Jesus’ Christological Revelation Continues On: I AM and Being Lifted Up – Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

From the Gospel Reading of Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent (John 5:17-30) on, Jesus has been progressively revealing his Christological or Messianic identity in the context of his unique relationship with the Father, upon justifying his healing work on a sabbath day as doing his Father’s work, which continues beyond the Creation. But because of this, he continues to face hostility from those who refuse to believe in him and wanted to kill him. A main reason for their obstinate disbelief and growing hostility is Jesus’ testimony to his unique relationship with the Father. Psychologically, their minds are rigid in thinking. Therefore, they continue to reject Jesus because the way he testified to himself did not fit in their cognitive bias. Their minds are not developed enough to see the reality beyond the frame of their assumption.

As Jesus continues to speak the Christological (Messianic) truth in his relationship with the Father, those who are hostile and unwilling to believe try to find a way to discredit his testimonies and what he does in his Father’s name, those who watch them debate become divided: those who come to believe and those who remain not to believe.

Jesus said that he brings division (Luke 12:51; cf. Matthew 10:34; cf. John 7:43). By the end of John 7 (7:43), there became a clear division between those who believed in him and those who did not.

In the Gospel Reading of Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent (John 8:21-30), we recognize the division between those who belong below and those who belong above. And this division reflects the division between those who came to believe in Jesus and those who stubbornly refused to believe.

In John 8:12-20, we see those who refused to believe in Jesus argued that Jesus’ testimony to himself is not valid. But Jesus asserted that his testimony to himself is valid because of his unique relationship with the Father, who validates everything done and said by Jesus (John 5:31-37a; 8:14-18).

So, Jesus said to those who wanted to arrest and kill him and the rest of the people in the Temple area:

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).

This statement is reiteration of what he said previously:

You will look for me but not find me, and where I am you cannot come (John 7:34).

These statements about where Jesus would go and not finding him are annoyingly enigmatic to those who refused to believe and want to kill him. By adding “you will die in your sin”(John 8:21), it seems that Jesus has spoken again about where he would go and not to be found in reference to the fact that those who do not believe in him and remain sinful will never find him in where he will be but only those who believe and convert and obey him will (i.e. Proverbs 1:27-33).

Now, their ignorance and hatred make them say, “ He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?” (John 8:22).  Such a statement is rather insulting to Jesus as it assumes that he would fall to the lowest place in the netherworld, for Mishneh Torah (Rabbinic interpretation of the Torah) on Hilchot Rotzeiach Ushemirat Nefesh (Murderer and the Preservation of Life) teaches that souls of those who have committed suicide are subject to severe judgement in heavenly court because of willfully rejecting God, who is the author of life, by ways of rejecting life given by Him.

What a gross willful misinterpretation by twisting Jesus’ words! See what a “cocktail” of ignorance and hatred can do.

To this insulting attack, Jesus throws this set of verbal punches:

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).

It is like Jesus telling, “Guess who really are destined to the lowest place? You assumed that I would go there for committing suicide but your utter sinfulness makes you belong there, and you cannot overcome your sinfulness because you don’t believe in me (and do not believe my testimonies)”.

And there is a new development in Jesus’ progressive revelation of his Christological (Messianic) identity, and it is, “I AM”.

Who is “I AM”?

Remember what God identified Himself as, “אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה  אֲשֶׁ֣ר  אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה  (eyah aser eyah): I am who I am”(Exodus 3:14) to Moses, when he asked God how he should identify Him to the Israelites in Egypt (Exodus 3:13). This self-identification of God reflects that God’s almighty omnipotent and omnipresent nature. And now Jesus reveals his Christological (Messianic) identity with God, “I am who I am” by identifying himself as “I AM” (ἐγώ εἰμι/ ego eimi)(John 8:24). This means to tell that he is, indeed, God, who is "I am who I am".  Therefore, he is not only being sent by the Father to do His work but he is with Him in the consubstantial way (i.e. John 10:30, 38; 14:10-11, 20; cf. John 15:1-11;17:23).

So, Jesus’ message is that rejecting and not believing in him means rejecting God, who is “I am who I am”, because Jesus is “I AM”.  However, they might not have to die in their sins if they repent and convert and come to believe in Jesus, who is God, for He is merciful to those who repent and return to Him (cf. Deuteronomy 4:28-35).

Though Jesus has revealed his Christological identity this far, now identifying himself more clearly with the Father, “I am who I am”, those who refuse to believe but remain hostile, remain ignorant and confused (John 8:27).  

Jesus further says:

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).

Now, with this statement, Jesus seems to have some hope for conversion of those who refuse to believe and show increasing hostility, indicating that they may realize who he is in his relation to the Father and finally believe in him to be saved, as he is lifted up on the Cross. Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus?:

No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life (John 3:13-15).

We know that the centurion and those with him at the foot of the Cross came to believe (Matthew 27:54). And you will find out if they would ever come to senses with their sins, repent, and come to believe, as you continue to follow the Gospel Readings toward and through the Holy Week.

Jesus has indicated to Nicodemus that his death on the Cross (being lifted up on the Cross, as his Cross is raised up) is in juxtaposition to the serpent lifted up on Moses’ pole (Numbers 21:9). This suggest that those who looked up him lifted up on the Cross and believe in him upon repenting and converting their hearts may be saved by his grace, in spite of their past sinfulness. This is because the Israelites who committed sin of ingratitude were saved from God’s lethal judgement by looking up the serpent lifted up on Moses’ pole, as described in the First Reading (Numbers 21:4-9).

Now Jesus starts to reveal his looming death on the Cross as he continues to speak of his Christological (Messianic) identity in the context of his unique relation to the Father, in addition to have made it clear about his divine nature by saying that he is “I AM”.

The story about Jesus testimony to himself, his progressive revelation of his Christological identity will further continue. So, stay tuned.