TOWARDS EASTER 2026: LIFTED UP
JOHN 12:20-36
#easter2026
INTRODUCTION… The “Lion King” Lift (p)
When I was a teenager, my very first job was at the Wagon Wheel Theater on a US Army base in Baumholder, Germany. I worked at the theater in my junior and senior year of high school. The years I did that were 1993-1995. That means I worked in the theater when Jurassic Park (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), The Lion King (1994), and Toy Story (1995) came out. Big movies came out in those years, and the lines never stopped coming for some of those movies. For example, people would watch Jurassic Park over and over which is why it was the #1 movie of all time for many years until it was sunk by Titanic (1997).
In those years, one of the previews would play repeatedly in anticipation of the movie coming out… it was the preview for the Lion King. The preview starts with a distinctive loud African chant. The sun rises over the plains of Africa as animals look to the sky. Then Elton John comes on singing about the circle of life. It is all majestic. After about the 20th time seeing and hearing the preview it is annoying, but the first couple of times it is wonderful and exciting!
The very last scene of the preview is the baboon shaman Rafiki holding up the young lion cub above all the animals on top of the pride rock… the sun shining down from the heavens… then a drum beats dramatically… and the screen goes to black. It is a very stirring preview. That scene of the lifting of the lion cub is famous and has been copied and made fun of many times. I think I even remember Disney redoing the scene to make fun of itself… where Rafiki holds up Simba… and he accidentally trips dropping Simba off the side of the cliff.
The “Lion King Lift” in this preview is famous. The act itself is very symbolic. It represents the presentation of the heir of the pride of lions. It introduces the new king to the kingdom of animals that have come to pay tribute. It is also a way of reinforcing the cycle of life and the incoming of the next generation.
I mention the “Lion King Lift” because in the passage we are going to dig into today we have a “lifting up” that is talked about that is more meaningful. The “lifting up” is a preview of what will happen to Jesus of Nazareth at His crucifixion. It is not a preview that happens once, but like all previews, it happens multiple times.
TRANSITION / REMINDER
We are going to read from John 12 this morning and then we are doing to skip back through the Gospel of John seeing the other times this preview is used. I want to remind you a little bit of last week as we covered the first verses in chapter 12. The events of John 12 happen towards the end of Jesus’ ministry after He has done things like talk with Nicodemus (John 3), witness to the Samaritan woman (John 4), healed paralytics (John 5), fed the 5,000 (John 6), walked on water (John 6), shown mercy to a woman caught in adultery (John 8), escaped a mob trying to stone Him (John 8), and healed a man born blind (John 9). We know that Lazarus has already died and has been raised to life again (John 11). All of that has already happened. John 12 actually happens in the last week of Jesus’ life as people are preparing for the Passover Feast in Jerusalem.
Let’s read from John 12:20-36.
PASSAGE ONE: JOHN 12
JOHN 12:20-36 (ESV)
“Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 27 “Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a Voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This Voice has come for your sake, not Mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
What is going on in this passage?
Some Greeks, who we identify as Gentile God-fearers, came to Jerusalem for the Passover to worship. These would be non-Jewish folks who believed in God Almighty but had not become full-fledged Jews. They find the Apostle Philip to see if they can see Jesus of Nazareth. By this point in Jesus’ ministry, depending on who you are… Jesus is either famous or infamous. Philip tells Andrew, and together they bring the request to Jesus.
This request by these travelers triggers Jesus’ announcement that His “hour” has come. It brings some angst to Him because He knows how His week will end. We usually think that Jesus endured negative feelings and apprehension just in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22) right before He was betrayed and arrested, but we see in this passage a whole week before those events that Jesus felt the weight of what was bearing down on Him (verse 27).
We don’t know if Jesus ever met with the Greek folks. He may have spoken with Sigma Chi or Kappa Kappa Gamma, but we don’t know. We do know that Jesus responds to His disciples with an agricultural metaphor involving a grain of wheat and a harvest. The metaphor of the wheat means death produces life. Jesus has death on the brain. In context, the death of Jesus will produce life for many. Sacrifice precedes multiplication. The purpose of Jesus’ death is life for others. Jesus is troubled, but He knows He cannot both hold onto His life and give salvation to us. He chose to give up His life that we might have salvation.
Jesus openly acknowledges His distress. He tells the disciples He is troubled. Stress. Distress. Hurt. Worry. Angst. Anxiety. Jesus prays and His focus is glorifying God in His distress. God’s Voice from Heaven, for the third time in His life (#1 baptism, #2 transfiguration), responds and affirms Him. This divine Voice confirms the Father’s approval of Jesus’ mission.
Jesus then explains that His lifting up on the cross will accomplish much. Being lifted up on the cross:
* Brings judgment on the world because of sin.
* The ruler of this world, Satan, will be cast out and loses.
* Jesus will draw all people to Himself.
Again, take note of what Jesus says, the week before His crucifixion, what His death will accomplish:
* Brings judgment on the world because of sin.
* The ruler of this world, Satan, will be cast out and loses.
* Jesus will draw all people to Himself.
TRANSITION
I mention this because this is not the only time Jesus previews that He will be lifted up on the cross. Just like the Lion King that was previewed over and over in the early 1990s, so Jesus talks about His death before it comes. The way we read the Gospels the disciples all seem quite surprised and traumatized when Jesus is arrested and crucified, but Jesus did tell them. Yes… they should have been traumatized, but no… they should not have been surprised. He told them He would die. He told them He would die… for them. Let’s look back in John 8 at another time Jesus predicted He would be “lifted up” on the cross.
PASSAGE TWO: JOHN 8
READ JOHN 8:23-30 (ESV)
“He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but He Who sent Me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from Him.” 27 They did not understand that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me. 29 And He Who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30 As He was saying these things, many believed in Him.”
What is going on in this passage?
Jesus is speaking about being “lifted up.” This is a preview about His death.
We kind of jump into the passage midway, but what is going on? Jesus has just ministered to a woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1-11) as the Pharisees and other teachers of the law are actively trying to trap Him and discredit Him. Jesus is explaining to the religious leaders Who He is, where He comes from, and why belief in Him is essential for salvation.
Jesus declares that He has a heavenly origin which in the minds of the leaders is very strange for a human being to say. Jesus says His identity and authority come from God. He even uses terms to them in which He is claiming divinity.
Jesus is very very very very clear in verse 24: “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” The phrase He keeps repeating by saying “I am” is a phrase that echoes God’s divine Name revealed in the Old Testament in Exodus 3:14. We don’t see it clearly in English, but Jesus is stating outright and even in a lowkey manner that salvation depends on recognizing and trusting Jesus’ true identity as the Son of God.
It is in verse 28 where Jesus talks about being “lifted up.” That is why we are in this passage. He states He will be “lifted up.” “Lifted up” again refers to His crucifixion. In an ironic fashion that perhaps only God can orchestrate, the very act meant to destroy, get rid of, and kill Jesus will actually reveal His identity, spread His message, and usher in salvation for all of us. In killing Jesus, the religious leaders will get the answer about His identity.
Jesus explains that His lifting up on the cross will accomplish something very specific. Being lifted up on the cross:
* Brings salvation from sins.
I love how this section of John 8 ends. It ends with faith is beginning to emerge even though the religious leaders want to get rid of Jesus. God’s will is that Jesus dies for the sins of many. Jesus even says He is doing everything the Father wants Him to. Many people believe in Him.
GOSPEL INVITATION
By the way, that is how one becomes a follower of Christ. Following Jesus means you believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Faith. Trust. Surrender. When we confess that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, we trust that Jesus will do what He says He will do based on what He has already done! You don’t have to understand it all. You don’t have to get your life straight first. You can’t earn it. You can’t buy it. You can’t fake it. Just like Jesus said in Mark 1…
READ MARK 1:15 (ESV)
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
TRANSITION
So far Jesus has used this phrase “lifted up” in John 12 to talk about His death and also in John 8. Jesus not only told His disciples that He would die, but He told anyone listening that He would die. He told them He would die for them because of sin. Let’s look back on our final passage, in John 3, at another time Jesus predicted He would be lifted up on the cross.
I want you to notice, and I am doing this on purpose, that we started in John 12 and then went backward in time to John 8 and now we are going backward in time to John 3. I am doing that so that you can see that during His whole ministry Jesus was mentioning He would die. I am doing that so that you can see that the death of Jesus on the cross was always the plan! Jesus’ death was never and accident or only a possibility, but His purpose for His whole life.
PASSAGE THREE: JOHN 3
READ JOHN 3:14-17 (ESV)
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
What is going on in this passage?
Jesus is speaking about being “lifted up.” This is a preview about His death.
This passage appears in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council. In verse 14, Jesus refers to an event from Israel’s wilderness wandering history after slavery in Egypt from the book of Numbers. In Numbers 21, when Israel was struck by deadly snakes because of their sinful rebellion, God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole so that anyone who looked at it in faith was healed.
Jesus uses that event from Israel’s history to connect the dots for Nicodemus. Jesus makes the connection that just like the serpent was lifted up on a pole and people were saved from their sins so He, Jesus, will be lifted up on the cross and people will be saved from their sins. Those who look to Him in faith receive life (verse 15). Connect the dots.
Jesus goes on to explain to Nicodemus the motivation for all that Jesus will do. The motivation for the cross of Christ is important. The explanation of the motivation for Jesus dying on the cross is perhaps one of the most well-known statements in the Bible. John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the whole Bible.
Jesus explains that His lifting up on the cross will accomplish something very specific and has particular motivation. In being lifted up on the cross, Jesus shows us:
* God’s love for us is the motivation for salvation.
* God’s love extends to all humanity.
* God sent Jesus… the incarnation… for salvation purposes.
* God sent Jesus… to the cross… for salvation purposes.
Now, it is important to note that salvation or eternal life does not just mean just endless bliss filled blessed existence on clouds eating bon bons, but actually means a restored relationship with God where we are adopted into His family. Jesus restores our relationship with God the Father which we lose/lost because of sin.
TRANSITION
I want to make sure we emphasize well the “lifting up” of Jesus as it is the point of what we are talking about today.
APPLICATION / REPETITION
At the start, I mentioned the “Lion King Lift” which is an iconic scene in a movie and has been copied again and again. As I mentioned before, the act itself in the movie is very symbolic. It represents the presentation of the heir of the pride of lions. It introduces the new king to the kingdom of animals that have come to pay tribute. It is also a way of reinforcing the cycle of life and the incoming of the next generation. The scene is so important that at the end of the movie, Simba’s cub is raised in the same way ushering in the new circle of life. It has great meaning in the movie.
The “lifting up” of Jesus was an actual event which has great theological meaning. The death of Jesus on the cross… His being “lifted up”… means much to our souls. It is not just symbolism. It also is something that is not repeated.
* Jesus was lifted up and died once to brings judgment on the world for sin.
* Jesus was lifted up and died once casting Satan out and ensuring his defeat.
* Jesus was lifted up and died once drawing all people to Himself in faith.
* Jesus was lifted up and died once giving us salvation from sins.
* Jesus was lifted up and died once because God loves all of us.
* Jesus was lifted up and died once bringing us salvation ensuring a restored relationship with God.
The Bible shares this truth with us elsewhere in the Bible.
READ HEBREWS 7:27 (ESV)
“He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for His own sins and then for those of the people, since He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.”
READ HEBREWS 9:12 (ESV)
“He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
POEM… Lifted Up
In the wilderness long ago, when the people were weary and bitten by death,
a bronze serpent was lifted up, and the dying looked—and lived.
Centuries later in a crowded city, a Teacher spoke words from heaven:
“Just as Moses lifted it high in the desert, so the Son of Man must be “lifted up.”
Not on a throne of gold, but on rough wood and iron nails.
Not before cheering crowds, but before mocking voices and darkened skies.
Still… He would be lifted up.
The cross stands between heaven and earth, a bridge of suffering and love.
And from that place of shame and glory the Savior is lifted up.
Lifted up so the wounded may look and live.
Lifted up so the lost may find their way home.
Lifted up so the world may see the heart of God.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son
and there on the hill called Calvary love itself was lifted up.
PRAYER
INVITATION
