Be Lifted Up, Evans Olang

John 12:32-33, “32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die”

Jesus thrice speaks of His death as a lifting up, a euphemism for being crucified. The lifting up meant being glorified, He says as recorded in John 12:23, “…“The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified”. The cross was the means by which the Son of Man be glorified by men when He draws them to Himself. That is why we preach Christ crucified.

Christ, bringing the world to God by the doctrine of His cross, broke the power of sin, and cast out Satan as a deceiver. The soul that was at a distance from Christ, is brought to love Him and trust Him. There is power in the death of Christ to draw souls to Him. That by the cross, we have victory and in that victory is Christ lifted up.

After His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, Jesus left His disciples and those who will believe in Him to continue to lift Him up. Acts 3 is one example, as Peter and John were going to the temple to pray, vs. 2 says, a certain man lame was carried by the gate of the temple daily to ask for alms. On this day, Vs. 3-7, “3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them” Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength”. Wow, what a great testimony, Peter presented what they had, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He proclaimed healing and right then by his hand lifted him up. While it appears that this man was the one lifted up, it was Christ in this miracle lifted up, because right after the miracle, this man was not rejoicing over Peter and John, He was rejoicing over God, vs. 8-9, Says, “8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God”

Acts 3:12-16, “12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all”. Peter and John had a mission, that of lifting Christ up and Christ did the rest by drawing not only this man but also those who by this means heard the gospel.

There have been times I have found myself troubled that in my prayer time, I did not lift all the needs I planned to pray for. Then there are those times, people say to me, “thank you for praying for me, I had a breakthrough” While they say such, in the back of my mind I am thinking, “I do not recall praying for that need”. And while sometimes I beat myself that I did not, I come to learn the truth that as I spend more time lifting up Jesus, His cross, in my prayer time, He draws those in need to Himself. He draws the unsaved, the broken marriages, the sick, etc. because He is more important than all these.

As Paul Washer said, “The priority of prayer in Jesus life, the great majority of His words dealt with one thing, a passion for God to be glorified throughout the world.” Prayer is about passion, zeal, drive, hunger, burden to lift Him up, make His name great and advancing His kingdom and not ours. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus talks of worry concerning our needs and how He knows them before we even ask. This was not suggesting that we should not ask because He knows, but rather we ask what we need the most and that is to lift Him up by seeking His kingdom first and His righteousness. That as we lift Him up in our prayers, He will draw you and your needs to Himself for His glory. Who is most lifted up in your prayers, you or Christ? Choose this day who you will lift up. Blessings Ev