“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32 ESV).
These words of Jesus come after a striking moment in John’s Gospel. Some Greeks had come to the feast and expressed a desire to see Jesus. Rather than responding directly to their request, Jesus declared that the hour had come for Him to be glorified. His statement about being “lifted up” points to His crucifixion. Through the cross, Jesus would draw all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—to Himself. The Greeks’ request signaled that His mission was reaching its climax. The time had come for the door of salvation to be opened to the world. Jesus would not be seen truly through a casual encounter, but through the fullness of His glory displayed in His death and resurrection.
We often long for our family, friends, and neighbors to see Jesus and know Him. Like Philip and Andrew, we may feel unsure how to bring others to Him. But Jesus reminds us that when He is lifted up, He will do the drawing. This encourages us not to rely on persuasive arguments or perfect presentations. Instead, we are called to lift Jesus up in our words, our worship, and our witness. We lift Jesus up when we live in a way that points to His sacrificial love. We lift Him up when we speak boldly of what He has done on the cross. We lift Him up when we keep the gospel central in our homes, churches, and conversations. Our role is not to draw people to ourselves, but to lift Jesus high and trust Him to draw people to Himself. As we do, we become part of the answer to the Greeks’ desire, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You that through the cross, Jesus draws all people to Himself. Thank You for opening the way of salvation to the whole world. Help us to faithfully lift up Jesus in our lives. Let His sacrificial love shape the way we speak, serve, and share with others. Give us boldness to proclaim Christ crucified and risen, and give us hearts that trust in Your power to draw people to Him. Use us, Lord, to make Jesus known. In His name we pray, amen.