Subscribe to our PODCAST here.Lifting Up Christ
Jn. 3:13-17
Intro.
A. The statement from Num. 21:4-9.
1. Israelites had been bitten, many died, and many more would - without a remedy.
2. The remedy was lifted up on a pole.
3. Jesus used this as a figure of His own remedy - being lifted up on the cross.
B. Looking at the bronze serpent involved an action (not just believing God could heal them).
Looking to Jesus involves more than just believing in Him - whatever action He requires.
C. Lift up - means “to raise...in Passive Voice, Acts 1:9, of Christ’s ascension...exalt...with a combination of the literal and metaphorical, of the exaltation of Christ by God the Father, Acts 2:33; 5:31" (Vine).
Body:
A. Three senses in which He was lifted:
1. On the cross:
a. Four times in gospel of John (3:14; 8:28; 12:32,33; cp. 10:17).
b. Why was He lifted?
1) Manifested God’s love (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8).
2) Made justice possible (Rom. 3:24-26).
3) Provided drawing power - made races one (Jn. 12:32 “all peoples”; Eph. 2:14-16).
2. From the tomb:
a. He predicted His own resurrection (Mt. 16:21; Jn. 2:19).
b. God lifted Him up (Acts 3:14,15 “But you denied the Holy One, and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”)
c. Christ had “power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (Jn. 10:17,18).
3. From the earth:
a. Acts 1:9-11; 2:33; 5:31
b. Why did He ascend?
1) That the Comforter may come (Jn. 16:7).
2) To sit on David’s throne (Acts 2:30-35).
3) To be our High Priest (Heb. 8:1-4).
B. How can we lift Him up today?
1. When we declare our faith by obeying Him (Rom. 6:3-7,17,18).
2. When we observe the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:23ff).
3. By having His mind (Phil. 2:2,5; 3:15,19; 4:2).
a. Being raised with Him (in baptism) is of little value unless we have His mind.
b. Observing the Lord’s supper brings damnation - if we mind earthly things.
4. By preaching Christ to others:
a. 1 Cor. 2:1-5; Acts 18:1,5-11
b. Philip “preached Christ” (Acts 8:5-13 - involved the kingdom and terms of entrance; vs. 35-39 - involved the sacrifice of Christ and terms of salvation).
5. By living a life worthy of the gospel:
a. “Have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph. 4:1; Gal. 2:20).
b. Although Lot is called righteous (2 Pet. 2:7,8), his life is a tragic example of the consequences of evil companionship. (Didn’t save anybody - wife, two daughters - incest with them while drunk - Moabites and Ammonites resulted.)
1) Sodom could have been saved by ten righteous people (Gen. 18:32).
2) Lot, his wife, two daughters and their husbands (or fiancees) would have made six -
only influence four more and Sodom would have stood!
3) He had “pitched his tent even as far as Sodom” (Gen. 13:12).
4) We do not influence people for good by associating with their evil practices (Rom.
1:28-32). Imagine trying to influence a fornicator by sitting with him in a strip club, or a drunkard by accompanying him to a bar, or a homosexual by going with him to a homosexual night club? Does our action “approve of those who practice them”?
c. The Christian is to be salt (Mt. 5:13) - which preserves and seasons; and light (v. 14) -
which has one purpose — to shine. If the salt loses its saltiness, or the light is dim - we
are not walking worthy of our calling.
C. Some “lift Him up” by crucifying Him afresh (Heb. 6:4-6).
1. There is a legend that during the Nero’s persecution “Peter was caught in Rome, and Peter’s courage failed. He fled for life. Down the Appian Way he fled, all courage lost. Suddenly there was a figure standing in his path. Pete looked up. It was Jesus Himself...Lord, where are you going? Back came the answer, ‘Peter, I am going back to Rome to be crucified again, this time in your stead.’ And Peter shamed into heroism, turned and returned to Rome and died a martyr’s death” (Barclay on Hebrews).
2. He concluded, “It is bad enough when a church member falls into sin in that the brings shame to himself and discredit on his Church; but what is worse is that he draws men’s taunts and jibes and jeers on Christ. He shames His Lord and makes men laugh at the Cross.”
Concl.
A. The Susan B. Anthony silver dollar was not accepted - partly because it looked too much like a quarter. It was worth a dollar, but it looked like a quarter.
B. We exalt Christ by looking like what we are worth.
Intro.
A. The statement from Num. 21:4-9.
1. Israelites had been bitten, many died, and many more would - without a remedy.
2. The remedy was lifted up on a pole.
3. Jesus used this as a figure of His own remedy - being lifted up on the cross.
B. Looking at the bronze serpent involved an action (not just believing God could heal them).
Looking to Jesus involves more than just believing in Him - whatever action He requires.
C. Lift up - means “to raise...in Passive Voice, Acts 1:9, of Christ’s ascension...exalt...with a combination of the literal and metaphorical, of the exaltation of Christ by God the Father, Acts 2:33; 5:31" (Vine).
Body:
A. Three senses in which He was lifted:
1. On the cross:
a. Four times in gospel of John (3:14; 8:28; 12:32,33; cp. 10:17).
b. Why was He lifted?
1) Manifested God’s love (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8).
2) Made justice possible (Rom. 3:24-26).
3) Provided drawing power - made races one (Jn. 12:32 “all peoples”; Eph. 2:14-16).
2. From the tomb:
a. He predicted His own resurrection (Mt. 16:21; Jn. 2:19).
b. God lifted Him up (Acts 3:14,15 “But you denied the Holy One, and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”)
c. Christ had “power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (Jn. 10:17,18).
3. From the earth:
a. Acts 1:9-11; 2:33; 5:31
b. Why did He ascend?
1) That the Comforter may come (Jn. 16:7).
2) To sit on David’s throne (Acts 2:30-35).
3) To be our High Priest (Heb. 8:1-4).
B. How can we lift Him up today?
1. When we declare our faith by obeying Him (Rom. 6:3-7,17,18).
2. When we observe the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:23ff).
3. By having His mind (Phil. 2:2,5; 3:15,19; 4:2).
a. Being raised with Him (in baptism) is of little value unless we have His mind.
b. Observing the Lord’s supper brings damnation - if we mind earthly things.
4. By preaching Christ to others:
a. 1 Cor. 2:1-5; Acts 18:1,5-11
b. Philip “preached Christ” (Acts 8:5-13 - involved the kingdom and terms of entrance; vs. 35-39 - involved the sacrifice of Christ and terms of salvation).
5. By living a life worthy of the gospel:
a. “Have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph. 4:1; Gal. 2:20).
b. Although Lot is called righteous (2 Pet. 2:7,8), his life is a tragic example of the consequences of evil companionship. (Didn’t save anybody - wife, two daughters - incest with them while drunk - Moabites and Ammonites resulted.)
1) Sodom could have been saved by ten righteous people (Gen. 18:32).
2) Lot, his wife, two daughters and their husbands (or fiancees) would have made six -
only influence four more and Sodom would have stood!
3) He had “pitched his tent even as far as Sodom” (Gen. 13:12).
4) We do not influence people for good by associating with their evil practices (Rom.
1:28-32). Imagine trying to influence a fornicator by sitting with him in a strip club, or a drunkard by accompanying him to a bar, or a homosexual by going with him to a homosexual night club? Does our action “approve of those who practice them”?
c. The Christian is to be salt (Mt. 5:13) - which preserves and seasons; and light (v. 14) -
which has one purpose — to shine. If the salt loses its saltiness, or the light is dim - we
are not walking worthy of our calling.
C. Some “lift Him up” by crucifying Him afresh (Heb. 6:4-6).
1. There is a legend that during the Nero’s persecution “Peter was caught in Rome, and Peter’s courage failed. He fled for life. Down the Appian Way he fled, all courage lost. Suddenly there was a figure standing in his path. Pete looked up. It was Jesus Himself...Lord, where are you going? Back came the answer, ‘Peter, I am going back to Rome to be crucified again, this time in your stead.’ And Peter shamed into heroism, turned and returned to Rome and died a martyr’s death” (Barclay on Hebrews).
2. He concluded, “It is bad enough when a church member falls into sin in that the brings shame to himself and discredit on his Church; but what is worse is that he draws men’s taunts and jibes and jeers on Christ. He shames His Lord and makes men laugh at the Cross.”
Concl.
A. The Susan B. Anthony silver dollar was not accepted - partly because it looked too much like a quarter. It was worth a dollar, but it looked like a quarter.
B. We exalt Christ by looking like what we are worth.