Jesus’s harsh condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees is evident once again in John 8:21-30. Entry into the realm of God, we learn, is not possible for people who cling to religiosity in order to gratify themselves. People who engage in performance but do not worship in spirit and truth will not be where God truly is.
When Jesus says “you are of this world,” he means that the religious authorities were too tied to the systems and structures from which they derived their wealth, power, and sense of self-worth to be aligned with how God’s spirit was actually moving through the world.
But Jesus promises that “when you have lifted up the Son of Man,” he will be seen as he truly is. In John 12, he says that when he is lifted up, he will draw all people to himself. That is a promise we see fulfilled every day as people discover that once they get past the modern-day Pharisees, Jesus is waiting with grace and love to receive them.