What Jesus Did : John 8:25-28 - Lifted Up to Save Us

    by Phil Ware

    Lifted Up to Save Us - John 8:25-28

    The Jews asked, "Then who are you?" Jesus answered, "I am what I have told you from the beginning. I have many things I could say to judge you. But I tell people only the things I have heard from the One that sent me. And he speaks the truth." These Jews did not understand who Jesus was talking about. Jesus was telling them about the Father (God). So Jesus said to them, "You will lift up (kill) the Son of Man. Then you will know that I AM. You will know that these things I do are not by my own authority (power). You will know that I say only the things that the Father has taught me." (ERV) Full Text

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    Key Thought

    John uses such a simple vocabulary to tell the story of Jesus in such a magnificent way. The term lifted up can mean "to physically lift" something up or it can mean "to exalt." The latter use is more prominent in the New Testament and in common usage. For John, however, the two mean the same thing. Jesus is exalted when he is lifted up on the Cross. Far from being something of shame, it was God's way of reaching the hearts of people. Jesus does what he does because it is the Father's way of reaching people. Unfortunately, so many miss the wonders of this sacrificial love. Yet for those of us who have been touched by this display of grace, it is God's power to cleanse and transform us.


    Today's Prayer

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    For your wondrous love, O God, I praise and thank you. For your incredible sacrifice, Lord Jesus, I praise you for your obedience and your love. Amen.


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    Today's Verses in Context


    Again, Jesus said to the people, "I will leave you. You will look for me, but you will die with your sin. You cannot come where I am going." So the Jewish leaders asked themselves, "Will Jesus kill himself? Is that why he said, 'You cannot come where I am going'?" But Jesus said to those Jews, "You people are from here below. But I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't belong to this world. I told you that you would die with your sins. Yes, you will die with your sins, if you don't believe that I AM. " The Jews asked, "Then who are you?" Jesus answered, "I am what I have told you from the beginning. I have many things I could say to judge you. But I tell people only the things I have heard from the One that sent me. And he speaks the truth." These Jews did not understand who Jesus was talking about. Jesus was telling them about the Father (God). So Jesus said to them, "You will lift up (kill) the Son of Man. Then you will know that I AM. You will know that these things I do are not by my own authority (power). You will know that I say only the things that the Father has taught me. The One (God) who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him. So he has not left me alone."

    -- John 8:21-29 (ERV)

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