Communion With the Christ:: The Season of Lent: Jesus Lifted Up

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." Jhn: 12:32

The Season of Lenten is situated in the Church’s Liturgical Calendar by intent, it is placed there to lead us all into the reality of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and our own sharing in Jesus’ life and death. This is a purpose of the Lenten Season, to begin to see our new life in him and our own sharing in all that is Jesus’.

The Season of Lent is far more than a season of legalistic performance based religious self-examination, it is rather a time of fully embracing the grace of God and the reality of the risen Christ and the Season of Easter.

The Pharisee Nicodemus came at night under the cover of darkness to see Jesus. Nicodemus wanted to understand more regarding the teaching which he had been hearing. Jesus agreed to speak with him.

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night” Jhn: 3:1

In the night time conversation with Nicodemus Jesus tells the Pharisee about the transformation of life which all who come to believe in Jesus can experience.

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (3)

Jesus Lifted Up

Jesus speaks of his crucifixion using Moses’ brazen serpent, which when looked upon healed the people of the from the venomous snake bites which had befallen them due to their sin of speaking against God and Moses whom the Lord had used to lead Israel out of captivity to freedom.

“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,” Jhn:3:14

This is no random reference by Jesus, there is divine intent as to why he would allude to the brazen serpent which when looked upon brought healing to the Children of Israel after they were bitten by the serpents.

Jesus is telling Nicodemus, and all who hear through the pages of the Holy Word of God, that Jesus is the very sources of our healing from the fatal bite of the snake of sin.

The cross of Jesus stands atop of Calvary at the very center of the salvation work God which was made manifest in Jesus as the outward evidence to convey to us the eternal divine decree which God had purposed in eternity; which declares to humanity forgiveness, reconciliation, atonement, redemption and the grace of God which is being extended to each and all who will be freely receive.

" but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested (revealed) in these last times for you." 1Pet:1:19-20

"the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world." Rev: 13:8b

St. John records this holy truth in his Gospel account.

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." Jhn: 12:32

It is when we see Jesus lifted high upon the cross and accept what is freely offered us , that we can experience the healing for the painful snake bite of sin and have eternal life.

“that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” Jhn:3: 15

God’s Love

The Creator God sent Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Seconded person of the Holy Trinity , to come and show us the outworking of God’s divine love for all humanity.

“for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life” (16)

As the snake bite of sin would bring death to us, the salvation work of God in Jesus brings life and heals us . This healing is offered freely to all, who will “believe(s) in him”.

This “believing” in Jesus, is the acceptance of who Jesus is, it goes far beyond just seeing Jesus as a historical figure, but it is a recognition of his divine nature which leads us to come to the realization of what Jesus accomplished for us; eternal life, which we were helpless to earn or merit on our own, rather but is freely offered to us motivated only by God’s divine love for us.

Jesus Entered Death

This realization of God’s love, when grasped, transforms us, we experience, as Jesus told his night time visitor Nicodemus, being “born again”, that is, we have entered into the new life which Jesus has made possible and has bequeathed to us. We are with Jesus lifted up, that is through his death on the cross, life is made possible, in that, we are able to be healed of death itself for Jesus entered into death and defeated death from within death. It had no power to hold Jesus, for all die, including Jesus.

Jesus dyed on the cross to rescue us all from sin, death and the grave and the way of death. In himself he gave us victory over death itself in the resurrection.

As St. Paul wrote.

“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”1Cor:15:21

Jesus’ death on the cross is the Apocalyptic moment of God’s love and the lengths which our God would go to secure our salvation. It is a revelation of the love of God toward and for us.

The cross itself shows us the perfect conformity to the will of God by Jesus on our behalf, showing that the cross stands for all time and eternity that Jesus would rather die than be found outside the will of God. The cross is the logical conclusion of a life in complete submission to the will of God. Jesus scarified his whole life his whole life, All his life all his life. Jesus is proclaiming that he loves the Father and humanity to death.

The cross of Jesus shows us that God would join us in our suffering which is common among all humanity, he did not exempt himself from our suffering but joins us in it.

The Light Shined

As Jesus bore the suffering of the cross. Even as he was enveloped within the shroud of darkness his divine love shown at its most glorious radiance.

The Evangelist St. Mark in his account tells us of that moment of darkness.

“At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon” Mk:15:33

In the midst of this darkness the light of God’s love was radiant in glory in the person of Jesus. Even in Jesus’ suffering there was glory, lifting him high for only his death could bring life.

This same light of the love of God is still seen in its brilliance when the Gospel is preached among the darkness of this world. The light of the Gospel shines forth with the power of God to illuminate in our understanding as to who Jesus is and what he has done for us so that we can live be healed of sin, if we will freely receive it.

light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”2Cor:4:4b-6

In the lifting up of Jesus on the cross of Calvary we see the radiant glory of God and the boundless love of God on perfect display all that we might believe in Jesus and be healed of sin and live an all-new life in the glorious light of the Son of God. This why Jesus is lifted up. This is a lesson of the Season of Lent.

Benediction: May we each and all see the glorious light of God shining forth even in the darkness, that we might see Jesus and believe in him and experience the healing of from sin, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.