“When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John 12:32
JESUS’ LIFTING UP MEANS MUCH MORE THAN HIS HANGING ON A CROSS. HIS BEING LIFTED UP WAS SUCH THAT HE WOULD DRAW EVERYONE TO HIMSELF.
“WHEN I AM LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH,” HE SAID. HE CONSIDERED HIMSELF AS ONE OF US. HE LOVED TO REFER TO HIMSELF AS “THE SON OF MAN.” HE TREASURED HIS EARTHLY HERITAGE AS WELL AS HIS DIVINE. HIS HEAVENLY FATHER TREASURED IT ALSO. THAT IS WHY GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT SAW TO IT THAT THE SON’S GENEALOGY IS RECORDED IN DETAIL IN THE SCRIPTURES. JESUS WAS PROUD OF HIS EARTHLY ANCESTRY.
“FROM THE EARTH” MEANS EVEN MORE THAN FROM THE FLESH OF ADAM, CREATED FROM THE DUST OF THE GROUND.
NOTICE IN THE PASSAGE THAT JESUS EARLIER REFERRED TO A KERNEL OR GRAIN OF WHEAT FALLING INTO THE GROUND AND DYING, AND BY SUCH DYING MUCH GRAIN IS PRODUCED.
JESUS IS THE SEED OF THE WOMAN, SPOKEN OF IN GENESIS. HE IS THE SEED OF A NEW HUMANITY. HE IS CALLED “THE SECOND ADAM.” I Corinthians 15
EVERY LIVING THING HAS ITS OWN KIND OF SEED, THAT OF ANIMALS, BIRDS, FISH AND HUMANITY. THE SEED OF THE FIRST ADAM DIFFERS FROM THE SEED OF THE SECOND ADAM. THE FORMER BRINGS FORTH DEATH, THE LATTER BRINGS FORTH LIFE.
DEATH IS THE RESULT OF SIN. DEATH WILL NOT ALWAYS BE. THE LAST ENEMY TO BE DESTROYED IS DEATH. 1 Corinthians 15:26 BUT DEATH IS NECESSARY, FOR NOW, BECAUSE OF THE DISEASE OR INFECTION OF SIN. ALL IS TAINTED BY IT, AND IT HAS TO DIE. ONLY GOD’S NEW CREATION IN HIS SON CAN ELIMINATE DEATH. THAT IS WHY GOD ENTERED HIS CREATION, TO UTTERLY DO AWAY WITH SIN AND DEATH.
WHEN JESUS DIED, THAT HOLY SEED OF GOD AND MAN AROSE OUT OF THE EARTH A TRANSFIGURED LIFE-GIVING DIVINE HUMAN BEING. BUT THAT WASN’T THE END OF IT. FORTY DAYS LATER, HE ASCENDED INTO THE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD, GLORIFIED HUMANITY FOREVER A PART OF THE GODHEAD.
AND STILL THAT WASN’T THE END OF IT. TEN DAYS AFTER HIS ASCENSION INTO GLORY, THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD CAME AND ENTERED THE BODIES OF SINFUL MEN AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT PENTECOST, FORMING THE BODY OF CHRIST HERE ON EARTH.
AND THAT BODY CANNOT BE EXTINGUISHED. IT IS LIVING, GROWING, AND SPREADING. IT CANNOT BE STOPPED OR DONE AWAY WITH BECAUSE IT HAS WITHIN IT THE ETERNAL LIFE OF ALMIGHTY GOD. THROUGH GLORIFIED HUMANITY THE KNOWLEDGE AND LIFE OF GOD SHALL PERMEATE THE WHOLE CREATED UNIVERSE TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.
“WHEN I AM LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH, I WILL DRAW EVERYONE TO MYSELF.”
LOOK UP, MY FRIEND, AT THE ONE IN WHOM THERE IS ETERNAL LIFE, FORGIVENESS AND CLEANSING FOREVER. “FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER, THAT EVERYONE WHO BEHOLDS THE SON AND BELIEVES IN HIM WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, AND I MYSELF WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.” John 6:40
Rosemary E Hyslop May 19, 2018
Additional Note: The words of the following hymn express some of these truths. The words were written by WY Fullerton and the music taken from the Irish melody “Londonderry.”
THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD
I cannot tell why He whom angels worship should set His love upon the sons of men, or why as Shepherd He should seek the wanderers, to bring them back, they know not how or when. But this I know that He was born of Mary, when Bethlehem’s manger was His only home, and that He lived at Nazareth and labored, and so the Saviour, Saviour of the world is come.
I cannot tell how silently He suffered, as with His peace He graced this place of tears, or how His heart upon the cross was broken, the crown of pain to three and thirty years. But this I know, He heals the broken-hearted, and stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear, and lifts the burden from the heavy laden, for yet the Saviour, Saviour of the world is come.
I cannot tell how He will win the nations, how He will claim His earthly heritage, how satisfy the needs and aspiration of East and West, of sinner and of sage. But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory, and He shall reap the harvest He has sown, and some glad day His sun shall shine in splendor, when He the Saviour, Saviour of the world is known.
I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship, when at His bidding every storm is stilled, or who can say how great the jubilation when all the hearts of men with love are filled. But this I know, the skies will thrill with gladness, and myriad myriad human voices sing, and earth to heaven and heaven to earth will answer, at last the Saviour, Saviour of the world is King!