When I Am Lifted Up | The Cross of Christ and God’s Victory of Love

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” From the twelfth chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Some of the last words of Jesus, during his public ministry, were about the certainty of his victory over sin and death, which is symbolized by his cross. We tend to forget that Jesus Christ is the victor, and that his kingdom is now here, and that it will be fulfilled on that last great day. We live in a place of tension; where we sense the powers of darkness on a daily basis, and yet we are filled with hope because of the Passion of Our Lord, which is symbolized by the cross.

Each time you gaze upon the Altar Cross, or the crucifix above the pulpit, or any image of the cross, you are reminded of God’s deep love for all people. He deeply loves every person, and he longs for all to experience the loving embrace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who bled and died so that they might live eternally in his kingdom.

In twelfth chapter of St. John’s Gospel Jesus says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” This was not the first time Jesus said that he would be lifted up. Earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “And just 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.” Moses was commanded by God to make a bronze serpent on a pole. Those who were bitten by venomous snakes could be restored to health simply by  looking at the bronze serpent. So that all humanity might be redeemed from certain destruction, Jesus had to be raised up onto the torturous cross. “He was wounded for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.”

Look upon that holy cross and be mindful of God’s love for us all. What the Romans meant for evil, God turned for good. The cross, formerly a symbol of shame and punishment, became an unlikely symbol of our freedom from destruction. God made a way, through Jesus Christ, for us to be reconciled to him. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord will be spared from God’s wrath, by the perfect, atoning sacrifice of Jesus. “ In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” When you look at the cross, you see the love of God for us.

Pope Benedict the Sixteenth wrote, in his book called Jesus of Nazareth, about humanity’s incessant search for things it wants and needs. The Holy Father recognized we live in a tension-filled world, wherein we are tempted to fulfill for ourselves all of our desires and longings, and to neglect and abandon the only thing which can ever bring us true joy and fulfillment. He said, “In the end, man needs just one thing, in which everything else is included; but he must first delve beyond his superficial wishes and longings in order to learn to recognize what it is that he truly needs and truly wants. He needs God.” God upholds us, sustains us, and continually delivers us from the sins that wish to bring us down into the pit.

In those times when enemy is scratching at the door, we look to the holy cross of Christ for courage to stand against darkness. This is not, however, the typical courage laced with hubris that the world offers us. The courage of Christ is best depicted by the crucifix. Christ’s body, thinned and bruised, hangs seemingly lifeless from the hard wood of the cross. At first glance it appears that all hope is lost. We know, however, that through his death and resurrection he has obtained for us the gift of eternal life. Jesus draws all people to himself with outstretched arms. His wounds give us life. The crucifixion of Jesus is a demonstration of God’s kindness toward us, which we do not deserve.

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