Jesus told his critics which people were true believers like Abraham and which ones really were serving Satan.

John 8:31-59

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who now said they believed in him, “If you continue to live in accordance with my message, you will truly be my disciples. 32 Then you will know God’s truth, and as a result of your believing his truth, he [PRS] will free you from being controlled by the one who has made you his slaves.” 33 They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone’s slaves. So why do you say we will be freed from being someone’s slaves?” 34 Jesus replied, “Listen carefully to what I am going to tell you. All those who continue to sin are forced to obey their sinful desires [MET], just like a slave is forced to obey his master. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of a family. But a son is a member of a family forever. Similarly, you say you are members of God’s family because you are descendants of Abraham, but really, because you are like slaves of your sinful desires, you are no longer permanent members of God’s family. 36 So if you allow me to free you, you will truly be free. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. But you are trying to kill me because you are not allowing [PRS] my message to continue to change your inner being. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you do the things that you have heard from your father.”

39 They replied to him, “Abraham is our ancestor.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s descendants, your character would be like Abraham’s character, and you would do good things like Abraham did. 40 I have been telling you the truth that I heard from God, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham did not do things like that. 41 No! You are doing the things that your real father does.”

They said to him, “We do not know about you, but we are not illegitimate children. And spiritually, we have only one Father. That is God, and you do not know who your father is!” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, because I came from God, and now I have come here to this world. My coming was not ◄because I appointed myself/with my own authority►. He sent me. 43 ◄And I will tell you why you do not understand what I say./Do you know why you do not understand what I say?► [RHQ] It is because you do not want to accept my message. 44 You belong to your father, ◄the devil/Satan►, and you desire to do what he wants. He has caused people to become murderers from the time when people first sinned. He has abandoned God’s truth because he is a liar by his nature. Whenever he lies, he is speaking according to his nature, because he is a liar and is the one who originates [MET] all lies. 45 But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Since I have never sinned, ◄none of you can show that I have sinned./can anyone among you show that I have sinned?► [RHQ] So, since I tell you the truth, ◄there is no good reason for your not believing me!/why is it that you do not believe me?► [RHQ] 47 Those who belong to God habitually obey God’s message. You do not belong to God, so you do not obey his message.”

48 The Jewish leaders [SYN] replied to him, “◄We are certainly right by saying that you believe what is false as the Samaritans do!/Are we not right by saying that you believe what is false as the Samaritans do?► [RHQ] And that ◄a demon/an evil spirit► controls you!” 49 Jesus replied, “A demon does not control me! I honor my Father, and you do not honor me! 50 I am not trying to honor myself. There is someone else who desires to honor me, and he is the one who will judge whether it is I who am telling the truth or whether it is you who are telling the truth. 51 But the truth is that anyone who obeys what I say will never die!”

52 Then the Jewish leaders [SYN], thinking that he was talking about ordinary death and not about spiritual death, said to him, “Now we are sure that a demon controls you! Abraham and the prophets died long ago! But you say that anyone who obeys what you teach will never die! 53 ◄You are certainly not greater than our ancestor Abraham!/Do you think you are greater than our ancestor Abraham?► [RHQ] He died, and all the prophets died, so who do you think you are by saying something like that?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I were honoring myself, that would be worthless. My Father is the one who you say is your God. He is the one who honors me. 55 Although you do not know him, I know him and have a close relationship with him. If I said that I did not know him, I would be a liar like you are. But I know him, and I obey what he says. 56 Your ancestor Abraham was happy when he thought about what I would do during my life [MTY]. It was as though he saw that, and was happy.”

57 Then the Jewish leaders [SYN] said to him, “You are not 50 years old yet! So ◄you certainly did not see him!/how could you have seen him?► [RHQ] Because he died long ago!” 58 Jesus said to them, “The truth is that I existed before Abraham was born!” 59 So, because they were very angry about Jesus thus saying that he ◄had eternally existed/was equal with God►, they picked up stones to throw at him to kill him. But Jesus caused them not to be able to see him, and he left the Temple courtyard.