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Preached in Markham Baptist Church, May 4, 2008
 

 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  What an astonishing statement this is!  Jesus, John tells us in verse 33, is talking about the kind of death he was about to experience.  Jesus is saying, “When I am lifted up from the earth on the cross, I will draw all people to myself.”  

We know He’s speaking about His death because of the context of the passage.  After some Greeks come wanting to see Jesus, He says the “hour” has come; that is, the time has come for His death. He speaks of the seed and how it must die to produce many seeds.  And then He prays that God, His Father’s name would be glorified, that He would not be rescued from this hour.  His driving passion is to glorify God and God affirms Him and tells Him that this is indeed the path He is to take.  And with that affirmation given Jesus says, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”

What an astonishing thing to say.  If we lived at the time, we would say He was crazy. To think that if you hung on a cross you would draw people to yourself.  If we lived at the time, we would say He was crazy because the cross was seen as a shameful way to die.  The Romans said that when a man was crucified, he should be clothed as one that “steps into a bath.”  That is, he should be completely naked.  He would exposed to the world - how humiliating, how degrading.  Surely it is not the means to draw all people to oneself.

If you were a Hebrew living at the time you would have laughed at the statement. Being a good Hebrew you would know your Scriptures, and you would know that God’s Word says at Deuteronomy 21:23, “Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.”   Surely it can’t be the way to draw the whole world to yourself.

And Scripture recognizes this – We read in 1 Corinthians 1:22,23 - “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles …”

And yet Jesus says, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”   What an astonishing thing to say. 

And yet there is evidence that it is true.  The very hour that Jesus is lifted up on the cross, a thief who is crucified at the same time recognizes the sinlessness and divine Kingship of Jesus Christ and is drawn in and says, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:41,42)

A few hours later when a centurion who has watched Jesus hang on the cross for all those hours and who is present when He dies says, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” (Mark 15:38).   

A few weeks later a follower of Christ by the name of Peter preaches Christ crucified and says, ‘God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”  (Acts 2:36) and on that day 3,000 were “added to their number.”  (Acts 2:41), then later 5,000 people are drawn, then multitudes of priests and elders and scribes are drawn, and then more and more people are drawn from all around the ancient world as Christ crucified is proclaimed. 

What is it?  What is it about the cross, that agony, that terrible day that draws people from every walk of life, from every nation, tongue and tribe? I would suggest that we are drawn to the cross because it is here that we find forgiveness for sin.

The human predicament is sin and our inability to escape it.  You see, Scripture tells us that Christ died for us while we were still powerless (Romans 5:6).  What that means is that we are powerless against the pull and strain of sin – it’s not that we want to be mean, selfish or wicked.  But we find we can’t help it.  We are powerless to do good, and we lack the moral strength to fulfill what we intend.

Not only are we powerless to cleanse ourselves from sin, we are held responsible for our sin.  The wages of sin is death, says Scripture (Romans 6:23).  So we have the existence of sin and the punishment of sin – what are we to do?  How can we be free?

What if one was to take our sin on himself?  What if one was to pay the penalty for our sin?  Could we not be free then?  Yes.  And this is what has happened on the cross.   “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

You see, God has done something for us.  We can’t do anything about our  sin, but God can.    He can take our sin AND He can take its punishment.           

Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was an act of substitution.  O that we would all see the wonder of this and the mystery of it all that our God is able to take our sin and pour it on His Son on the cross and the penalty that was due to you and to me taken by Jesus. 

In the classic story by John Bunyan he tells of a man by the name of Pilgrim going on a journey to the celestial city and he begins his journey with a great burden on his back.  But he finally comes to the cross of Jesus and as he comes to the cross, his burden is loosed from his shoulders, falls off his back and begins to tumble, tumble, tumble, to the mouth of a great pit – where it fell in and pilgrim saw it no more. 

It is a picture of what happens to us all when we come to the cross  - and recognize that there on the cross is one who hangs in my place and takes my penalty.  Some ask, but how can this be? It is not possible.  And Scripture replies, yes it is – through faith. 

It is no wonder that the great John Newton wrote:

“In evil long I took delight

unawed by shame or fear

till a new object struck my sight

that stopped my wild career

 

I saw one hanging on a tree

In Agony and blood

He fixed his languid eye on me

As near that cross I stood.

 

O never to my latest breath

Can I forget that look.

It seemed to charge me with his death

Though not a word he spoke.

 

My conscience felt and owned my guilt

And drove me to despair

I knew my sins his blood had spilt

And helped to nail him there.

 

A second look he gave, which said:

I freely all forgive

This blood is for thy ransom paid.

I died that thou mightest live.”

If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.  Isn’t part of the drawing power the forgiveness we find here? 

Some years ago, Billy graham wrote a best selling book titled simply, ‘Peace with God.”   Do you lack peace today? Do you feel the weight of guilt?  Is there some sin which robs you of your sleep, which makes you feel that you and God will never ever be able to meet here or even across the grave?  Is there some sin which makes you feel and fear that there is no hope for you at all?

My friend, there is forgiveness at the cross of Calvary.  Come, come and be cleansed from that sin.  Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.

Some of you right now can feel the pulling of Christ.   One way you can know He’s there is because He’s drawing you to Himself.  Don’t resist it. Don’t hold back.  Give yourself to Him and He will transform your life and give peace to your soul.  He will grant you everlasting pardon and favour and a place in heaven.  Won’t you invite Him in?  It is the cross that is drawing you.

Consider the invitation of the cross.  Did you know that there was a tiny gigantic word which John Wesley and the early salvationists all loved very deeply, a tiny gigantic word, “ALL.”

All may hear, all may come, all may believe, all may be received into the fellowship of Christ.  All colours, all classes, all cultures.  This tiny gigantic word, all.  All that He asks is faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world.

That’s right –  He asks, He does not force.

Jesus said that He would draw all people – not browbeat them.  He would not force people into the kingdom. No, He will draw them.  It is your choice as to whether or not you want to be part of this Kingdom. 

If you want to taste the fruit of right relationship with God, if you want release from the guilt that haunts you by day and troubles you by night, if you want a quality of life that is satisfying and invigorating - then all you have to do is say, I want you, Jesus. I want you as King of my life.

And He will be there. He is not going to force you, but He does appeal to you, He appeals to the deepest part of you, the part that says no one cares about me, no one loves me. God says I love you so much that I give you my best, my only, my Son.

Do you see it?   Do you see the magnetism of Christ on the cross?  Do you see the magnitude of the cross, Christ’s love stretching out to all, to you?  Do you see the victory of the cross?

Perhaps you are still bound in your sin with no hope of heaven?  Then come to Jesus and find that assurance which only He can give.

Would you know the wonder and love of Christ?  If you haven’t been drawn to Him, I urge you to come now.

An elderly man passed a little boy in the park.  The boy was holding on to a string.  The man looked up and there was nothing in the sky.  He figured whatever it was connected to must be caught in the tree.  He asked, “What are you doing little boy?

He said, “Oh, I’m flying a kite.”  

The man said, “There’s no kite.”

The little boy said, “O yes there is.  It’s just so high you can’t see it.”

“Well, how do you know there’s a kite up there?”

He said, “Ah sir, I can feel it pulling, I can feel it pulling.”

Some of you right now can feel the pulling of Christ.  One way you can know He’s there is because He is drawing you to himself. 

Don’t resist.  Don’t hold back.  Give yourself to Him.  Confess your sins and invite Him in and He will transform your life and give peace to your soul.  He will grant your everlasting pardon and favour and a place in heaven.  Won’t you invite Him in? It is the cross that is drawing you. It is the cross that is drawing you.

If you feel the pull of Christ right now, give yourself to Him and find the joy and peace of everlasting life!

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - May  2008