So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.
- KJV Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
- NKJV 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.
- NASB So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and I do nothing on My own, but I say these things as the Father instructed Me.
- NLT So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus foretells that when he is "lifted up" on the cross, people will recognize he is the divine "I am" who acts in perfect union with the Father. The crucifixion will vindicate his claims.
Overview
"Lifted up" points to the cross and, ultimately, to his exaltation, the means by which his identity is unveiled. Jesus stresses total dependence on the Father, doing and speaking nothing on his own initiative. The verse ties his self-revelation to the gospel itself: it is at Calvary that his deity, obedience, and saving mission are most clearly disclosed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- John 5:19So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
- John 5:30I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
- John 6:38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
- John 12:49–50I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.
- John 3:14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
- 1 Th 2:15–16who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,
- John 12:32–34And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.”
- John 16:10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;
- John 19:18There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.
- Rom 1:4and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Acts 2:41Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.
- Heb 2:2–3For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,
- Acts 4:4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
- Matt 27:50–54When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit.
- John 8:24That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
- John 11:42I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”
- Num 16:28–30Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:
- John 3:11Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 8:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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