Their works testified of their relationship to him who was a liar and a murderer. "Ye are of your father the devil," said Jesus, "and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. . . . Because I say the truth, ye believe Me not." John 8:44, 45, R. V. The fact that Jesus spoke the truth, and that with certainty, was why He was not received by the Jewish leaders. It was the truth that offended these self-righteous men. The truth exposed the fallacy of error; it condemned their teaching and practice, and it was unwelcome. They would rather close their eyes to the truth than humble themselves to confess that they had been in error. They did not love the truth. They did not desire it, even though it was truth.

Deres gerninger var vidnesbyrd om deres slægtskab med ham, som var en løgner og en morder. I har Djævelen til fader, sagde Jesus, og I er villige til at gøre, hvad der lyster jeres fader. Han har været en morder fra første færd, og han står ikke i sandheden; thi der er ikke sandhed i ham ..... Men mig tror I ikke, fordi jeg siger sandheden. Joh 8,44-45. Den kendsgerning, at Jesus talte sandhed og gjorde det med fuld sikkerhed, var årsag til, at de jødiske ledere ikke ville tage imod ham. Det var sandheden, som virkede krænkende på disse selvretfærdige mænd. Sandheden bragte vildfarelsen frem for lyset. Den fordømte deres lære og deres handlinger, og den var dem uvelkommen. De ville hellere lukke øjnene i for sandheden end ydmyge sig, så de erkendte, at de var faret vild. De elskede ikke sandheden. De nærede ikke noget ønske om den, skønt den var sandheden.