John 8:25
Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
The saying belongs to what Jesus spoke in the court of the temple in connection with the services of the Feast of Tabernacles. After the evening sacrifice two lofty standards supporting great lampstands were kindled to shed light over Jerusalem in commemoration of the pillar of light that guided Israel in the desert and as pointing to the coming of the Messiah. In the morning, when the sun had just risen above the Mount of Olives and shone on the marble palaces and the gold of the temple walls, Jesus declared Himself to be the light of the world. The question, Who art thou, came from the Pharisees and rulers pressing Him for His identity after He declared Himself to be the light of the world. They sought to force Him to declare Himself the Christ, since His appearance and work did not match their expectations and a direct announcement would lead to His rejection as an impostor.
Instead of making the explicit claim His enemies sought, He answered the demand to identify Himself by pointing back to what He had said from the beginning. His answer referred to His earlier testimony about who He was and His relation to the Father, that the Father had sent Him and that He spoke what He had heard from God. His reply meant His words had already revealed who He is, and His character revealed the same, for He embodied the truths He taught. He did not attempt to prove His Messianic claim but showed His unity with God, doing nothing of Himself but speaking as the Father taught Him and always doing what pleases Him. Minds open to God's love would receive Him on that evidence.