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Joh_8:23-24. Without further noticing their venomous scorn, Jesus simply holds up before them, with more firm and elevated calmness, their own low nature, which made them capable of thus mocking Him, because they did not understand Him, the heavenly One.
ἐκ τῶν κάτω ] from the lower regions, i.e. ἐκ τῆς γῆς (comp. Act_2:19), the opposite of τὰ ἄνω , the heavenly regions; ἄνω being used of heavenly relations in solemn discourse (Col_3:1-2; Gal_4:26; Php_3:14); comp. on ἄνωθεν , Joh_3:31. ʼΕκ designates derivation; you spring from the earth, I from the heaven. To understand κάτω as denoting the lower world (Origen, Nonnus, Lange), a meaning which Godet also considers as included in it, would correspond, indeed, to the current classical usage, but is opposed by the parallel of the second half of the verse.
οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τ . κόσμου τούτου ] I do not spring from this (pre-Messianic, comp. αἰὼν οὗτος ) world; negative expression of His supramundane, heavenly derivation.[13] Comp. Joh_18:36. Both halves of the verse contain the same thought; and the clauses ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστέ and ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐστέ imply, in their full signification, that those men are also of such a character and disposition as correspond to their low extraction, without higher wisdom and divine life. Comp. Joh_3:31. Therefore had Jesus said to them
He refers them again to His words in Joh_8:24—they would die in their sins; and now He adds the reason: ἐὰν γὰρ , etc.; for only faith can help those to the higher divine ζωή in time and eternity (Joh_1:12, Joh_3:15 f., Joh_6:40 ff., Joh_17:3, al.), who are ἐκ τῶν κάτω and ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου , and consequently, as such, are born flesh of flesh.
Notice, that in this repetition of the minatory words the emphasis, which in Joh_8:20 rested on ἐν τ . ἁμ . ὑμ ., is laid on ἀποθαν .; and that thus prominence is given to the perishing itself, which could only be averted by conversion to faith.
ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ] namely, the Messiah, the great name which every one understood without explanation, which concentrated in itself the highest hopes of all Israel on the basis of the old prophecies, and which was the most present thought both to Jesus and the Jews, especially in all their discussions—to Jesus, in the form, “I am the Messiah;” to the Jews, in the form of either, “Is He the Messiah?” or, “This is not the Messiah, but another, who is yet to come.” Comp. Joh_8:28; Joh_13:19. In opposition to the notion of there being another, Jesus uses the emphatic ἐγώ . The non-mention of the name, which was taken for granted (it had been mentioned in Joh_4:25-26), confers on it a quiet majesty that makes an irresistible impression on the minds of the hearers whilst Christ gives utterance to the brief words, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι . As God comprehended the sum of the Old Testament faith in àÂðÄé äåÌà (Deu_32:39; Isa_41:13; Isa_43:10), so Christ that of the New Testament in ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι . Comp. Hofmann, Schrifbew. I. p. 63 f. The definite confession of this faith is given in Joh_16:3, Joh_6:68-69; 1Jn_4:2.
[13] Not merely of the heavenly direction of His spirit (Weizsäcker), which must be taken for granted in the Christ who springs from above (comp. Joh_3:31). Wherever Christ speaks of His heavenly descent, He speaks in the consciousness of having had a pre-human, supra-mundane existence (in the consciousness of the Logos), Joh_17:5, and lays claim to a transcendent relation of His essential nature. (Comp. Weiss, Lehrbegr. p. 215 f. Nonnus: ξεῖνος ἔφυν κόσμοιο .