“Lifting up” Moses,
Jesus and Man
“Moses lifted the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of
Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life.” (Jn3:14-15)
The initiative for both Moses and Jesus in “lifting up”
comes from God; God gave both men power to restore life to another. The
initiative, the power, was generated by God’s love for man. God himself is love; love is given over to
another.
Moses’ lifting up has time restraints for man. Jesus by His “lifting up” on the cross gives away
power to man. Man is given eternal life-
the very life of God himself. God’s love
for man is from all time until all time. Christ’s lifting up on the cross is the most
visible expression of God’s love for man. “And this is eternal life: that they may know
you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (Jn17:3)
Jesus’ power, Jesus’ love is one with God- real power, real
love- love becoming powerful, encompassing heaven, earth, time, and eternity. The power, the love, pours forth from the
roots of the cross to lift man up from sin so man may believe and have eternal
life.
Christ being lifted up on the cross is the radical gift of
himself- the ultimate surrender in which nothing is held back- a total giving
of self- the total self-giving face of God.
It is not a passive role; Christ does not merely bear with man; Christ
identifies himself with man so that our sins belong to him and his entire being
belong to us. He accepts man and lifts
man up so that man can be active with his support in continuing the love and
work which he has shown on earth. Then
Christ is lifted up in His glory!
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