Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
- KJV Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
- BSB “I do not have a demon,” Jesus replied, “but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
- NKJV Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
- NLT “No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me.
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 denies having a demon and affirms that he honors the Father while they dishonor him. He answers slander with a calm appeal to his obedience.
Overview
Rather than retaliate, Jesus rebuts the charge and points to his consistent honoring of the Father. Their dishonoring of him is, by extension, dishonoring of the One who sent him. The verse shows Christ's composure under accusation and reinforces that how people treat the Son reflects their stance toward the Father.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Pet 2:23Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse back. When he suffered, didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously;
- John 13:31–32When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.
- Matt 3:15–17But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.
- John 17:4I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.
- John 14:13Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
- Phil 2:6–11who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
- John 11:4But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
- Isa 49:3He said to me, “You are my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
- John 8:29He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
- Prov 26:4–5Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
- John 12:28Father, glorify your name!” Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
- Isa 42:21It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 8:49 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.