John 3:1415 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

There is a difference in nuance between the English and Japanese translations here. The Japanese says, “so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in the Son of Man.” Eternal life, along with all the other good things that God has prepared for us, is available only in Christ. When my father did his doctoral dissertation on the uses of “In Christ” and related terms in the New testament, a thorough discussion is certainly beyond the scope of a morning devotion! A more manageable element of this passage is the matter of being lifted up. Nicodemus, to whom Jesus was saying this, would not have imagined that He was talking about crucifixion, but that was indeed the first meaning. When Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9) he quite probably put a crosspiece on the pole to support the snake, making the pole into a cross. Those who looked to the snake were saved from their deadly wounds. In the same way, those who look to Christ and acknowledge that He was crucified for them, receive atonement through the blood of Christ and forgiveness for their sins, which are more deadly than any physical wound. Thus the secondary meaning of Jesus’ statement is that today, we must “lift up” Christ, that is, make Him prominent and supreme, so that it will be easy for people to see Him and believe for their salvation. In organized religion it is all too easy for other things to cover up what is central, so all churches and all Christians should be focused on lifting up Christ.

This of course applies fully to me. The minute I fail to proclaim Christ, descended from David, crucified and resurrected, I have failed my purpose, as a pastor and as a Christian. That doesn’t mean waving around a crucifix. Even Moses’ bronze snake later became an object of idolatry, and King Hezekiah had to destroy it. (2 Kings 18:4) What it does mean is that Christ is to be central in all I say and do. I think we’ve done pretty well about that this Christmas, but this is certainly not limited to Christmas! I need to lead each of the believers to have the same priority in their lives, so that individually and collectively we may be Christians indeed.

Father, thank You for all You did yesterday, especially in terms of restoration of people who have been estranged. Thank You for those who came last night, and for those who were here for the first time as well. Help us continue to draw in new people as well as reclaim those who have fallen away, so that the harvest may continue to grow and be conserved, building up a mighty army of people who are fully committed to You not just for their salvation but for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!