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And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”
John 8:29 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
  • KJV And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
  • BSB He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”
  • NKJV And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
  • NASB And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus declares that the Father is always with him because he always does what pleases God. His sinless obedience marks his unbroken fellowship with the Father.

Overview

Here Jesus testifies to perfect, unbroken communion with the Father, grounded in his complete obedience. Unlike any other person, he can claim he always pleases God. This sinless perfection qualifies him to be the spotless sacrifice for sin and models the obedience he came to fulfill on our behalf.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 23

  • John 6:38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
  • John 16:32Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
  • John 5:30I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.
  • John 4:34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.
  • John 15:10If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.
  • Isa 42:1“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights — I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
  • John 8:16Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.
  • John 14:10–11Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.
  • 2 Tim 4:17But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
  • John 14:31But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
  • Isa 42:6“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations;
  • 1 Jn 2:1My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.
  • Matt 3:17Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
  • John 17:4I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.
  • Matt 17:5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
  • Isa 49:4–8But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”
  • Isa 42:21It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.
  • Isa 50:4–9The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary. He wakens morning by morning, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
  • Heb 5:8–9though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.
  • Heb 4:15For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
  • Heb 10:5–10Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire, but you prepared a body for me.
  • Heb 7:26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
  • 2 Tim 4:22The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 8:29YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 8:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.