In the profound exchange recorded in John 8:21-30, Jesus speaks with unmistakable clarity about His divine origin and purpose. When He declares, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin," He reveals a fundamental truth about our human condition. To die in sin means to depart this life without recognizing Christ as the great I AM, without accepting His salvific mission. This spiritual blindness prevents us from seeing where He is going - to the Father - and keeps us trapped in a cycle of worldly thinking that leads to spiritual death. The gravity of this statement should cause us to examine our hearts: Have I truly recognized Jesus for who He is, or am I still living according to the patterns of this world?
The people listening to Jesus failed to grasp His meaning, interpreting His words through earthly lenses when He spoke of heavenly realities. They asked, "Will He kill Himself?" showing their profound misunderstanding. This reminds me of how often I, too, can miss the deeper spiritual meaning of our Lord's teachings, focusing instead on superficial interpretations. The division between "those from below" and He who is "from above" highlights the essential difference between worldly thinking and divine wisdom. Each day presents a choice: to interpret life through the limited perspective of this world or to seek understanding through the light of Christ, who comes from above.
When Jesus states, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM," He points to the cross as the ultimate revelation of His identity. This lifting up - His crucifixion - paradoxically becomes His glorification. It is in His sacrifice that we see most clearly who He is. The title "I AM" directly connects Him to the divine name revealed to Moses, claiming equality with God the Father. How profound that the moment of His greatest humiliation becomes the clearest declaration of His divinity! This challenges me to look at suffering not as evidence of God's absence but potentially as the very place where His presence might be most powerfully revealed.
Jesus assures us that He is never alone because the Father is always with Him. "The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." This perfect communion and obedience stands as a model for our own relationship with God. To follow Jesus means living in constant awareness of the Father's presence and aligning our will with His. In a world filled with distractions - technology, material pursuits, endless activities - how challenging it becomes to maintain this single-minded focus! Yet, minimizing these distractions begins with the deliberate choice to prioritize time with God through prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments.
Today's gospel concludes with a remarkable statement: "Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him." Despite the confusion and controversy surrounding Jesus's words, truth has an inherent power that draws souls to itself. Even today, when we encounter the authentic Jesus of Scripture rather than the various distorted versions created by culture or personal preference, hearts are moved to belief. To know and follow the real Jesus requires regular immersion in His word, participation in the life of the Church, and openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. By keeping our eyes fixed on Christ rather than the storms of distraction that surround us, we can walk confidently toward Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life - the one who came not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
