Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 8:27

"They perceived not that he spake to them of the Father." — John 8:27 (ASV)

Jesus’ questioners did not understand that he was speaking to them of God, so they missed the point of his peculiar relationship to the Father. He asserted that when they had lifted him up, they would recognize him for what he was. Jesus’ reference to “lifted up” (GK 5738) refers to the cross, but the verb also means “to exalt.” It may carry an additional meaning: that Jesus would be glorified by the cross (see 12:23, 32). Another important phrase is Jesus’ use of “I am” in “then you will know that I am.” It occurs three times in this discourse (vv.24, 28, 58). It may be translated as in v.24, “I am [the one I claim to be],” referring to himself as the Son of Man. But it may also be related to God’s revelation of himself to Moses as the “ I AM” (Exodus 3:14) and to Isaiah’s theistic proclamations (Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:11–13; et al.). The Jews recognized “ I AM” as a term for deity (cf. Mark 14:61–62). The term predicates self-existence and eternal being. Along with this claim to divine nature, Jesus reaffirmed his subordination to the Father as the bearer of his message. Both his nature and his message have come from God.