Jesus and the Snake

Lesson #37

Today we will continue with the text from John 3:13 – 15. We saw in our last lesson that Jesus came from the Father, he descended from heaven, to explain how he was going to provide a way for us to be born from above. We will continue with what Jesus next said to Nicodemus; “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14 NET). In this statement Jesus is referring back to Numbers 21:4 – 9 and is comparing himself to the serpent. Because of the people’s sin, God sent fiery serpents or poisonous snakes among the people and they bit them so many of them died. To overcome this “Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived” (Numbers 21:9 NET).

From this passage there are several things to notice that will apply to Jesus and his provision. From verse 8 we learn that the bronze snake on the pole is for those who are bitten. It does not prevent anyone from being bitten. The poison is in the person bitten and without God’s intervention the person will die. From verse 6 we learn that the poisonous snakes are from God because of their sin. This poison is God’s wrath because of their sin. The poisonous snake contains the curse from God. Those who are bitten must look at the bronze snake and when they do they will be healed and will live.

Why is this illustration important? In his sermon on these verses John Piper makes five observations we need to spend some time on in future lessons. These observations are

1. Jesus Is the Son of Man
2. Jesus Is the Source of Rescue
3. Jesus Is Portrayed as a Curse
4. Jesus Gives Eternal Life
5. Jesus Crucified Is the One We See

Prayer

Father, I find it so amazing to look at a simple illustration in the Old Testament and see its connection to Jesus in the New Testament; to see the connection between the bronze snake on the pole and Jesus on the cross; to see how your wrath because of sin is overcome in both cases. Father, to see these connections I see the importance of careful Bible study. For sure we are to heed the command: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.