Jesus made a profound statement a few days before he was to be crucified. He said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). The statement that Jesus made was prophetic of the death he was about to die, but it also pointed to the power that would be released through the cross.
There are two ways the "lifting up" applied. First, when Jesus was lifted up on the cross, he became a curse for us so that we could become partakers of the blessing of the promise of Abraham (Gal 3:13-14). The humiliation and sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, being witnessed by his own creation, allowed him to purchase our salvation. But many don't know about the salvation that has been purchased, so it must be proclaimed.
The second way of "lifting up" Jesus is the proclaiming of Jesus and the salvation He purchased. Without the cross there would be no power to draw men. But the cross provided the precious blood which redeems us. Because of the precious blood which redeems us, the Spirit of Christ (the Holy Ghost) is made available to all humanity (Acts 2:16-21).
When people start to proclaim Jesus and what He has done, the power of God's Spirit is released to draw all men. We can rejoice in the baptism of the Holy Ghost; it is both glorious and necessary, but we must never forget to lift up Jesus. For the church to be successful in its ordained purpose, we must keep our focus on Jesus and lift him up. We must seek to glorify Jesus in every way so that all men can have an opportunity to be drawn to him. Let's keep our focus on Jesus.
