That No One Might Despair.

“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall you know that I AM.” It was as if he had said, I am not allowing you to recognize what happened until I have completed my passion. When it is appropriate, you shall know who I am. Not that all who heard him were only then to believe, that is, after the Lord’s passion. For a little after it is said, “As he spoke these words, many believed in him,” and the Son of Man was not yet lifted up. But the lifting up he is speaking of is that of his passion, not of his glorification, of the cross, not of heaven. For he was exalted there also when he hung on the tree. But that exaltation was his humiliation, for then he became obedient even to the death of the cross. This required it to be accomplished by the hands of those who should afterwards believe and to whom he says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall you know that I AM.” And why so, except that no one might despair, however guilty his conscience, when he saw those forgiven their homicide who had slain the Christ?

St. Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John. Taken from Give Us This Day.

St. Augustine (354–430) experienced a pivotal conversion as an adult. In 395, within eight years of his baptism, he became bishop of Hippo.