High and Lifted UP.

 

As I began my message at the Wednesday Prayer Over our City, I was reminded that many citizens in our city do not know Jesus as being “High and Lifted UP.” 

 

Our citizens are thinking about Christmas and Gifts, but probably not considering celebrating the birth of Jesus; His life, His death and His resurrection.   Today I wanted to consider Jesus High and lifted up on the cross and his crucifixion.

In John chapter three, a rich man named Nicodemus secretly came at night to see Jesus.  He was interested in gaining the Kingdom.  (Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus about Salvation)  John 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Pay special attention to verse 14 that precedes “God so Loved the World.” 

Jesus was proclaiming how and WHY he would die. He would be lifted UP;
(To take the sins of the world, and then lifted up and exalted.)

Jesus told Nicodemus: Whoever believes in the Son of God is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed..”

In the Old Testament, God had delivered the Children of Israel from Egypt, and also from their enemies as they passed through enemy territory.  The next nation they approached, Moses decided to go around instead of through.

Numbers 21   (The way was a detour and it angered the Children of Israel so they complained.)  God does not like murmuring and criticism.  He prefers contentment.

And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?

God does not like people griping, complaining and speaking against His leaders.

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.  

(It didn’t take long and they came to apologize and repent)  Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against you; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make you a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live.

And Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of bronze, he lived.

(Isaiah brings a prophesy about Jesus and How our sins, sorrows and diseases were laid on him on the cross)   Isaiah 53: 4-6 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. And the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The serpent on the pole represented the sins of the people.  It also represented how the sins of the people (yours and mine) would be placed on Jesus on the cross.  Jesus was to bear our grief, sorrows, transgressions, iniquities and diseases.  All sin was placed on the physical body and soul (the will and emotions) of Jesus on the cross.  (Only His spirit remained pure and holy because Jesus could not personally sin.)

The problem now is we must take advantage of his offering and believe on Him asking Jesus to come into our life and make us into a new creation. 

The citizens in our city are living in darkness unless they have Jesus the Light of the World.  We are to pray that their hearts will become tender, their spiritual eyes and ears will be opened to receive the truth about Jesus and all He has done for them.

God was pleased with Jesus and He is now High and lifted up in the Heavens.  He is exalted and given a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus mankind may be saved and not lost.