THE QUESTION:
The chorus, "Lift Jesus Higher," urges us to "lift him up for the world to see" because Jesus himself said, "if I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me." These words of Jesus, recorded in John 12:32, have also appeared in other choruses with a call for us to "lift him up."

What exactly is Jesus saying in John 12? And what does he want us to do about it?

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK:
Let's look at what is happening here (John 12:20-36).

These words of Jesus come at the end of his answer to Greeks who came to see him (v.20), a few days before his death.

Jesus' answer begins by declaring that the hour that has now come, when the Son of Man will be glorified (v.23). How will this take palce?

First, he speaks of the seed falling into the ground and dying, and thereby producing many seeds.

Then he says he heart is troubled, but instead of saying 'Father, save me from this hour' he says 'No. It was for this very reason taht I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!' (vv. 27-28) Next he explains that this is the time for judgment on this world, and the driving out of the prince of this world (v.31)

And then comes our expression
"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. (vv.32-33)

In other words, the "lifting up" speaks of his death, by crucifixion. (Here Jesus uses the same image he used in John 3, when he compared what he would do to Moses' snake in the desert, which was lifted up in order to save the people.)

Now, as so often in John's gospel, there is a bit more to the "lifting up" than just the cross. Jesus' deliberately uses an expression that can also refer to someone being exalted. In fact, Jesus has already pointed us in this direction by saying that it is the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified. Thus Jesus connects his crucifixion with his being glorified! How can this be?

It is precisely by the cross that he is victorious. It is by the cross that he drives out the prince of the world. Yet it is not by the cross taken alone. If that were the end Satan would be victorious, not defeated. But the cross is not to be taken alone, for the death and resurrection/exaltation of Jesus are inseparable. His victory is completed when he is 'vindicated' and raised to God's right hand to reign.

It is this Jesus, crucified and exalted, who draws all mankind to himself. And note that it is by his being "lifted up" --which centers in the cross --that he does so.

Note that point. It is Jesus who will draw people to himself. What is our part? We are involved in Jesus' drawing of people, as through us, they see Jesus crucified and risen/exalted.

SUMMARY & APPLICATION:

1. It is above all in what Jesus does on the cross that he draws people to himself. (Remember though that God the Father is at work in all this. He is 'glorifying his own name' and he is the one by whom Jesus is "lifted up" from the grave to the throne.)
2. Though our role is not the point of John 12 God does use us in Jesus' 'drawing' men to himself. He does so as we focus on "Christ crucified" (cf. Paul in 1 Cor.2:2, Gal.3:1) and exalted to God's right hand --the message that Jesus has been "lifted up" (Again, these two parts of the message are inseparable, and so both must be reflected in our witness and worship.)
3. Perhaps there is one other point in this passage. Jesus speaks of himself as the seed who dies and by his death produces many seeds. In a secondary sense this may applied to us, perhaps in this very area of "drawing" people to Christ. We are to be identified with Christ, to share in his sufferings and die with him ('being made like him in his death' Phlp 3:9-10). This is a means by which people more clearly see Jesus and are drawn to him. So it is not just by the message we declare --of Jesus crucified and risen-- in our spoken testimony and in our corporate worship, but also by the message we live that they see Jesus.