What does "lifted up the Son of Man" signify in John 8:28? Setting the Scene John 8 takes place in the temple courts during the Feast of Tabernacles. Religious leaders are grilling Jesus about His identity. Into that charged atmosphere He says: • “ ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.’ ” (John 8:28) “Lifted Up” — A Loaded Phrase In everyday Greek the verb meant to raise, hoist, or exalt. Jesus intentionally packs it with two layers: 1. Physical—being hoisted up on a cross. 2. Spiritual—being exalted by the Father through that very cross. Immediate Context of John 8:28 • The same leaders who question Him will be the ones who hand Him over to be crucified. • Only after that will many “know” who He truly is (see the centurion in Mark 15:39, the thousands at Pentecost, Acts 2:36-41). • His perfect obedience (“I do nothing on My own”) is proven at Calvary. Old Testament Echoes Jesus Is Pointing To • Numbers 21:8-9: Moses lifts the bronze serpent so dying Israelites can look and live. – Jesus applies that scene directly to Himself (John 3:14-15). • Isaiah 52:13: “My Servant will prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” – Suffering Servant and Exalted King are one and the same. Jesus’ Other Uses of “Lifted Up” in John • John 3:14 — necessity of His sacrificial death. • John 12:32-33 — promise to draw all people; John notes this “signified the kind of death He was going to die.” → The phrase is unmistakably tied to crucifixion. Dual Meaning—Crucifixion and Exaltation • Horizontally: Roman soldiers will nail Him to wood and raise the cross. • Vertically: The Father will turn that shameful act into the very means of His glorification. – Philippians 2:8-9: “He humbled Himself… even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place…” • Result: What looks like defeat becomes the throne from which He rules and saves. Implications for Jesus’ Identity • He is the prophesied “Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13-14) who receives everlasting dominion. • His teaching carries divine authority because it is validated by the cross-event He predicts. • The cross is not a tragic accident; it is the planned revelation of “I am He” (John 8:24, 28). Takeaway for Believers Today • The place of ultimate humiliation is simultaneously the place of ultimate glory. • Confidence in Scripture’s accuracy is bolstered: every prophecy and type converges at the cross. • Seeing Jesus “lifted up” invites us to look, believe, and live—just as the Israelites looked at the bronze serpent and were healed. |
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