(John 3:18, 8:28, 12:32)
 
In these verses, our Lord Jesus Christ spoke prophetically of Calvary and the necessity of Him being lifted up there on the cross.

1.   He used a Scriptural Analogy.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:” ~John 3:14
 
  2. He spoke of a Sovereign Acknowledgment.

“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” ~John 8:28
 
  3. He spoke of a Splendid Attraction.

        “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
        ~John 12:32

Since our Lord Jesus Christ magnified Himself being lifted up, God’s people should also be concerned about lifting Him up! How sad it is that many preachers waste time lifting themselves up when they should be busy lifting up Jesus! When a man thinks too much of himself, it is because he thinks too little of Jesus.

*Jesus was lifted up on Calvary because:

  I. It was the Plan of the Sovereign.

      A. A Predetermined Plan

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” ~Revelation 13:8

      B. A Painful Plan

“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” ~Acts 2:23

      C. A Personal Plan

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
~I Peter 1:18 – 20
 
 II. It was the Purpose of the Scriptures!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Holy Scriptures. If a person reads the Bible and misses Jesus, then he misses what the Book is all about. But when a man preaches the Bible, he is truly “preaching Jesus!” All teaching and preaching should exalt and magnify Christ and His accomplished work at Calvary.

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” ~John 5:39
 
*Another reason why Jesus was lifted up on Calvary was for:

III. The Propitiation of Sinners!

The word “propitiation” is used three times in Scripture:

      A.  Propitiation is in a Person! (Jesus Christ)

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” ~Romans 3:25

      B.  Propitiation is for a People!

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” ~I John 2:2

The Gospel of the grace of God is not limited to reaching only the Jewish people. The death of Christ on Calvary opened up the way for Gentiles to be a part of the family of God. Heaven will be filled with redeemed sinners from all across the known world!

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
~Revelation 5:9

       C.  Propitiation must be Personal!

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” ~I John 4:10

Salvation is not simply believing that Christ died to redeem others; it is realizing that He died for us personally and receiving His redemption by God-given faith!

"We will never stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness of our sin and the justice of His wrath against us. But when, by grace, we waken to our unworthiness, then we may look at the suffering and death of Christ and say, In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His own Son to be the [wrath-absorbing] propitiation for our sins."
~John Piper

*The final reason for the lifting up of Jesus that we will take the time to examine is:

IV. The Progress of the Saints!

*When the Lord Jesus Christ is truly lifted up in the house of God, the saints are:

       A. Encouraged to Look to Him.

       B. Edified to Love Him!

       C. Exhorted to Lift Him up! (In public)

CONCLUSION:

We are living in a day when religion is busy lifting up anything and everything that will draw a crowd. The Bible is not evident and the Name of Jesus is often missing from entire services for fear of “offending” somebody. Clearly, the exhortation for God’s people to lift up the Name of Jesus has been forsaken and forgotten. But if we truly desire to honor God and obey His Spirit, we must lift up the Lord Jesus Christ! (John 6:63, 16:13 – 14) The exaltation of music, movements, and men will not bring sinners to a saving knowledge of the truth. It is only when the Master is lifted up, that souls will be drawn unto Him!

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
~John 12:32
 

*May God help us all to lift up the precious Name of Jesus – in our lives and with our lips!
 
 

Evangelist Jeremiah Dixon
Knoxville, TN
 
 
 

www.liftingupjesus.com