Towards Easter: Lifted Up

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.”