Who is the Son to be Lifted Up? - Heavenly Ambassador Incarnated in the Human Flesh of Jesus from the Father - Tuesday of the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Ever since he healed a paralytic man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9), as the third miraculous sign, Jesus has kept drawing accusation to himself, especially from religious leaders. He has been regarded as blasphemous because he explained that his ministry works, such as healing the paralytic man, are these of the Father, from whom he was sent to do the works. Accusation against Jesus becomes progressively more hostile through the Johannine narratives from John 5 to John 19. This is one thing that we need to follow for the rest of our Lenten journey to understand how this accusation against Jesus evolves into more aggressive persecution and eventually to conspiring the Roman authority with a false charge: being a threat to Caesar for claiming as king of the Jews, though it all started with accusing him for violation of Sabbath law and blasphemy (John 5:10-47). 

Jesus went back to Galilee after his argument with the religious leaders, who accused him for blasphemy, after what is written in John 5. So, John 6 describes two miraculous signs that Jesus performed while in Galilee: feeding the great multitude out of five loaves and two fish – fourth sign (John 6:1-15) and walking on the surface of the Sea of Galilee – fifth sign (John 6:16-21). Then, Jesus gave the discourse on the living bread of life, making Christological self-identification as the bread of life to give eternal life (John 6:22-59). However, many people were disgusted because Jesus told to eat his flesh as the way of eating the living bread of life (John 6:60-71).

Then, Jesus was back in Jerusalem again, for the feast of Tabernacle, Sukkot. Because of the accusation during his last stay in Jerusalem (John 5:10-47), Jesus decided to make himself rather difficult to be noticed in public. However, he was recognized, as people in Jerusalem were actually looking for Jesus, remembering him as a blasphemous man from Galilee. So, argument about him and his blasphemy resumed and escalated. And the accusers, who were looking for him, decided to arrest him. However, nobody, even guards sent to arrest him, laid a hand on Jesus, as not only the guards but also some people were amazed by Jesus’ argument on himself, especially in regard to his relation with the Father (John 7:1-52).

Then, as written in John 7:53-8:11, known as pericope adulterae, Jesus was tested by his accusers on his take on the Torah. Though they intended to trap him in a legal conundrum in regard to interpretation and application of the Law on adultery (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). Then, Jesus gave another Christological self-identification – as light of the world, in his relation to the Father (John 8:12-20).

Today’s Gospel Reading (John 8:21-30) comes out of the above background.  He was still in Jerusalem, as Sukkot feast last 7 days. He continued to address the same crowd, to whom he spoke of himself as the light to the world sent by the Father (John 8:12-20).

By that time, people in Jerusalem were well-aware that Jesus identified himself as being sent by the Father, though he came from Galilee.

So, this time, Jesus said:

I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come (John 8:21).

Physically, or as an incarnated being, Jesus came to Jerusalem from Galilee – though he was born in Bethlehem. But, as divine being, Jesus was sent by the Father in heaven, incarnated in the womb of his mother, Mary. But, now he is making it clear that he is going away – though he indicated his departure from this world before (John 7:34). And, he will address his departure again during Last Supper to the disciples (John 13;33; 14:28-30).  The crowd, however, was clueless about what Jesus meant that he is going away to where they cannot come. They thought of a possibility of Jesus suggesting to commit suicide (John 8:22).  Last time he indicated his departure (John 7:34), people assumed that Jesus would go to where the Gentiles are to teach them (John 7:35) but did not understand what he meant by inaccessibility to where he is going (John 7:36). And, this time, their guess is not “to the Greeks” but “might to kill himself”.

So, Jesus said:

You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins (John 8:23-24).

First, this statement alludes to the Ascension, following his death and Resurrection. Therefore, this indicates the ultimate form of “being lifted up”, as he already spoke to Nichodemus (John 3:14), and addressed again in this discourse (John 8:28) and later (John 12:32). In this statement, Jesus also makes a condemning message to his accusers for their sins.

But what is their sin that makes them unable to go where Jesus is going and to be condemned?

He explains that their sin is not to believe in Jesus – that he is that I AM (John 8:24, 28), which means “YAWEH” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus is that I AM (John 8:24, 28) means that he is one with the Father, who sent him.  This is, actually, a very important Christological self-identification of Jesus: his consubstantial oneness with the Father (John 10:10, 38) in the Trinitarian context, further reflected in John 14:10-11, 20; 16:32; 17:21).

By this time, there is a demarcation between those who are with Jesus for believing in him and those who do not. Jesus said that the latter belong to this world (John 8:23) and condemned to this world (John 8:24, 26). And, Jesus came, as sent by the Father, to teach the world what he learned from Him (John 8:26). Thus, another Christological element is that Jesus is the ambassador of the Father to us in the world.

And, Jesus said further:

When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him (John 8:28-29).

Perhaps, Jesus still hoped that his accuser would come to recognize the Christological truth in him when he is crucified and his Cross is lifted up – believing all he has spoken about who he is, especially in regard to his Christological identity in his unique consubstantial oneness with the Father.

The Father sent Jesus as His ambassador. So, in the appointed time, the ambassador Jesus needs to return to where he was sent from. And that is the Ascension. But, Jesus is not just the ambassador. He was also sent to shepherd us in our exodus from this world to where he belongs to – just as Moses shepherded the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, upon Passover.

The First Reading (Numbers 21:4-9) recalls how God saved the repenting Israelites from snake bites during Exodus, instructing Moses to lift up serpent on his pole.

Upon crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites were no longer chased by the Egyptian army. They reached safety from Egyptian forces. However, once in the desert on the other side of the Red Sea, the environment was very harsh. It easily wore them out. There was no short cut.  In fact, shortly before the situation of today’s First Reading (Numbers 21:4-9), Moses had to take a longer path, because he had to circumvent Edom (Numbers 20:14-21). So, they complained to God and Moses about being in a very challenging environment for a long time (Numbers 21:5). By that time, even Moses’ patience was running thinner not only because of the harsh desert environment but because of complaining Israelites to shepherd to a point of sinning against God himself (Numbers 20:2-13).

The Israelites had snake bites as God’s punishment of their sin – sin of ingratitude prompting their complaints against God and Moses. But, out of His loving kindness (chesed) and mercy (rachamim), God saved those who recognized their sin and repented by having Moses lift up serpent on his pole – so that they would not condemned and perish in the desert.

This message from the First Reading (Numbers 21:4-9) is echoed in today’s Gospel Reading (John 8:21-30), through the lifted-up serpent on Moses’ pole to save repentant Israelites so that they would not be condemned in the desert and Jesus being lifted up on the Cross, lifted up from his tomb, and lifted up from the earth on his return to the Father so that those who come to believe in him will be saved.

Do you really believe in Jesus as Christ, sent by the Father, remains one with Him, having come to be lifted up to save us and draw us to him?

Our answer must be firm “Yes” to witness him being lifted up on the Cross on Good Friday and from his tomb on Resurrection Sunday and from the earth when he returns to the Father in the appointed time.