so must the Son of Man be lifted up, John3:14
if I be lifted up from the earth, John12:32
Jesus never told us to lift up the cross symbol. He said HE would be lifted up. Who lifted up the cross symbol? Constantine, the one who established the formal, official Church-State System Christianity. Constantine saw the symbol in a satanic vision in the sky, when a demon told him, “With this sign, conquer!”
For centuries since Constantine, many Christians lift up various cross symbols, symbols not of Christ, but of the conquering System Christianity that is a kingdom of this world.
Cross symbolChi-rhoIHSCross & Crown
crossed keys
iron cross
the cross on swords, shields, helmets or armor
Christian flags
victorious lions, dragons, unicorns, eagles, with crowns
They are all related; symbolizing the world conquering Church-State of “Christendom”, which is a satanically inspired kingdom of this world.
When Jesus was lifted up from the earth, He died a cruel death for others, to give them life.
Constantine lifted up a military cross of war and killing, of State-loyal, institutional man-controlled religion. He lifted up his sign of loyalty to the kingdoms of this world (his personal empire). He lifted up his sign of spiritual and physical death. When Constantine and the rest of Dominating, controlling, crusading, religious, truth-denying, power-seeking, self-glorifying, flesh-driven, Church-State Christendom lift up themselves, and their governments, and their institutions, they kill others, giving them death.
But the lifting up of JESUS brings life. It brings loyalty to His kingdom, and freedom from lies, spiritual bondage and death. And it brings love for God and neighbor. As we exalt Jesus, lifting Him up as it were, in our witness of Him, glorifying Him in our witness of Him, we also die with Him, dying to self, giving and sharing His life with others, giving them love.