John 8:28 Note
When ye have lifted up the Son of man] When you have lifted up (crucified, Jn. 3:14; 12:34) the Son of Man, then by My resurrection and ascension shall you know that I am the light of the world, the Son of God.
b [I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me]
Christ's Union with the Father
1. The Son can do nothing of Himself (Jn. 5:17,19; 8:18).
2. I can of Mine own self do nothing (Jn. 5:30).
3. I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father (Jn. 5:30; 6:38).
4. My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me (Jn. 7:16; 8:26,38).
5. I do nothing of Myself (Jn. 8:28).
6. I do always those things that please Him (Jn. 8:29).
7. I came from God, neither came I of Myself (Jn. 8:42; 16:28).
8. I seek not Mine own glory (Jn. 8:50,54).
9. I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father gave Me commandment what to speak (Jn. 10:25,37-38; 14:10-11).
Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), yet He
didn’t do anything on His own. He was in perfect harmony with His Father. If
Jesus had to be God-dependent, then how much more do we need to be so?
Jesus was God (John 1:1-2), yet He had to be taught by God (Luke 2:52). The
incarnation of Jesus is an awesome miracle.
Note 6
This was the second of three times that Jesus spoke of Himself being “lifted
up” (1st - John 3:14 and 3rd - John 12:32-33). As the Scripture explains in
John 12:33, this was a reference to crucifixion as the means of His death.
Note 7
As stated in Luke 2:52, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature.” Jesus had to
be taught the things of God (this verse). This looks contrary to Colossians
2:3, where it says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden
in Jesus. If Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16, John 1:1),
why would He have to learn or be taught?
The harmony between these apparently opposite statements is that Jesus’ spirit
man was 100 percent God and had all of the wisdom and understanding of God in
it, but it was manifest in natural flesh. It wasn’t sinful flesh, but it was
flesh nonetheless and had to be educated. Jesus was not taught by people, but
He was taught by the direct revelation of the Holy Spirit (see note 1 at Luke
2:26 and note 6 at Mark 2:8). The knowledge was within Him, but it had to be
drawn out.
At the new birth, a born-again person’s spirit “is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10). “We have the mind of
Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), and “an unction from the Holy One, and ye know
all things” (1 John 2:20). All of these things are a reality in the believers’
spiritual man. However, just as Jesus had to be taught, so believers must draw
this wisdom and knowledge out of their spirits and renew their minds with it
(Romans 12:2). This is one of the main ministries of the Holy Spirit to the
believer (John 14:26, 16:13-15; and 1 John 2:27).