And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. John 12:32
Our text brings before us the great scene of Calvary, as Jesus signifies by His words how he will die. It also points out the result of His being lifted up: the opportunity for anyone and everyone to be saved through Him. Because His offering on the Cross was infinite, and His work there complete in every aspect, there is nothing that stands between any person on earth and the opportunity for everlasting life. Is it any wonder that this verse finds itself quoted – or even highlighted – in many Gospel messages? But I would like to look at this verse a little differently today. What if, instead of considering how the Jews’ rejection and the Romans’ brutality cause the Lord Jesus to be lifted up, we consider how you and I as believers and as witnesses for Him can lift the Lord Jesus up as a beacon to all who will see and trust in Him?
I believe we need to lift the Lord Jesus up from the earth. Let me explain. The world has no problem accepting the humanity of Jesus Christ. They will admire His teachings and retell the accounts of His miracles. They will remark how His followers caused such a great stir and spread Christianity throughout the world. But they have no interest or time for hearing how He is eternally the Son of God. Even the religious leaders of our time don’t care about anything but His humanity. But we who have trusted in Him have as our anchor the reality that the One Who bore our sins on the Cross is so much more than a man. In His deity, He could qualify to be our Sin-Bearer, and could complete the work required to satisfy God’s righteous claims against us. As God, He is risen in triumph and is coming again. Appreciating His humanity and trusting in His deity, we lift the Lord Jesus up from the earth and recognize His right to a higher throne than earth can afford.
Two men who shared the torture and shame of Calvary with Christ saw Him lifted up from the earth, and their responses were direct opposites. From one malefactor, we hear the fatal words ‘if Thou be’, and he perished in his sins. From the other malefactor, we hear ‘Lord, remember me’, and he went to be with his Lord in Paradise. When we lift up the risen Christ in the Gospel today, we receive the same two answers: rejection to damnation and acceptance to salvation.
If we do not lift up the Lord Jesus, many around us might never know there is a Saviour in Glory Who longs to receive them. -Jim MacIntosh