"We are the descendants of Abraham," they answered, "and we have never been anybody's slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, 'You will be free'?"

"My fellow Israelites, descendants of Abraham, and all Gentiles here who worship God: it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent!

Nor are all of Abraham's descendants the children of God. God said to Abraham, "It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised you."

They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger.

All I have ever done is to tell you the truth I heard from God, yet you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like this!

Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.

So they began to persecute Jesus, because he had done this healing on a Sabbath.

This saying made the Jewish authorities all the more determined to kill him; not only had he broken the Sabbath law, but he had said that God was his own Father and in this way had made himself equal with God.

After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee; he did not want to travel in Judea, because the Jewish authorities there were wanting to kill him.

Moses gave you the Law, didn't he? But not one of you obeys the Law. Why are you trying to kill me?"

Some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Isn't this the man the authorities are trying to kill?

Then the people again picked up stones to throw at him.

From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus.

Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message.

But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me.

He who comes from God listens to God's words. You, however, are not from God, and that is why you will not listen."

You like to receive praise from one another, but you do not try to win praise from the one who alone is God; how, then, can you believe me?

And so they were not able to believe, because Isaiah also said,

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

They loved human approval rather than the approval of God.

because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear, their minds would understand, and they would turn to me, says God, and I would heal them.'

Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in them.

But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.

Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.