Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. 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. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 8:25-29

I want to begin this article by making a simple but fundamental statement regarding belief.

Knowing something is true and believing it are not the same thing.

I know that sounds like a contradiction but that is exactly how it is in the depraved mind. Even when the facts are set before the eyes of someone dead in sin, they will not believe it to be true.

Once again these unbelieving Pharisees ask Jesus Who He is. He has told them several times and proven it by many sayings and miracles, but their depraved minds cannot see it. 

Jesus plainly says that He has several things to condemn the Pharisees but that is not what He came to do at this point in His ministry (John 3:17). When Jesus comes again and all the dead are raised, He will pronounce final judgment against these wicked men.

These men show, as we saw in a previous article, that they do not know the Father because they are violently rejecting the Son. In response to this, Jesus makes an interesting statement. He says, “When you kill me on the cross, then you will know Who I am.” Jesus’ crucifixion (and subsequent resurrection) will be the clearest declaration that He was sent from God the Father.

The horrible act of crucifixion is mainly designed for torture, not a quick death. The subjects ultimately die of suffocation but this is only accomplished after their legs are broken so they can no longer stretch to breathe. When they came to break Jesus’ legs, He was already dead. They pierced His side with a spear and the red blood cells and plasma had already separated (John 19:34). This means that Jesus had already laid His life down. He died of a broken heart.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

Psalms 22:14

Look at the centurion’s reaction to this and the tremendous earthquake that just happened:

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Matthew 27:54

It was an indisputable fact that Jesus was God. Everyone knew it, but the Pharisees and other wicked men could not believe that Jesus was the Messiah so they continued to lie about Him and cover-up the truth.

The Apostle Paul explains this seeming paradox:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Romans 1:18

Those dead in sin know the truth but they suppress it and continue in their sin.