“Lifted Up”

Sunday, September 22, 2024

In last week’s article, we examined a trend common among God’s people, in which they find themselves at times without a tribe, standing alone with both sides of a dispute attacking or heaping scorn upon them. This uncomfortable situation is part of God’s plan, as Jesus said to his brothers, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil” (Jn 7.7). In fact, Jesus is the touchstone example of this trend. The Judean Jews looked down on those from Galilee and the Galileans resented it; but they were united in rejecting Jesus! The Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed religiously and politically, and despised each other; but they were united to get rid of Jesus! The Jews and Romans hated each other; but they were united to kill Jesus!

This was symbolized neatly in Jesus’ crucifixion, when he was suspended between earth and heaven, out of place in either. He was out of place on earth, because he was truly righteous, despite enduring the same temptation “common to man” (1Co 10.13). He was out of place in heaven, because he had “emptied himself” and become human (Php 2.7). He had to finish his task on earth and be reborn from the grave, so to speak, in a “glorious body” (Php 3.21), before ascending back to his Father’s throne, “crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death” (He 2.9). As we observed last week, Jesus had predicted this very thing—as well as its dual nature, at once honoring and scorning him—in his nocturnal discussion with timid Nicodemus. Jesus referred to the incident recorded in Numbers 21 in which the Israelites grumbled against God in the wilderness and were punished by a plague of venomous snakes. Afterward God directed Moses to give them an emblem, suspended on a pole, to look upon in faith and be healed. The similarity to Jesus’ crucifixion is obvious,  but there’s another, more subtle, Old Testament reference embedded in this prediction from Jesus.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

(John 3.14-15)

Note the repetition of the phrase, “lifted up.” This doesn’t appear to be distinctive from the outset—it’s a common phrase. Forms of the Greek word, ὑψόω-hupsŏō, show up eighteen times in the New Testament, and nearly two hundred in the Greek Old Testament! But when we examine them, a clearer picture appears. Of the New Testament uses, nearly all of them refer to lifting up eyes or hands, or else make a promise or observation about the lowly being exalted. Only seven times does it refer directly to Jesus. Two of those are in successive versions of the same sermon by Peter in the book of Acts (2.33 & 5.31); the other five are all in John’s Gospel.

But could it be referring to a specific Old Testament passage, when the word in question is so commonly found there? It would be tedious to examine each case, but suffice to say, several of its uses, especially in the Psalms, could be construed as at least vaguely Messianic; but only one is blatantly obvious.

Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

he shall be high and lifted up,

and shall be exalted.

(Isaiah 52.13)

Jesus also spoke of this to the religious leaders in Jerusalem, who were already scheming to get rid of him (cf. Jn 7.32, 45-52). He said they did not know God (8.19), that they were “from below” (v23), and that they would die in their sins (vv21 & 24). Then he told them,

“When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he…”

(John 8.28)

He’s not talking about glorification. He means his upcoming crucifixion. Crucifixion was a horrible way to die, and part of the misery came from becoming a public spectacle of shame and death. Prior to being affixed to the cross, the victim was generally flogged within an inch of his life, so that his body was practically destroyed, even before he was stripped naked, stretched out on the cross, and lifted up for all to see. Back in Isaiah, right after saying his servant would be lifted up and exalted, God added,

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind…

(Isaiah 52.14)

These two ways of being lifted up stand in stark contrast, and emphasize the point about being stuck in the middle, as we discussed last week. But Jesus said one more thing about his being “lifted up.”

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

(John 12.31-33)

Perhaps we no longer needed John’s interpretive note; and Jesus’ audience on this occasion likewise understood what he meant (cf. v24). But what about the rest of what he said? This is bigger than the nation of Israel, involving “all people”! Once again, that brings us back to the next lines from Isaiah.

…so shall he sprinkle many nations.

Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,

for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand.

(Isaiah 52.15)

This was always God’s plan—to send his Son into the world, to be lifted up by all men. You must choose whether to lift him up as an object of derision and contempt, or one of admiration and hope for life.

Jeremy Nettles

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