John 3:1 1-1 5
The man who came to Jesus at night did not understand how God could give new life to people (v. 9), and Jesus spoke to him of the people poisoned by the serpents in the desert, and given life. Do you know the story?
The large company of Israelites were traveling through the desert land near the Red Sea, and they were very tired of the unpleasant way. They spoke against God and against Moses who told them God’s words: they said they would die there, that there was no water or bread, for they were tired of the bread sent by God from heaven.
God showed them it was their sins that caused death, by sending fiery serpents which bit them and many died. The rest cried for God to save them, and He told Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and anyone bitten, when he looked to that serpent, should five.
Moses made the serpent as God said, and put it on a pole where the people could see it, and any man bitten when he looked to the brass serpent was saved from the poison and lived.
Jesus told the man that as that serpent was lifted up, “even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” He was telling him of His own death before it came: He, the One from Heaven, would be lifted up on a pole or cross, the most shameful of deaths, and despised as a serpent.
The serpent on the pole had no poon, but made like those serpents; Jesus was without sin, but took all sin upon Himself.
A bitten by a serpent, who believed God’s words and looked to the serpent of brass, was given life awhile longer on earth, but Jesus said “whosoever believeth in Him (looked up on the cross) should not perish, but have eternal life.” That means have a life without an end, the life given by the Spirit, v. 6.
Do you suppose there was one, of the bitten persons who did not turn eyes to look to the brass serpent when heard that God said he should live if he would look? We do not know it is only told that any man bitten “when he looked to the serpent of brass lived.”
But there are some persons now who have heard God’s words of the One lifted up on the cross, who have not yet believed and “looked” to Him save them from sin’s poison; that is most serious.
Do you suppose all are not bitten by the “serpent” sin, and not “poisoned” by sin? The people in the desert were not stealing or what you may call sin, but they had not liked God’s way nor His words, nor the food He sent them, and complained. as though He would not care for them.
Our hearts are the same as theirs, if we do not want God’s way, nor words, nor Christ Who came so humble; we too must perish, except we believe God to “look” to His Son in His death for us.
ML 06/23/1946