As Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judaea asked him whether he was the King of the Jews.
“My kingdom is not of this world,” Christ responded in John 18:36.
“Art thou a king then?” Pilate asked.
“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,” Christ said.
Centuries earlier, before Christ had been born and Moses was trying to free the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, Jehovah hinted at this same cause as he sent his plagues to afflict the people of Egypt.
In Exodus 9, God explains to Moses he will “send all (his) plagues” to “smite (the) people with pestilence” for a specific purpose.
“For this cause have I raised thee up, for to (show) in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth,” Jehovah explained in Exodus 9:16.
Jesus clearly explained his cause to the people on the American continent when he appeared to them in the flesh following his crucifixion and resurrection.
In 3 Nephi 27:14-15, Christ says,
“My Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men, even so should men be lifted up by the Father.”
“And for this cause have I been lifted up…”
Lifted up
The phrase “lifted up” is a recurring statement in both the Old Testament and Book of Mormon verses and is mentioned frequently in other scriptural passages as well. There are many verses that explain Christ being “lifted up on the cross,” but there are also verses that talk about men being “lifted up” by the Father.
In The Book of Moses, for example, when Enoch had been sent to teach his people, the city became so righteous they were collectively “lifted up.”
“Enoch was high and lifted up even in the bosom of the father,” it says in Moses 7:24.
In a revelation to Joseph Smith in July 1830, the restored church had only been officially organized for a few weeks. Persecution had already started and Christ used this same phrase to teach Joseph about his cause. In Doctrine & Covenants 24:1, Jesus says,
“I have lifted thee up out of thine afflictions … thou hast been delivered from all thine enemies and thou hast been delivered from the powers of … darkness.”
Moses’ calling to deliver his people was ultimately a foreshadowing of Christ, whose cause is to deliver each of us and lift us up in every sense of the word. Christ wants to lift us up with encouraging words throughout our life and fill us with hope amid our afflictions and trials, and he ultimately wants to lift us up to be with him.
The key for us is to avoid being “lifted up in the pride of our hearts,” as was the case with so many throughout the scriptures.
The idea of Christ lifting us up and being our deliverer is beautifully illustrated in two separate paintings from Greg Olsen.
Each photo emphasizes two different perspectives. The one on the right offers a wide view of the individual’s circumstances. The woman is dealing with something difficult. In this case, she’s caught in a waterfall. But the waterfall could represent any difficult trial we face in our life. Often, we get so caught up in our difficult circumstances. We’re angry, doubtful, even fearful and our personal peace is gone and our future seems bleak.
But as the picture on the left illustrates, if we look up beyond our current circumstances, Christ is right there and he’s waiting to “lift us up” and save us. The nature of the trial hasn’t changed, only our perspective.
I see myself in each of these photos and I am grateful for the many times Christ has lifted me out of my sorrows. In the photo on the left, it’s also easy to see myself in the place of Christ and my kids in the place of the two children.
Greg Olsen once shared an experience from his childhood that relates to the message of these paintings.
Olsen’s rescue
As a kid, Greg and his family helped out their friends by working as volunteers at a swimming pool they owned. Olsen sometimes filled in as a lifeguard.
One day, the owner had to leave a few minutes early and Greg agreed to fill in for the rest of the evening. When closing time came, he blew the whistle, which signaled to all the swimmers to get out of the pool.
He went through the routine, which consisted of walking around the pool to make sure no one had left any items behind and that everyone was out. He then made his way to the check-out counter so he could give the swimmers, who were now lined up, their basket of clothes.
As he was handing people their stuff, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, a stray beach ball had made its way to that end of the pool. In a hurry to go home, Greg sent his brother to go get it so he could finish up with the line of swimmers.
A few seconds later, he noticed his brother running to get his dad instead of removing the ball. His dad came and grabbed a wooden pole with a hook on the end of it and put it in the pool.
Greg, thinking this was a lot of unnecessary effort to get a ball out of a swimming pool, then realized what was happening. When his dad pulled the hook out of the water, there was a little girl on the end of it. He learned later that in her attempt to get the ball she had fallen into the pool.
His dad sent someone to call 911 while he performed CPR, which was Greg’s job. His dad kept at it until paramedics arrived and the girl was taken to the hospital.
That night, as Greg and his family got home, the father gathered his family in prayer. He prayed for the little girl and he also prayed for Greg, who felt terrible and “woefully unqualified” because he had not paid enough attention that night.
The girl awoke from a coma six days later. She had no memory of what happened but suffered no long-term side effects. She eventually grew up and had kids of her own.
Looking back on this experience many years later, Greg said,
“I thank my dad for being a savior that night. He helped save the life of that little girl with his heroic efforts, and he saved me from a life of torturous self-condemnation that I’m not sure I could’ve endured. He demonstrated the power of faith and prayer. He never gave up! He never once added to my guilt and hopelessness by condemning my lack of awareness that night. He rescued me with his love!”
“I also thank my Heavenly Father! I’m grateful for his son, Jesus Christ, who likewise saves me from drowning in burdens I cannot bear. He drank the bitter cup on behalf of one so woefully unqualified as me. They rescued me with their love, and I’m forever grateful!”
My ultimate desire is to be lifted up by the savior and be rescued with his love. I want to live so that I can be with my children forever and help lift them up to eternal life.
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