Lifted Upon the Cross

What do you see in this photo? You are looking at what may be the oldest documented optical illusion. It is a carving located at the Airavatesvara Temple in Tamil Nadu, India, which is a Hindu temple that dates back to the 12th century (1300s) AD. Among a myriad of carved avatars and chariots is this representation of what seems to be the bodies of two separate animals, with only one head between them in the foreground. The question we have to ask, then, is which animal is in the foreground? Is the head in the foreground front the head of the bull on the left or the head of the elephant on the right?

Perhaps you’ve seen similar optical illusions elsewhere, such as an occasional meme on social media or in a graphic design textbook – a drawing or picture in which you at first see one thing, but after looking more closely, you see something else.

The question I want to ask us today is this – what do we see when we see the crucifixion of Christ? The apostle Paul acknowledges this fascinating, heart-probing question when he observes: “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). So, unbelievers view the crucifixion of Christ as either a repulsive event, a magnificent mistake, or an embarrassing spectacle. But those who follow Christ by faith see the cross as the means through which God rescues us from sin and death and gives us a close relationship with him. To them, the cross is a reason to turn away from God. To us, it is what draws us to him.

From another angle, though, we must ask the same question. How did Christ himself view his crucifixion? As an experience of humiliation to avoid or as an opportunity for exaltation to embrace? Was it the way down or the way up?

We find the answer to this question in the way that Christ described his own crucifixion in the gospel of John. Let’s take a closer look at what he said:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)

What we view as humiliation Christ viewed as exaltation.

When we think about the cross, we generally view it as a humiliating, shameful, and terrible experience for Christ. To be sure, it was all of these things and more. But to Christ, it was something much more. Notice how Christ uses the term “lift up” here in John 3:14-15). This word means not only to “lift up,” but to “exalt” and to “raise high.” The gospel writer, Matthew, uses this word in an ironic way when he recorded this teaching of Jesus, that, “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt 12:12). So, “to lift up” is a desirable, honorific experience, much like being promoted to a higher position at work or to a higher rank in the armed forces. So, how does the horrible, humiliating experience of being “lifted up” on a cross fit with this honorific act?

Christ uses this same “lifting up” terminology two more times in John’s gospel. One of them, John 8:28, I’ll refer to shortly. But first, let’s look at John 12:32.

I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. This he said, signifying by what death he would die.

Here, Christ refers to himself once again as “being lifted up.” And by saying “from the earth,” it seems like he is referring to his upcoming ascension, in which he would bodily lift off from the earth and ascended into heaven, in plain view of his disciples. The disciples, in the Book of Acts, would later refer to Christ’s ascension in these terms, connecting them also to Christ’s resurrection. Here is what Peter said in his first sermon:

This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. (Acts 2:32-33)

Then, he said this to the Sanhedrin:

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31-32)

From this, we see that the resurrection of Christ and the ascension of Christ are each a key aspect of a larger, bigger-picture “lifting up” of Christ which was initiated at the cross.
Then there is this crucial and special passage in the Old Testament (OT) book of Isaiah, what we call the “Servant Songs,” which foretells of a coming suffering Messiah who would rescue us from our sins. Notice how this prophecy of Christ uses “exaltation” language, the same words in Hebrew as the Greek words for “lift up” in the New Testament (NT).

Behold, my Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; (Isaiah 52:13-14)

Here, we begin by reading about one who sounds as though he will be lifted up, promoted, and exalted as a glorious king, only to find out that he is going to be lifted up in a very different way, instead. On a cross of shame.

So, though the cross was a painful, excruciating experience for Christ, he viewed it as his very exaltation – being lifted up as a rescuer and king, not a sufferer and helpless victim. More about this in just a minute, but first, let’s see what Christ himself says about this in the Gospel of John.

His crucifixion resembled a curious Old Testament event.

In speaking with Nicodemus, a highly skilled student and master teacher of the OT, Christ referred back to one of the true stories from Israel’s journey through the wilderness with Moses (Num 21:4-9):

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

In this incident, we see the sinfulness of the Israelite people on full display. They had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt, but their behavior in the wilderness demonstrated very clearly that they had not yet been rescued from a greater enslavement, that of being enslaved to sin. We know this because despite God’s great grace and loyalty to them, they repeatedly strayed into idolatry and – esp. complaining. They complained about their conditions, they complained about Moses, and they complained about God many times.

On this occasion, they had run out of water and had been eating manna, that bread sent down by God from the sky, day after day, with no variety or alternative food options. Would you have complained? God did not tolerate their complaining on this occasion, though, so he sent venomous snakes among them, and many people died as a result, while others were deathly ill. Moses prayed for God to heal them, but God required them to look to a snake on a pole that Moses would make for them, first. If any would come to the center of the camp and look at the snake on a pole, God would heal them.

Why would God do this? Because he wanted them to exhibit humility by going publicly to the center of the camp, which would acknowledge their helplessness and sinfulness before others. Second, he wanted them to understand that faith was required and that though this faith required them to make a choice (look at the snake on a pole), it only required them to look and not do anything else.

In this way, Christ compared his coming exaltation on the cross to this snake on a pole which Moses lifted up. To be forgiven and healed from our sin by God, we cannot accomplish this in our own effort and strength, we must look to Christ’s atoning death on the cross instead. To be forgiven, we can do nothing but look to the cross.

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2)

More importantly, it identified him as God’s promised Savior.

This “lifting up” identifies Christ as God’s promised Savior (Messiah). I say this, because it identifies Christ as “the Son of Man.” What does the title “the Son of Man” mean?

First, it says something about the nature of Christ – that he is a man, a human. In other words, it means that everything a human being is, he is all of those things perfectly. Said differently, there is no other person as human as Jesus, for all other humans are something less that God intended humans to be. So, the question is not whether Jesus is as human as I am (or as we are), but are we as human as Jesus? So, because Jesus is the ideal, perfect human from God, he is the only human being who rightfully and fully deserves to judge mankind and rule the world.

Second, this title “the Son of Man” is a special title used first in the OT to describe the man that God would send on his behalf to rescue people from sin and establish God’s kingdom in the world forever (Dan 7:13-14).

I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

So, Christ is the only human who rightfully deserves to rule over the world and who rightfully must be submitted to as Lord. He is sent from God, from heaven, to rule and to reign – to be exalted over all mankind.

John 8:28 tells us the same thing:

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 of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

Ultimately, it provides our salvation from death to life.

So, “looking to the Son of Man” delivers us from our sin. Similar to how looking to the serpent lifted upon the pole by Moses guaranteed physical healing to those dying Israelites, looking to Christ lifted up on the cross guarantees spiritual healing from the effect of our sinfulness. It is believing on and looking to Christ alone that guarantees we will not die.

To illustrate, envision how a sailor must keep an eye on the beacon of a lighthouse lifted up and shining brightly as it approaches the rocky shoreline in a storm. If he follows that light and keeps his eyes trained closely on it, he will be saved, but if not, then he will perish in the storm.

If you refuse to look to Christ on the cross by faith, you will “perish.” This means that you will remain separated from God forever. When you die, you will not enter into God’s presence in heaven but will enter into a fiery hell, after which you will appear before the Great White Throne to be judged by God for your sin and refusal to believe in Christ. There, you will be declared guilty by Christ and cast into the Lake of Fire forever.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:11-15)

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Rev 21:8)

All of this can be avoided, though, if you will look to Christ on the cross as the Son of Man, that perfect human who is both God himself and from God.

We must believe on Christ to receive eternal life.

We access this salvation from sin and death by looking to Christ’s death for us in complete faith and submission. When we see Christ on the cross, we see not only a suffering sacrifice but an exalted King who is rightfully taking his place and proving his exclusive, unrivaled credentials as both the judge and king of all mankind. No other man has ever been exalted in this way.

So, when you look at the cross of Christ, what do you see? Do you see a humiliated human or the exalted Son of Man lifted up as our Savior and King? These verses about the “lifting up of Christ” are important because they precede and lead up to what may be the most well-known Bible verse of all time, John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

So, I would like to ask you two questions today in closing:

• Have you acknowledged your sinfulness, like the Israelites who complained and were bitten by venomous snakes and dying, and like them, taken steps towards Christ in your heart to “look” to him alone by faith as your salvation? If not, let me encourage you to do so today. Look to Jesus and live, be forgiven from your sins and delivered from death in the Lake of Fire by believing on Christ alone as your God and Savior.
• For those who have believed on Christ by faith alone, do you truly see him as a King on that cross, or only as a suffering Savior? As we envision him dying on that cross for us, we must see him not as a helpless, suffering, unfortunate Savior but as a conquering, exalted, and powerful king, securing the faith and salvation of those who will believe on him and taking his rightful place over all mankind as God’s promised Deliverer and King.
• Also for those who are already looking to Christ as Savior and King, have you accepted his call to embrace humiliation as your exaltation, too?

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24)

It is by seeing Christ on the cross as exalted King that we recognize it is through the crucifixion that Christ’s deity and royalty shine through. It is through his exaltation on the cross that he secured his place on the throne of the universe and demonstrated most forcefully, emphatically, and clearly that he is the Messiah, the King of the universe, the Savior of mankind. His death on the cross did not obscure his deity and identity, it made his deity and identity most clear – for no one else would ever be exalted in that way but Christ.

Discussion Questions

• Is the dress blue or gold?
• The dress was a 2015 online viral phenomenon centered on a photograph of a dress. Viewers disagreed on whether the dress was blue and black, or white and gold. The phenomenon revealed differences in human color perception and became the subject of scientific investigations into neuroscience and vision science.
• How much does perspective matter? Why?
• Why is the cross viewed as shameful?
• How do we change our perspective on the shame of the cross?
• Why was it embarrassing for the Israelites to go to the serpent and look upon it?
• Can embarrassment be a good thing? If so, why?