The last letter S- The cross is a reminder of Salvation

 John 3:14 “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. "

Luke 19: 10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

When Jesus is "lifted up" is not a reference to the ascension nor even to the second coming of Christ. It is referring again most powerfully to the cross.  Jesus is not saying that all men will be saved. It speaks about all kinds of people being drawn to Him when He is lifted up.

What was the reference to Moses? You may remember that in the desert in Exodus, there were snakes that plagued the people and people were dying. The Lord told Moses to lift up a golden serpent upon the pole and when people looked at it they would be healed from death. What did that symbolize? The serpent of course points to Satan. This is obviously a picture and type of the cross. Just as the snakes bit the people who were dying, so Satan’s bite on humanity and sin is result of death. Sin was crucified on that pole. When Jesus took our sin on the cross, we look to Him for spiritual life. The purity in Jesus' divinity and the serpent on the cross represented Christ 's death and Satan's destruction. All sin was judged on that cross, but only those who looked upon it lived.

For it is in the cross of Christ that salvation and forgiveness is offered by God to mankind. There is no other way than coming to the cross. Jesus is the only way to the Father regardless of how many people are offended. The cross is an offense to many people - gory, bloody, and cruel. For a loving God to require such a thing - how horrible, but He is just. Sin can be purchased in no other way. In His love Christ met the requirements by taking it upon Himself that we might be saved. 

You remember on that day when He was lifted up and all the sky became black, Jesus cried "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." There was one of the mockers standing there, the centurion, who saw Jesus lifted up from the earth. His heart was convicted of sin and he said, "Truly this was the Son of God."

You remember on the right side was a thief and robber who turned to Jesus and realized who he was and prayed, "Lord, remember me when you enter into your kingdom." "Jesus responded with that word of assurance and salvation. "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise."

Remember shortly after the cross there was a follower, a secret disciple, named Joseph of Arimathea, who had listened to His teaching, watched His miracles, and was impressed by His life style, but remained a secret disciple. What happened? After the cross he no longer hid from the opinion of the fellows in the Sanhedrin. He stepped forward and publicly asked to take the body. He, with Nicodemus, dressed Jesus for burial. It was not Jesus' life that made Joseph stand up and be counted. It was Jesus’ death. It was the power of the cross that drew him into being an open and active witness.

In Africa, there was a missionary who tried to share various stories with tribal people and share God's love. When he got to the cross people looked and asked, “Why is he suffering?” When they heard He was God's Son and sin placed Him there, many cried and came to trust Christ by faith. The theme the missionary needed was no other than the story of Jesus on the cross. He remembered the scripture passage "When he is lifted up he will draw all men to himself" and the thief, the saint, the Roman soldier, the accused woman, the Sanhedrin secret admirer, the intellect and the African tribesman. The reason Jesus went to the cross was for our salvation.

This Holy Week depicts the events leading to the cross, the burial and to Resurrection Sunday. It is a time of worship as saved people. Jesus went to the cross because of Compassion, Reconciliation, Obedience, Satan, and Salvation.

Application:  Have you put your faith in Jesus?

Prayer:  Father, thank you that I am saved by the blood of the Lamb, my Jesus, my Savior.