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 48's "The Jews answered and said to Him..." into verse 50's "But I do not seek My glory...", 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.