This section is an argument about Abraham, and who has been faithful to the message that Abraham received. In one sense, everyone in this audience was literally a descendant of Abraham. On the other hand, after St. John says that Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him (1:11) he adds, "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (1:12-13) Jesus invites and challenges the audience to be like Abraham, by believing in him. It goes without saying that trying to kill Jesus isn't compatible with receiving Jesus.
You can almost hear the tension, when Jesus suggests that Abraham is not their father. They pick up on it, too, because they protest that they were born out of wedlock. Then they say that their true Father is God. Jesus disputes this, because he says that if God were their Father, they would receive him, because Jesus came from the Father, and was sent by Him. Everything Jesus says here is quite mysterious and spiritual, but they don't hear it, because Jesus says they don't want to hear it.
Then Jesus says that they are children of the devil, which is not necessarily the way to win friends, and influence people. Then again, we should remember that Jesus knows exactly when he is wasting his words. Much of what he says here, as recorded by St. John, is for us, not for the original audience. Jesus reminds us that Satan is a liar, and the father of lies. When he lies, he speaks his first language. Jesus says that those who are born of God will listen to him. Jesus concludes that this audience will not listen, because they are not born of God. He also challenges them to prove that he has committed a sin, and they can't do it.
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