And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15 KJV). This is a profound promise that fills all AFM missionaries with purpose. But how do we lift up the Son of Man today?

Truth 1: The Son of Man has divine authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10, 11). Jesus forgave the paralytic his sins when He saw his faith and that of his four friends (verse 5). We lift high the Son of Man when we come in humble faith to Him with repentant hearts and ask His forgiveness, and also when we bring others to Him in intercessory prayer. The result is relief for those carrying burdens of guilt and shame.
Truth 2: The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). We lift up the Son of Man when we honor the Sabbath. Rather than a withdrawal from the world for 24 sanctified hours, the Sabbath involves forgetting myself and my needs, seeking instead to relieve human suffering, to minister to those in need and to provide food for the hungry and healing for the hurting (Mark 2:27). The result is comfort for those whose needs our self-absorbed world has forgotten.

Truth 3: The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). We lift high the Son of Man by proclaiming His vicarious death and death-destroying resurrection for all who, without Him, face eternal death. We refuse to seek positions of power or authority or leadership. “It is not so among you,” said Jesus (Mark 10:43). Rather than today’s bitter scramble for power, we seek instead humble and often unseen service. The result is solace for those suffering under oppressive power structures.
Truth 4: The Son of Man came to be rejected, killed, and then rise again after three days (Mark 8:31). We lift the Son of Man high by denying our fallen desires and humbly following wherever He leads. We are ready to accept any earthly loss and sacrifice, including our own deaths, for the sake of the gospel. Just as the Son of Man withheld nothing from sinners, so we must withhold nothing from Him so that the gospel may advance worldwide. The result is inspiration for those whose earthly hopes are dashed after every election cycle.

Truth 5: The Son of Man is coming again (Mark 13:24-27). In this broken world, we lift up the Son of Man by bearing witness of our faith in Jesus Christ (verse 9), actively participating in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel (verse 10), enduring persecution (verse 13), and remaining alert to avoid end-time deceptions (verse 23). Jesus affirmed His identity as the Son of God and His ultimate return as the Son of Man and thus faced condemnation (Mark 14:61-64). So we proclaim with holy boldness the divinity of the Son of Man and His soon-coming Kingdom. The result is hope for those overcome with fear over the religious division and physical, moral and political decay they see around them.

The Son of Man has divine authority to forgive sins. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. He came to be rejected and killed and then rise again after three days. And He is coming again! Only Seventh-day Adventists proclaim all five of these essential truths about the Son of Man. What a challenge we face! What a responsibility we bear! What a Savior we serve! What truths we must share! Please join with me and AFM missionaries in praying, giving and going to lift high the Son of Man around the world in 2017!

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