The Bronze Snake

Hey everybody.

In John 3:14, Jesus says, "Just as Moses lifted up the snakes in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."  Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council, and makes reference to the story of the bronze snake in Numbers 21:4-9.  This is story that Nicodemus would have undoubtedly been familiar with. 

Here is what happens.  In their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, the people of Israel grew impatient and began to complain about the lack of water and the quality of the food.  God gets angry and sends venomous snakes among the people and many Israelites died.  So the people come to Moses and admit their sin against God and ask that God will take the snakes away.  So Moses prays.  God instructs Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole.  Moses makes a snake out of bronze, puts it on a pole and when someone gets bitten by a snake, they can look at the bronze snake and be healed.  Interesting story.

Back in John 3, Jesus compares himself to the bronze snake.  Just like the snake was lifted and those who look at it can be healed, Jesus had to be lifted up and those who look to him can be healed as well.  In fact, when Jesus is lifted up, looking to him can lead to eternal life.  Jesus uses the word "must" here.  He must be lifted up.  We, of course, now look at this statement and understand that the was referring to his being lifted up on the Cross.  What I find interesting is that the very next verse is one of the most familiar in the Bible.  John 3:16.  "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus offers this testimony about God's love within the context of the comparison between himself and the bronze snake of Numbers 21.  To give you a Hughes paraphrase.  Jesus is in essence is saying, "Like the snake was lifted up, so must I be lifted up (on the Cross), because God loves you that much.  And those who look to me and believe in me can have salvation."  

Tom