This event took place during a religious feast in Jerusalem around AD 30. He was being challenged by the Pharisees (who were strongly opposed to him) because he had stated, “I am the light of the world. The one following me may not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Having responded, he then told them (in red above) what the converse of that earlier statement would be, “I am departing, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. To where I am departing, you cannot come.” There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun – to gain is to “have the light of life” and to shun is to “die in your sin”.
So, the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘To where I depart, you cannot come’?”
Instead of listening, Jesus’ opponents are troubled about not being able to get hold of him. How was he planning to escape from them?
He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”
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They therefore were stating to him, “You are who!” He said to them, “Jesus - that which, indeed, from the beginning, I spoke to you. I have many things about you to speak and to judge, but the one who sent me is true, and, likewise, I speak to the world those things which I hear from him.” They did not come to know that he was stating to them the Father.
Jesus had identified himself as “I am…”. They react strongly. He repeats his identity – “Jesus”, the same as before. He adds that he has “many things about you to speak and to judge”. And when he does that, he will be speaking and judging like, and on behalf of, his Father – what is “true”.
What and when would he “speak to” them? How would he actually “judge” them? Would he “speak” and “judge” immediately?
So, Jesus said, “When you may have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will come to know that I am, and I do nothing from myself, but speak these things just as the Father taught me.”
It seems that the many true things he would “speak to” them, as well as those things he had “to judge” about them, would only come to pass later. That later time would be “when you may have lifted up the Son of Man”. But that phrase is ambiguous. “Lifted up” could mean 'crucified'. “Lifted up” could also mean 'exalted'. Perhaps he even meany both?
The Jews of AD 30 did in fact achieve the ‘lifting up’, the 'crucifixion', of the Son of Man upon a Roman cross. Many of those Jews would themselves, in their hearts, also ‘exalt’ the Son of Man to the highest place on earth and in heaven. Those who did both would have come to see that the man they had ’lifted up’ had taken upon himself their place of punishment for their sin and their rejection of him. When he rose from the death of the cross after three days in the grave, those would have come to see that he was able to give them free forgiveness and to make them, truly, children of God.
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And, yes, when that took place – “when you may have lifted up the Son of Man” – “you will come to know that I am”. Yes, they would then know the “I am”, the son of the “I am who I am”. Like Father, like Son.
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