Another day, more conflict with the religious leaders. Today, they get exasperated with Jesus because they are not approaching Him with faith. They ask him, “Who are you?” Jesus tells them that when they lift Him up, they will know who he is. This is talking about the cross, yes, but it’s more than that. When we lift up Jesus through testimony and point out what Jesus is doing, people are drawn to Him. Today, do we lift Him up? Do we point others to Him? Do we lift up or tear down? Let us lift up Jesus!

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Good morning! It’s great to be with you on this Tuesday morning. I hope you’re doing well today as we continue our time together in the Gospel of John. Today, we’ll be diving into John chapter 8, verses 21-30.

Jesus speaks in these verses, saying, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” The people around him respond with confusion, asking, “Is he going to kill himself?” They didn’t understand what Jesus was really saying. He continues, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.”

In this passage, Jesus emphasizes that without faith in him, there is no understanding or salvation. The people listening are trying to comprehend his words with logic, but their confusion shows how difficult it is to grasp spiritual truth without faith. In verse 25, they ask, “Who are you?” You can almost picture their frustration and confusion as they struggle to understand what Jesus is teaching. They are approaching him with their minds, but without faith, the message isn’t getting through.

Jesus makes a powerful statement in verse 28: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak just what the Father has taught me.” This refers to his crucifixion, where he will be “lifted up,” just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness to bring healing. When Jesus is lifted up on the cross, he will draw all people to himself, offering them salvation.

This idea of “lifting up” also has a deeper spiritual significance for us. Not only does Jesus refer to his crucifixion, but we are also called to lift up Jesus in our own lives. When we do this—when we share our testimony and speak about the great things God is doing—we point others to him. Revelation 12:11 tells us that the devil is defeated by the blood of the Lamb and the power of our testimony. By lifting up Jesus, we offer hope to a world in desperate need of it.

In today’s world, people are searching for hope, peace, and something to believe in. When we lift up Jesus through our words, our actions, and even our social media, we have the opportunity to point others to the source of true hope. It’s easy to get caught up in negativity or criticism, but the world already has enough critics. What people need is hope, and Jesus is that hope.

As Christians, our main job is to lift up the name of Jesus. The way we speak, the way we live, and the way we interact with others should all point to him. So today, let’s ask ourselves: Are we lifting up Jesus? Are our words, actions, and lives reflecting his love and grace? The world is looking for him, and when we lift him up, amazing things happen.

Thank you for joining me today. Tomorrow, we’ll continue with John chapter 8, verse 31. Have a wonderful day!