By every outward measure, Jesus's crucifixion looked like defeat. The religious leaders won. The supposed Messiah died. in But John 8:25-29, Jesus tells us something stunning: the crucifixion will actually prove his identity as the Christ.

In this sermon, we examine two movements in the text. First, we see that ignorance is not bliss: the religious leaders stubbornly refuse to see Jesus for who he is, despite overwhelming evidence. Their willful blindness leads them to judge him falsely, even as Jesus speaks God's true judgment over them.

Second, we discover that ignorance becomes judgment. When Jesus says "when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he," he's pointing to the cross as the ultimate vindication of his claims. What looked like defeat was actually triumph. The crucifixion didn't disprove Jesus; it proved he is God's faithful servant, the long-awaited Messiah.

The cross changes everything: how we worship, how we work, and where we find hope. Will you bow to Christ now as Lord, or face him later as Judge?