Homilies on the Gospel of John

“The people answered Him, We have heard out of the Law that Christ abides for ever; and how do you say, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

1. Deceit is a thing easily detected, and weak, though it be daubed outside with ten thousand colors. For as those who whitewash decayed walls, cannot by the plastering make them sound, so too those who lie are easily found out, as in fact was the case here with the Jews. For when Christ said to them, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me; We have heard,” says one of them, “out of the Law, that Christ remains forever; and how do you say, that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Even they then knew that Christ was some Immortal One, and had life without end. And therefore they also knew what He meant; for often in Scripture the Passion and the Resurrection are mentioned in the same place. Thus Isaiah puts them together, saying, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter”, and all that follows. David also in the second Psalm, and in many other places, connects these two things. The Patriarch too after saying, “He lay down, He couched as a lion,” adds, “And as a lion's cub, who shall raise Him up?” He shows at once the Passion and the Resurrection. But these men when they thought to silence Him, and to show that He was not the Christ, confessed by this very circumstance that the Christ remains forever. And observe their evil dealing; they said not, “We have heard that Christ neither suffers nor is crucified,” but that “He remains forever.” Yet even this which has been mentioned, would have been no real objection, for the Passion was no hindrance to His Immortality. Hence we may see that they understood many of the doubtful points, and deliberately went wrong. For since He had before spoken about death, when they now heard in this place the, “be lifted up,” they guessed that death was referred to. Then they said, “Who is this Son of Man?” This too they did deceitfully. “Think not, I pray,” says one, “that we say this concerning you, assert not that we oppose you through enmity, for, lo, we know not concerning whom you speak, and still we declare our opinion.” What then does Christ? To silence them, and to show that the Passion is no impediment to His enduring forever, He says,