Come & Be Lifted Up
Where do you go to see God?
For me, one of my favorites places to go and see God is the beach.
There’s something about the ocean, the crashing of the waves, watching the sun rise or set over the horizon, feeling the ocean breeze, all of it just makes me stand in awe of God and who He is.
But I also see Him in the mountains.
Every time I get a chance to go some place where there are mountains, to see how majestic they are, how they rise and fall, how the temperature changes as you climb to the summit, the beauty of the trees, all of it just makes me stand in awe of God and who He is.
But I also see God in people.
I see God in my family, I see God in you, I see God as I walk through my neighborhood or around the Town Square in Sugar Land. We are all created in the image of God. And one of the beautiful things about our diversity is that in it we all reflect the image of God in different ways. And it just makes me stand in awe of God and who He is.
And like many of you, I also see God in scripture.
On every page, in every story, you can see God’s grace, God’s love, God’s desire to draw people near, God’s heart for the brokenhearted, God’s passionate pursuit of His people. And once again, it just makes me stand in awe of God and who He is.
Where do you go to see God?
What happens when you can’t see God?
What happens when we live in a world that can’t see God?
I’m sure many of you like me were left in disbelief as you witnessed the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics in Paris. In a moment that could have been leveraged to bring our world together, decisions were made to drive a wedge and make a mockery of a moment in the life of Christ that, ironically, has always brought different people together.
But this is what it looks like to live in a world that can’t see God.
We can be offended, hurt, and even angry. But then we should remember the teachings of Jesus and the way of Jesus, to love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us. After sitting with His disciples at the Last Supper, after saying, “This is my body given for you,” and, “This is my blood poured out for you,” Jesus was arrested. He was mocked. Spit on.
And he knew in that moment, it wouldn’t be the last time. So He taught His disciples what to do when people mock Him and people hurt us. We always respond in love. Like Jesus on the cross we say, “Father, Forgive them. They know not what they do.”
And when we do, as we do, we show the world what God looks like.
But in order to do that, we first have to spend time over time in the presence of God, looking at God, so we can become more like Him.
So where do we go to see God?
When Jesus came from Heaven to Earth He came to show us what God looks like.
He came so we could SEE God. But the truth is, Jesus didn’t look like what anyone thought God’s Messiah would look like. What people thought God would look like.
And the reality is, that’s true today as well.
Throughout this series we’ve been leaning into the Gospel of John. By the time John writes his gospel, the church is comprised of Jews and Gentiles. One of the points John wants to get across to his original readers was that Jesus came to draw all people everywhere to Him. Everyone is welcome to come and follow Jesus. Everyone is welcome to draw near to God.
So in John 12.20-33, the gospel writer shares this story for all those who feel like they may be on the outside looking in…
20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration 21 paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
These Greeks, whoever they were, were not Jewish. They were Gentiles. They had come to Jerusalem for Passover so no doubt, they were God-fearers. They believed in God. They came to Jerusalem to see God, in a sense. To be near God.
They’ve heard about Jesus. And now they want to know if they can see Jesus. So they come to Philip and Andrew, two disciples who have Greek names by the way, to ask if they can see Jesus.
And then, listen to what happens next. Jesus doesn’t give a straight answer. But this question prompts one of the most famous and important statements Jesus ever made. And it also answers their question in a more profound way than they could have ever imagined.
Not a YES or NO Answer
Philip and Andrew come to Jesus to ask if these Greeks can come and see Him. And Jesus says…
23 “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
I’m sure Philip and Andrew were looking for a simple, “Yes” or “No.” But what they got instead was Jesus talking about a kernel of wheat that is planted and then dies but then it produces many new kernels???
My guess is that Philip and Andrew were scratching their heads at this point wondering what in the world Jesus was talking about.
You probably know this, but when a seed is planted, it essentially has to die in order to produce new life. And Jesus is saying that this is exactly what will happen to Him! And when it does, when He dies and then rises again to new life, there will be a “plentiful harvest of new lives.”
In other words, his death, burial, and resurrection is going to open the door for these Greeks not just to see Him, not just to meet with Him, but to follow Him, become His disciples, to see God and to be a part of the family of God in a whole new way!
In his death, burial, and resurrection Jesus is going to open the door for everyone to see God.
Jesus Prays, God Speaks
And then Jesus says…
27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.”
Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
This is the only time in the Gospel of John that God the Father speaks from Heaven.
And what does God say?
Jesus prays for God the Father to bring glory to His Name.
And God responds… I already have brought glory to my name! AND… I will do it again!
God brought glory to His name in and through the life and ministry of Jesus up to this point. He did this through the signs and wonders Jesus performed. And He did this through the preaching and teaching of Jesus.
From turning water into wine to raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus performed 7 different SIGNS in John’s gospel. All of them pointed people to God, helped people see God, see what God is like! The 7 signs revealed the power and the presence of God.
And with those 7 signs Jesus made 7 statements in John’s gospel. The seven I AM statements declare who He is. Jesus said, I AM the Good Shepherd. I AM the Bread of Life. I AM the Light of the World. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Jesus uses I AM to connect who He is directly with who God revealed Himself to be to Moses at the burning bush.
Through the preaching and teaching of Jesus God has already brought glory to His name.
God speaks from Heaven and says, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”
When I Am Lifted Up
30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
This may be one of the most well known statements Jesus ever made….”And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
And again we have this kind of double meaning. Jesus is no doubt referring to the way He will soon die. He will be lifted up on a cross to die.
And He’s made this reference before.
Remember in John 3 with Nicodemus, Jesus reminded him of the time God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze snake on a pole and everyone who had been snake bit, everyone who was suffering and dying because of the snake venom, would be saved, could be healed, if they looked up to the bronze serpent on the pole.
WHY does God tell Moses to make a bronze snake, put it on a pole, and then tell the people to look at it so they can live?
What if, in order to receive the salvation of God they must first look at, identify, the judgement of God?
If you’ve ever struggled with anything that required you to face some kind of judgement then you know, until you identify it, own it, and confess it you cannot be healed from it.
What if, in order to receive healing they must first look at the source of their poison? What if, the real poison wasn’t the venom of the serpents but their own sin?
What if the only antidote was found in remembering Yahweh, the promise of Yahweh, and the provision of Yahweh.
This is a strange story but what God does here in a very powerful way was demonstrate to the people of God that salvation is always on the other side of judgement.
Jesus, once again, is reminding people that He will have to be lifted up and that will happen at the cross.
And this happens just a few chapters later in John 19.16b-20
So they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.
Christ Crucified
In 1434, a monk by the name of Fra Angelico painted this image of Jesus on the cross called, “Christ Crucified.” It wasn’t one of his most well known paintings. But it’s interesting because in this painting, he includes the sign placed above Jesus with this inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” in the three different languages of Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
Now, we don’t have that sign and we have no way of knowing exactly how those words were written in those three languages. Just like in English, there’s more than one way to write something and get the same idea across.
It’s important that this inscription was written in three languages. This, again, is another way John is communicating in His gospel that Jesus is being lifted up in order to draw all men, all people, everywhere, every tribe and tongue, every people in every place, to himself!
But what’s interesting to me is that when Fra Angelico painted this portrait of Jesus in this moment, and when he wrote this inscription on the sign above Jesus’ head in the three different languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, he chose to write it this way in Hebrew: Hebrew letters… Jesus of Nazareth AND King of the Jews.
And when written that way, which is certainly one way Pilate could have had it written on the sign on the cross of Jesus, it forms an acrostic. When you take the first letter in Hebrew from each word in that sentence, you get YHWH. You get the name of God!
And if you have ever wondered, Where is God when Jesus is on the cross? Where is God at His darkest hour? Where does Jesus want us to see God? His Name, YHWH, I AM that I AM, I AM the Great I AM, was written on the sign above His head!
The Number 8
Yes, Jesus said I AM the Good Shepherd. I AM the Bread of Life. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But here at the cross there is another I AM statement that you might miss if you’re not looking for it.
There’s an 8th I AM statement. And by the way, the number 8 in Hebrew signifies resurrection and new life! There at the cross, above the head of Jesus, is the Name above all names, the Name YHWH. I AM that I AM! The Great I Am!
There at the cross was the declaration that death would not be the end of this story. Resurrection and New Life would be the headline of this story! God’s eternal name and God’s eternal love would be the headline of this story!
Jesus is lifted up on the cross! The Great I Am is lifted up so that He can draw all people in every place to Himself!
But there’s another meaning as well. Another implication to consider. Not only will Jesus be lifted up on the cross, Jesus will be lifted up after three days in the borrowed tomb. Jesus will be lifted up and exalted and seated at the right hand of the Father in His ascension.
Jesus was lifted up on the cross, and He was lifted up into Heaven, so that we could come and see the great love of God.
Can you see God?
When I was in 6th grade, something changed and my grades began to drop. I was struggling a little in school. At first, we couldn’t figure out why. But then, we finally put 2 and 2 together.
In 6th grade, my eyesight changed. I could no longer see the chalk board like I could before. I needed glasses!
My parents made the eye appointment. We had a wonderful friend who was a member of the church who was an eye doctor and he always took such good care of our family. Dr. Cates.
You know, it’s an amazing thing when you put on glasses for the first time. When you’re able to see what you could not see before all because you have the correct lenses.
If you want to see God, you need to look up to Jesus. When we look to Jesus, when we look through the lens of Jesus, we get to see God. We get to see His great love for us.
So today, I want to invite you to come and draw near to God.
James, a brother to Jesus and a leader in the early church, once wrote: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” – James 4.8
That’s what I want to invite you to do day. Jesus was lifted up so that you could draw near to Him.
So draw near.
The Rest of the Story?
When those Greeks came to Philip and Andrew asking to see Jesus, they had no idea what they were asking for! I’m not 100% sure, but I believe they were there just a few days later when Jesus was lifted up on the cross. And the message on the cross was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in GREEK!
It was written in their own native language. Signs were often fastened to crosses stating the charges against the one condemned to die. Pilate had no idea his words carried more weight. That his words could not have been more true. On that tree, they crucified Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. The Great I AM. He was lifted up on the cross, and He would be lifted up from the grave.
I hope when they read that sign they knew that not only did they get to see Jesus, they got to see God and His great love. For them. For the world.
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