John 8:15 Commentary and Bible Study

They were judging him. They have decided, the Pharisees, that he is not divine. He works miracles, we cannot understand that. We are not going to accept he is divine. ‘Ye judge after the flesh’, by sight, by what you can see. I present myself before you, he seems to say, in a simple robe. I do not wear the grand clothing you would want in an earthly Messiah, who is going to give you riches on earth. I come as a Saviour from sin and as an atoning Saviour, and I come clothed in ordinary garments, and you judge by that. You judge after the flesh, by sight, by what you can see, not by the miracles, not by my fulfilling the prophecies, not by my character, not by my teaching, but just what I am wearing. ‘I judge no man.’ I ought to explain: I am quite sure, and a majority of commentators are right on this, what the Lord means is, ‘Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man after the flesh.’ That’s the point. He is not saying he doesn’t judge anybody. He is saying that he doesn’t judge anybody like they do, just from externals, just from outward things. He looks upon the heart.