Lesson for the Lord’s Day
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:32
Atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil stands a huge statue of Jesus Christ. Called Christ the Redeemer, this statue is considered the second largest art deco statue in the world. The statue stands almost 40 meters tall and 30 meters wide, and weights 635 tonnes. and is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone. In 2007, the New Open World Corporation named Christ the Redeemer one of the new seven wonders of the world. This great statue is visible for many miles and is by far the most striking man-made object in all of Rio de Janeiro, perhaps all of Brazil. However much this statue draws all eyes to itself, it is only a statue. As impressive as it is, this statue has no power to change the souls of those who behold it. How different is Christ the Redeemer, the Son of God, who was lifted up at Golgotha, to draw all of mankind unto Himself!
The statue on Mount Corcovado is a majestic and awe-inspiring sight, but is powerless to save souls from sin. The cross on Mount Calvary was a gruesome and gory spectacle of torture and shame, but is the only power that can deliver from sin and its punishment. We often sing, ‘The Cross of Christ is all my boast, His blood my only plea. My passport to the realms of bliss is Jesus died for me’.
The One who was lifted up from the earth at Calvary has surely drawn us to Himself today, as we gather to remember Himself. From a broad range of backgrounds and circumstances, He has drawn us, first to His salvation, and today to His table. From our former life of helplessness and despair, he has drawn us to His cleansing power and glorious hope. From our former interests in the world and its false ways, He has drawn us to an eternal exploration of the riches of His grace.
The cross of Christ draws us today to worship and praise, and to thank the One who was lifted up that He might draw us to Himself. -Jim MacIntosh