“Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”
John 12:31-32 (RSV)
There’s an old classic gospel hymn called “Lift high the cross.” I never learned to play an instrument but my mother once bought us a Magnus chord organ, that came with a play by number songbook. Some time after giving my life to Jesus, I was excited to pull that organ out of the closet and play gospel hymns by number. One of the songs in the book was “Lift high the cross” and the lyrics of the chorus followed, “the love of Christ proclaim, till all the world adore His sacred name.” I was meditating on those lyrics today, and also thinking about Jesus coming into the world as a baby. When Mary held Him in her arms, she probably hoped He would be lifted up in the sense of receiving the glory and honor that He was worthy of. She might have imagined that people everywhere would praise her son, their Messiah, and adore His sacred name. He was lifted up, but probably not the way she expected Him to be. Instead of being lifted up in honor, He was lifted up on a cross. Lifting Jesus up had a dual meaning, and Mary received a hint about it from Simeon’s prophecy, warning her that a sword would pierce her heart. It’s possible she didn’t fully understand how much her innocent baby would grow up to suffer as the sacrificial lamb of God. Like any other baby, He looked at His mother’s face, with a sense of security, love and comfort. Like any mother, she had a natural maternal instinct to protect and keep her child safe from harm. I don’t think Mary or any disciples fully grasped how much Jesus was going to suffer. She didn’t need to see the full picture of her son’s destiny, she only needed to live in faith one day at a time, to what God called to do, in fulfilling the role of being His mother.
God, in His compassion, will not reveal everything to us ahead of time. He wants us all to walk by faith one day at a time. If I think about the most difficult life experiences I ever went through, I would never want to know ahead of time what I was going to face. It’s better to go through life, trusting God, and not knowing everything the future brings. Jesus said He would be lifted up from the earth, and draw all men to Himself. He was lifted up in more ways than one. He was lifted up in glory before the world began, then He appeared to the world and was lifted up on a cross of suffering, but now He is alive forever and continues to be lifted up as the King of glory in heaven. We who believe, lift high His cross, celebrate His resurrection and proclaim His love, until the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Thank you, Lord, for leaving your former glory in heaven to become our innocent lamb of God. You were lifted up and gave yourself for us, and now we lift you up in our hearts, which are filled with thanksgiving, praise and worship for you. Amen
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
(John 1:29)