John 8:26-29

26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 

29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

“When You Lift Me Up, Then You Will Know…”

Jesus made it clear in verse 26 that He has been given the authority to judge them. He says He has “many things to say and judge” concerning them. God, who sent Jesus to the world, only speaks and judges in truth. Jesus, who was God in the flesh, only speaks and judges in truth. Jesus only speaks what He has heard from the Father. However, these people remain spiritually blind to the truth. They still don’t understand that the phrase “He who sent Me” is referring to the Father. But how could they not know that by now? Jesus said in John 5:36, “But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.” Did they not remember Jesus saying this? And again in John 8:16, He said, “And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.” How could they not know? The answer is they didn’t want to know. They refused to believe. 

In verse 28, Jesus said, paraphrasing, “You may not know Me now, but you will know Me. When I am lifted up, you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on my own. I only speak what My Father has taught Me to say.” Where have we heard this language about being “lifted up” before? We heard Jesus say this back in John 3:14 when He was speaking to Nicodemus. He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…” He went on to tell Nicodemus the next two verses that whoever believes in Him will not perish and will have everlasting life (John 3:15-16). When Jesus spoke of being lifted up, we know He was referring to His crucifixion on the cross. This moment, along with His resurrection, was when Jesus’ full glory would be revealed to everyone. The cross was “the moment”……that glorious, but at the same time, devastating moment that Jesus became the sacrifice for the sins of every person in the world…..past, present, and future. That glory continued on that third day, when He was resurrected from the dead to conquer death and Satan for all of us. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple (His body), and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) I wonder… were some of the ones who actually heard Him say this able to connect the dots when they witnessed Him on the cross? Were some of them witnesses to Him after He resurrected? The crucifixion of Jesus is the single most important event in not only religious history but also secular history. It defines time as we know it. Everything either happened before Jesus’ birth (BC) or after His death on the cross (AD). How anyone can deny the importance of this event is beyond me. 

Then Jesus told them the reason behind everything He does. Here are His words in verse 29, paraphrasing, “The Father who sent Me is always with Me. The Father never leaves me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to Him.” How beautiful! Jesus was ALWAYS pleasing to God, and God was always with Him. What about us? Are we pleasing to God? Well… we certainly are not pleasing to Him on our own, or He would not have needed to send Jesus. Romans 8:8 says, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” We fail when it comes to pleasing God. Every one of us was once separated from God before we obeyed the gospel. If we aren’t faithful after we obey the gospel, then we can become separated from God once again. Jesus is the deciding factor. We are separated from God without Jesus. If we believe in and obey Jesus, we are pleasing to God and are not separated from Him. Pleasing God should be our ultimate goal in life. Many times, we choose pleasing ourselves over pleasing God. When we do this, we are not only tearing our relationship with God down, but we are tearing the church down as well, by not setting an example for our fellow members. When we put others’ needs ahead of our own, we are pleasing God. People are watching us… younger Christians, new converts, and weaker Christians. Non-Christians are watching us as well. Why would they want to be a part of the church if it’s every man for himself? Romans 15:1-2 says this, “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” There are many verses where we are told that our aim should be to please God. 2 Corinthians 5:9 says, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” Wherever we are, let’s work to be pleasing to God. Right after Paul told the church at Galatia twice in Galatians 1:8-9 that anyone who preached any other gospel other than what they had preached to them would be accursed, he asked these questions and made a profound statement. He said in Galatians 1:10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” We can’t be servants of Christ and try to please ourselves or other people to the detriment of our faith. We cannot please another person if what we are doing to please them puts Jesus in a lower position on our priority list. It takes discernment to figure out what is pleasing to God. Ephesians 5:8-10 says this, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” We have to figure out or discern what is acceptable or pleasing to God. The parentheses in this verse really stick out to me. How do we please God? With goodness, righteousness, and truth! How do we know what is good, righteous, and true? We study God’s Word. What choices will I make in my life to be pleasing to God? Will I put myself first, or will I put God first? Am I willing to put others first to be pleasing to God? Or will I be a people pleaser and let God fall down a rung on the ladder of priorities? Jesus was ALWAYS pleasing to God. Because of Him, we can be pleasing to God. Without Him, we would have no hope and no way to please our Creator. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)