All Men Are Drawn to the Uplifted Saviour, August 2

Christ to Be Lifted Up

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:32.SD 221.1

Never before was there such a general knowledge of Jesus as when He hung upon the cross. He was lifted up from the earth, to draw all to Him. Into the hearts of many who beheld that crucifixion scene, and who heard Christ's words, was the light of truth to shine. With John they would proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” There were those who never rested until, searching the Scriptures and comparing passage with passage, they saw the meaning of Christ's mission. They saw that free forgiveness was provided by Him whose tender mercy embraced the whole world. They read the prophecies regarding Christ, and the promises so free and full, pointing to a fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem.^{2Manuscript 45, 1897.}SD 221.2

The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Saviour's atonement. Those who study the Redeemer's wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.SD 221.3

I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption,—the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. This is to be the theme of every discourse.^{3Manuscript 70, 1901.}SD 221.4

Jesus is inviting and drawing by His Holy Spirit the hearts of young and old to Himself.... When Christ crucified is preached, the power of the gospel is demonstrated by the influence it exerts over the believer. In place of remaining dead in trespasses and sins, he is awakened.^{4The Youth's Instructor, January 19, 1893.}SD 221.5

Lift up the Man of Calvary higher and still higher; there is power in the exaltation of the cross of Christ.^{5Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 434.}SD 221.6