In a Valley Fellowship Christian Academy chapel in February of 1998, my brother Barry and I presented a salvation message. We drew upon the ideas of someone else, but I failed to note whom or where. Here was the heart of the message:
Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15 NIV). The bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole;Jesus was lifted up on a cross. Those who looked on the bronze serpent were healed from a snakebite. Those who look on Jesus are healed from sin, from death, and from hell. Those who were healed of the snakebite eventually died of something else. Those who believe on Jesus do not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32 NIV).
Who are you lifting up?
- Lift up the Jesus who is the living Word, who was in the beginning, who was with God, who was God.
- Lift up the Jesus to whom John the Baptist pointed and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”.
- Lift up the Jesus who left the glory of heaven, was born of a virgin, took upon himself the form of a man, and as a man faced every temptation and trial we will ever face and did so without once sinning.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “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”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am God’s Son”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”.
- Lift up the Jesus who said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”.
- Lift up the Jesus by whose wounds we are healed, who bore our sins in his body on the cross, whose blood cleanses us of all our sin, and who died, was buried, and rose on the third day with victory over sin, death, and hell.
- Lift up the Jesus who was seen by over 500 people after his resurrection, who ascended back through the clouds to take his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who is seated in the heavenly realms making intercession for us.
- Lift up the Jesus who has been exalted far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come, before whom every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and whom every tongue will confess that he is Lord.
- Lift up the Jesus of whom ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands say in heaven, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”.
- Lift up the Jesus who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
