Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, you will realize that I AM and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.”
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.( Jn 8: 27-29).

God is good all the time.

Jesus knew everything that the scriptures said concerning him, and he accepted it and followed it to guide his life. Three things stand out in the gospel passage for the day .

First, Jesus claims the title I AM, a name every Jew knows belongs to God alone, and he tells the Pharisees that it is a sin not to believe that he is I AM. 

Second, when Jesus tells the Jews:  when you lift up the Son of Man, you will realize that I AM, he claims to be the means of their salvation and life through his death on the cross.  For the Jews linked the mounting of the bronze seraph serpent by Moses on the desert to be God's salvation and life-giving act. So, Jesus assures them that his death on the cross will be full proof that he is God's ultimate salvation and life-giving act to them.

Third, Jesus sets the ground for proving one’s knowledge of God:  The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone because I always do what is pleasing to him. Jesus uses this claim to set himself apart from the Pharisees. If they do not know God, then it means that they never please him by their actions.

I do not know about you, but to me the challenge in today's gospel relates to this final point where Jesus reveals that God is with those who please him, and He never leaves them alone. Hence, we can prove our love for God by seeking to follow the example of Jesus to please the Father.

As Christians, we know that Jesus has been lifted up for us both on the cross and into heaven; so, we understand that if follow his example will lead us to avoid dying in our sins to miss eternal life.