Often in John's Gospel we find Jesus and the Jews talking at cross purposes and misunderstanding each other. Jesus has spoken to them about being free. They have responded that they have always been free – though what was going on in Egypt on this basis is hard to see. Part of their claim to freedom is tied to their being descendants of Abraham. It is a nationalistic argument. What Jesus is talking about is spiritual freedom – freedom not to sin. He is quite happy to acknowledge that they are Abraham's descendants but they are also children of the devil as sure as he is the Son of God. Of course, they do not follow his argument and reassert that they are Abraham's children. But Jesus counters that if they were truly Abraham's children in the fullest sense then they would not be planning to kill Jesus but would embrace him and his teaching. Paul later takes up this point that the true children of Abraham are those with the same faith not those with a mere biological connection to him. An adopted son who truly loves his father can be much more of a son to him than one who is biologically linked yet opposes all that his father holds dear. What matters is not being a direct descendant of Abraham, Jewish or whatever, but doing the thngs that Abraham did, which sprang from faith in God.
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