"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”John:12:32
For centuries in the Western church the focus was fixed in many ways upon the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation work which he wrought thereupon. This focus is called "Theologia Crucis" or "Theology of the Cross".
In the Eastern Church the focus is on the Resurrection and the Glorification of Jesus. This focus is called "Theologia Gloria" or "Theology of Glory".
The Lenten Season in which we are now in , give us a time to reflect upon our Lord Jesus Christ and all that he is and has accomplished for each and all of us.
Our whole salvation is dependent upon the cross, the Gospel message has in large extent been paraphrased even by the Apostle Paul as "preaching Christ and him crucified" . It is impossible for us to separate the cross from our salvation and the glorification of Jesus Christ one can not be without the other, without the work of the cross our salvation would not have been accomplished and without the resurrection the cross would be absolutely meaningless, Jesus would have been just another Messiah want-a-be or a martyr of a movement attempting to bring reform to Judaism. The resurrection demonstrate the power of the cross and verifies that Jesus is the Son of God.
"the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."Rm:1:2-4
Jesus knew and understood what he was to face but he also knew what lay beyond and all that would be accomplished for all humanity.The Crucifixion event and the Resurrection event are eternally bound up together, inseparable from one another. Both, Death and Resurrection are joined as one in Jesus.
"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God":Heb:12:2b
Jesus knew what the cross was all about, this place of deepest humiliation was also the way to the greatest glory for him and the drawing of all humanity to himself and the provision of salvation for all who will but freely receive it.
In speaking of his death upon the cross Jesus uses the phrase "lifted up" , in the Greek this phrase means the same thing as "to exult" or "to be exulted". This means far more than to just be place upon an erected stake or cross in public view . Jesus is telling us that as as he is humiliated in the death of the cross he is simultaneously exulted as the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed one of God, for only his death would accomplish the ransom for all humanities sins and sinfulness.
He is the only one in all humanity or in all the History of salvation who's death could have accomplished this work of redemption for each and all of us. No other person's death could have this impact of salvation for the human race but Jesus'.
Jesus, in his conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus Jesus alludes to his "lifting up" and the accomplished salvation for all humanity.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."Jhn:3:14-18
The writer of Hebrews speaks of Jesus' death for all of us, becoming like us and sharing our humanity in death, that we might share in his humanity in eternal life.
Our whole salvation is dependent upon the cross, the Gospel message has in large extent been paraphrased even by the Apostle Paul as "preaching Christ and him crucified" . It is impossible for us to separate the cross from our salvation and the glorification of Jesus Christ one can not be without the other, without the work of the cross our salvation would not have been accomplished and without the resurrection the cross would be absolutely meaningless, Jesus would have been just another Messiah want-a-be or a martyr of a movement attempting to bring reform to Judaism. The resurrection demonstrate the power of the cross and verifies that Jesus is the Son of God.
"the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."Rm:1:2-4
Jesus Lifted Up
Upon entering Jerusalem the shouts of "Hosanna" rang out by the assembled crowd of citizens , who had hoped that now would be the time that the kingdom of Israel would be restored.
"On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”Jhn:12:12-13
Jesus begins to speak regarding as to why he has come and that the hour of the cross drew near ; Jesus began to speak his crucifixion and his glorification all in the same discourses, telling us that one can not be separate from the other the suffering of the cross preceded the glory of the resurrection; the two can not be separated.
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.”Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die"(27-32)
"On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”Jhn:12:12-13
Jesus begins to speak regarding as to why he has come and that the hour of the cross drew near ; Jesus began to speak his crucifixion and his glorification all in the same discourses, telling us that one can not be separate from the other the suffering of the cross preceded the glory of the resurrection; the two can not be separated.
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.”Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die"(27-32)
Jesus knew and understood what he was to face but he also knew what lay beyond and all that would be accomplished for all humanity.The Crucifixion event and the Resurrection event are eternally bound up together, inseparable from one another. Both, Death and Resurrection are joined as one in Jesus.
"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God":Heb:12:2b
Jesus knew what the cross was all about, this place of deepest humiliation was also the way to the greatest glory for him and the drawing of all humanity to himself and the provision of salvation for all who will but freely receive it.
Exulted Humiliation
In speaking of his death upon the cross Jesus uses the phrase "lifted up" , in the Greek this phrase means the same thing as "to exult" or "to be exulted". This means far more than to just be place upon an erected stake or cross in public view . Jesus is telling us that as as he is humiliated in the death of the cross he is simultaneously exulted as the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed one of God, for only his death would accomplish the ransom for all humanities sins and sinfulness.
Jesus' Death
He is the only one in all humanity or in all the History of salvation who's death could have accomplished this work of redemption for each and all of us. No other person's death could have this impact of salvation for the human race but Jesus'.
Jesus, in his conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus Jesus alludes to his "lifting up" and the accomplished salvation for all humanity.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."Jhn:3:14-18
The writer of Hebrews speaks of Jesus' death for all of us, becoming like us and sharing our humanity in death, that we might share in his humanity in eternal life.
"But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little
while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone" Heb:2:9
The Apostle Paul addresses Jesus taking on our humanity, setting aside the "glory of deity", yet still in complete retention of his deity, in the Epistle to the Christians at Philippi, the Apostle quotes from an ancient hymn sung in Christian worship to the glory of the Son of God.
"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature
God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature
of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!" Philp:2:5-8
This ancient hymn displayed the very humility of Jesus, who is fully God yet, in the incarnation, he condescends to our lowly humanity to become not just "one of us", but all the more to be "one with us" . In this, and for this , the Father in Heaven exults Jesus above all others. The ancient hymn continues in this praise of Jesus.
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father".(9-11)
As even Jesus himself quest the ancient proverb that speaks to this very truth.
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted."Matt:23:12
None Greater has come lower , to be exulted higher then Jesus.
For Us All
The Apostolic Church in its understanding that in the coming of Jesus, something had been changed in humanities relationship with God .What did Jesus' life death and resurrection accomplish for humanity? This was a subject that they prayed about, thought about , debated and discussed and then arrived at a understanding and a "Theology" which informed the Apostolic Church view of all things and their relationship with God and humanity.
"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And
he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2Crth:5:14-15
They saw that Jesus died and was raised "for all". They understood "all" to be "all". That none need to excluded from entering eternal life, if they will but freely receive it when they hear the word of the Gospel preached to them. By faith they might experience salvation.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" Rm:5:1-2
ReCapitulation; Jesus' Choice for Us
Jesus came to undue the choice of humanities father Adam, which unleashed sin and death and all suffering upon humanity. Paul wrote to the Church at Rome about this very thing, that Adam's choice brought condemnation to all.
"Therefore,
just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,
and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—"(12)
As Adam who was reckoned as the Head of the human race, and as such, chose sin and death for all humanity and all humanity has followed suit, so has Jesus, who Scripture calls the "Second Adam",is the New Head of the human race , chose righteousness and life for all humanity, this is what the ancient Church called ReCapitulation, which means humanity has been given a New Head. Jesus as being one of us ,even as Adam was one of us , could chose for all of us as did Adam.
"But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many
died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and
the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow
to the many! Nor
can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The
judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift
followed many trespasses and brought justification. For
if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man,
how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace
and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man,
Jesus Christ!
Consequently,
just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also
one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.For
just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made
sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be
made righteous." (15-19)
Jesus has chosen life for each and all if we will but freely receive it none need be excluded, but for their own unwillingness.
The Lenten Season reminds us of this truth that thru Jesus alone is salvation ours, and that he and he alone, even in his death is gloried, and in his resurrection he is proclaimed as the Son of the Living God , that he has "drawn all men to himself" that we might share in the righteousness and life that is his alone. For this he is and eternally will be exulted therefore Jesus is "lifted up". Amen
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.
2101 Old National Pike.
Washington,
Pennsylvania. www.gcfountainoflife.org
The Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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