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John 3:14-15 - Lesson #27 |
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| After telling Nicodemus that the kingdom of God can only be entered by those who are "born again" by a work of the Spirit and not through any work of the flesh, Jesus begins to explain that belief - belief in Him - is the means through which the Spirit works. |
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| John 3:14-15 |
| "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." |
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| This is a reference to the Israelites wandering in the desert after being led out of Egypt by Moses and after refusing to enter into the promised land of Canaan. Not surprisingly, life in the desert was difficult. And also not surprisingly, the people began to complain; "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread" (Numbers 21:5). |
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| In response to this complaint, which was really a complete rejection of trust in God; "the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died" (Numbers 21:6). The people recognized their sin and cried out to Moses so he would ask God to take away the serpents: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent, put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived" (Numbers 21:8-9). |
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| Jesus was telling Nicodemus that in the same manner in which people where saved from death by looking at the bronze serpent, they could now be saved by believing in Him when He is lifted up. |
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| Consider the credibility which Jesus gave to what we now call the Old Testament. The Scriptures, which were already honored by the Jews, were validated by Jesus as the inspired Word of God. The story in Numbers 21 to which Jesus referred was a historical event recorded by Moses. But the details of the story were determined by God for the purpose of teaching far-reaching truths leading to Salvation through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. |
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| God could have used many different methods to save His people from the death inflicted by the serpent's bite, but He chose a method void of all human effort. They were not told to fight the serpents, apply healing ointments, or to perform any other ritualistic acts. The people simply needed to recognize they had been bitten and in need of healing. They then needed to believe in God's plan for salvation from death. |
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| This truth communicated over 3000 years ago is the same truth for people throughout the world today. We have been bit by sin, and are in grave need of healing. When we recognize this need and believe in God's plan through the One who has been lifted up, we will be healed and given the gift of eternal life. |
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| Steve Troxel |
| God's Daily Word Ministries |
