Lifting Up Christ by Bending Our Knee
Lifting Up Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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· 40 viewsWhen Jesus talked about himself being lifted up, he wasn't speaking of our praise and adoration but, His cross. I believe that He would have us become like Him; not our will but, His be done. Our Christlikness is the ultimate glory that we can give him.
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Lifting Up Christ is God’s Will
Lifting Up Christ is God’s Will
32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
John 12:
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,
5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.
18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.
19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.
21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.
31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”
33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
36 Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;
43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.
45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.
46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.
48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the King of Israel!”
Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
“He has blinded their eyes
and deadened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
The previous scripture is first one that came to my mind when I was told that the theme was “Lifting Up Christ.”
The first thought I had was that Christ indeed was to be lifted up by us. He is to be praised, venerated, worshipped, extolled, glorified, etc.
It makes sense to me that if His people lift Him up in praise, that He will then draw men (others) unto himself!
As I searched for this verse, other verses in John’s gospel populated my search result screen.
(ESV)
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
The story of Nicodemus was one that I didn’t recall Jesus speaking of being lifted up.
It is obvious that His cross is in mind.
That certainly didn’t fit neatly into my idea that Christ must be lifted up in worship, praise and adoration.
The background of Jesus’ comment is found in Numbers.
8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
Nunbers 21:8-9
The People had been rebellious against God.
The People had been rebellious against God.
God sent snakes into the camp and many were bitten.
A number died.
Moses was told to fashion a standard with a bronze snake attached.
It was a cross of sorts.
The one who was suffering from a snake bite could look at the “cross” and live!
So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
john 8:28
John is arguing for the deity of Christ in .
Jesus said that when He would be lifted up on the cross, then people would know who He was.
We would know that He is HE.
ἐγώ εἰμί I am OP1 SN V1SPAI
Nestle, E., Nestle, E., Aland, B., Aland, K., Karavidopoulos, J., Martini, C. M., & Metzger, B. M. (1993). The Greek New Testament (27th ed., ). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart.
In fact, in verse 24 he said that unless they believed that HE IS they would die in their sins.
In fact, in verse 24 he said that unless they believe that HE IS they will die in their sins.
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
So, we see in John’s gospel that what is meant by Jesus, when He says, “I am lifted up,” that the cross, not praise is in mind.
I realize that we worship and praise Him because of the cross.
What I want us to look at is what Jesus was picturing as He said these words, “If I be lifted up!”
A cross in the days of Jesus was no religious symbol.
It was an instrument of punishment and death reserved for the vilest offenders of the day.
It was like a noose or an electric chair, like strapping one to the gurney where lethal injection is performed.
There was no glory in one being hung on a cross.
22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
It was the death of murderers, insurrectionists, etc.
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Cross, Crucifixion
Only slaves, provincials and the lowest types of criminals were crucified, but rarely Roman citizens.
It was the death of murderers, insurrectionists, etc.
The cross was a symbol of shame.
The cross was a symbol of shame.
Let’s look at again.
John 12:20-34
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.
21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
The way to glory for Christ, the way to eternal life for us, the way to reveal His deity, was through death on a cross.
No fruit comes from the kernel of grain until it dies.
Jesus was unwilling to walk away from His destiny.
He didn’t want to die.
He didn’t want to suffer shame.
He didn’t want to endure the pain.
His soul was troubled — the thought of the cross shook his very being, soul.
Yet, it was the only way to fulfill what God would have Him accomplish.
Jesus is saying, If I am lifted up on that shameful cross, it is then that I can draw men to myself.
It is counter intuitive.
Wouldn’t people be drawn to a regal king?…a worker of wonders?…an invincible/almighty God?
Yes, however, that came through a shameful cross.
In order for Jesus to accomplish his task on earth, he had to submit to a shameful death.
Let’s consider the big picture.
Jesus lived in heaven, sat on the throne, and existed in the form of God.
He left heaven, traded a throne for a manger, and the all-powerful form of God for a weak, infant, human body.
He lived a poor man’s life.
Ultimately, He came to his own people and was rejected.
He then submitted to death, death on a cross.
They couldn’t reconcile it.
The Son of Man was to have a eternal kingdom.
How could he be lifted up in a shameful death?
Philippians 2:5-8
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The people who heard these words understood what Jesus meant by being lifted up.
They couldn’t reconcile it.
The Son of Man was to have a eternal kingdom.
How could he be lifted up in a shameful death?
Now I know that what I am saying is the gospel story that you know and love.
Yet, what would Jesus say is the message for us?
I believe that the goal of Christians is Christlikeness.
2 cor
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
I believe that I have mentioned here that I don’t believe heaven is our goal, we are already citizens of heaven.
I believe that I have mentioned here that I don’t believe heaven is our goal, we are already citizens of heaven.
that we are already citizens of heaven.
We seek to be like Jesus.
How do we truly lift up Jesus in the sense of praise, worship, adoration?…we imitate Him.
We are transformed into His image!
What could we do that would possibly be more worshipful than being transformed into His image.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
I can say, “Jesus is Lord.” And, I should.
I can sing, “Glory Hallelujah! and, I should.
Yet, if my life is not changed, it rings hollow.
The world knows the difference.
Yet, if I become Christlike, even when my mouth isn’t open, I am declaring Him as Lord in my life.
Looking in , Nicodemus was told to be born again.
The moment of new birth wasn’t the whole picture Jesus had in mind.
We were dead in our sins, we were born again, not to remain spiritual newborn but, to mature into men and women who bear the image of Christ in our lives.
I have preached many sermons over the past 30 years or so.
Yet, not one of those sermons have had the impact that one changed life has.
If someone goes from being a selfish, evil, rebellious person, to being servant of Christ, God is glorified beyond that person’s words.
The changed man causes the world to take notice.
The person who is born again unto Christlikness inspires others to make the same commitment.
There is no substitute for it.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
To the degree that I bend my knee in service in Christ is to the degree that He is truly praised.
I may not be called to literally die on a cross.
I have been called to carry mine.
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:24
What does that mean?
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
What is Paul saying?
Life is no longer about what I want.
I no longer live.
I no longer try to glorify myself, I only seek to glorify Him.
That goes far beyond my words.
Let us say, “Fairest Lord Jesus.”
Let us praise Him.
Extol His virtues.
Yet, He really isn’t glorified until our lives are a reflection of His.
If we carry our cross well, if we bend our knees in humble submission to Him and His will, we the bring Him the glory He deserves.
Let us lift Him Up by being transformed into His image, denying ourselves and taking up our cross.
john 12:24-26
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
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