“So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own. But just as the Father taught Me, I say these things.” John 8:28 HCSB
“When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “This man really was God’s Son! ”
Mark 15:39 HCSB
I wonder about this centurion was he in the temple complex on guard when Jesus was speaking in John 8? Did Jesus look at him when he said this? John 8:28 might read then Jesus looked at the centurion guard and said, When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He…” I am not saying that it needs to be read this way for I would be adding words to the Bible, but it could have happened this way, and no one noticed it. I know of no one in the religious leaders who believed Jesus was the son of God except for Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. But they have lifted Jesus up before the cross and not on the cross.
What about you and me? Have we lifted Jesus up and know that Jesus is who he says he is? When Jesus is lifted up in our personal lives he becomes a magnet to draw others to us to Him. He does not bring others to lift ourselves up but to glorify Himself and the Father.
So what does it look like when we lift Jesus up?
We have a faith that moves mountains.
We have a hope that is beyond our circumstances.
We have a love that loves all people beyond the physical appearance.
But the greatest of these is our love because by our love they will come to know who Jesus is so that He can be lifted up in their lives.
“As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.”
John 12:32 HCSB
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