December 21 - Uplifted Savior

December 21 - Uplifted Savior (John 19:16-19)

I didn’t create the titles for these passages – I actually took them from a listing in my Thompson Chain Reference Bible and that means I took them as a challenge – to be able to write something that made sense for both the scripture passage and the title. 

Today it has taken me a bit to move beyond bafflement.  This is a very interesting title for the Crucifixion passage found in John.

As I began doing some reading about this, I find myself floored by the interpretation of this passage.  May saw in the crucifixion of Jesus … His enthronement.  As His body was literally being lifted up, so was the reign that He was to begin.

Notice that John differs from Luke’s story (Luke 23:26) by saying that Jesus carried his own cross as opposed to Simon the Cyrene being pressed into service.  There were several heresies that intimate Simon was actually the one who ended up being crucified and that Jesus escaped with his life, which explained the sightings after the crucifixion.  John was ensuring that people believed Christ was carrying the wood for his cross to the sacrifice, much as Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice in Genesis 22:6

John is the only one of the gospels to tell us of the notification that Pilate had attached to the cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (John 19:19)  He goes on to say that the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Geek so that everyone would be able to read it and understand.  When the Jewish priests protested and asked Pilate to change the sign, he refused saying, “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:22)

No matter how much time we spend focusing on the pain of the crucifixion and the terribleness of the act, John simply uses a few words, “Here they crucified him …” (John 19:18)

This moment is seen by John as the moment that Jesus is exalted and reaches the highest heaven.  He is the king … the cross was his throne.  The day of His crucifixion … He was lifted up and became the Savior of the world.