JESUS AND THE BRONZE SNAKE
Numbers 21:8-9 says, “The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.”
Jesus pointed back to these verses in John 3:14-15 when He was leading Nicodemus to salvation: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” These verses are of course immediately followed by the game-changing John 3:16.
Jesus was helping Nicodemus (and all folks) understand that you are not saved by what you do (good deeds), but who you look to (Jesus). Most folks I talk to about Jesus believe that if you try your best and don’t do anything really bad, you will get to heaven. They say, “You just have to be good, and I am a pretty good person, so God will see my heart and I will go to heaven.”
Part of sharing the Good (Magnificent) News is helping folks understand that every person is spiritually in bad (terminally ill) condition due to having sinned against God who loves them but also is Holy. Folks need to hear that God is so Good and Just that He must judge their sin, but also provides salvation from the Judgment to all who trust in His Son, raised up for them.
Jesus pointed back to these verses in John 3:14-15 when He was leading Nicodemus to salvation: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” These verses are of course immediately followed by the game-changing John 3:16.
Jesus was helping Nicodemus (and all folks) understand that you are not saved by what you do (good deeds), but who you look to (Jesus). Most folks I talk to about Jesus believe that if you try your best and don’t do anything really bad, you will get to heaven. They say, “You just have to be good, and I am a pretty good person, so God will see my heart and I will go to heaven.”
Part of sharing the Good (Magnificent) News is helping folks understand that every person is spiritually in bad (terminally ill) condition due to having sinned against God who loves them but also is Holy. Folks need to hear that God is so Good and Just that He must judge their sin, but also provides salvation from the Judgment to all who trust in His Son, raised up for them.
by David Marshall
Posted in Read Through the Bible
Related Posts
Recent
Archive
2021
January
THE SIN OF WITHHOLDINGABRAM, THE MAN OF FAITH???HEEDING THE VOICE OF THE LORDA RELATIONSHIP OF FAITHNAMES ON A LISTREMEMBERAND THERE HE BLESSED HIM... Gen. 32:29GOD IS IN CONTROL AND WE CAN TRUST HIMROAD TO RECOVERYACCEPTING GOD'S GIFTSDOES YOUR 'BREATH' STINK?REMEMBER MY SERVANT JOBTHOUGHTS FROM JOBREAL CHRISTIANS NEVER APOLOGIZESECURE IN GOD'S HANDCOUNSELING "DON'T'S" FROM ELIHUTHE UNSEARCHABLE GREATNESS OF GOD
February
WE ARE A NEW CREATIONLORD, BE THE CENTERAS THE LORD HAS SAIDHARDENED HEARTSWHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR USJOY IN THE BELOVEDHAND-IN-HANDGIVE AS THE LORD PROMPTS YOUSACRIFICES AND OFFERINGSTHE DEATH OF NADAB AND ABIHUFLEE AND PURSUEHOLY LAMB OF GODAS A CHRISTIAN, DO THE COMMANDS IN LEVITICUS STILL APPLY TO ME TODAY?THE TITHE, HOLY TO THE LORD
March
I HAVE NO CHOICEUNBELIEF...IT MAKES SENSEJESUS AND THE BRONZE SNAKEAPPALLED BY SINREMEMBERING WHAT GOD HAS DONEOBEDIENCE & DISOBEDIENCETHOUGHTS ON THE PASSOVERBE PROUD OF YOUR KING...UNLESS HE'S A PROUD KINGIF - THENHEART AND SOULWHAT IFTHE 'EYES' HAVE IT!FINISHING WELLLETTING PEOPLE KNOW YOU BELONG TO CHRISTPUT DOWN YOUR PENCILS
2020
April
WORDS AND DEEDSAM I JUSTIFIED?A STATE OF CONSTANT READINESSPSALM 79 IS ABOUT ME AND YOU TOOFEELINGSTHE SLUGGARD AND THE DILIGENTTHE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR - WHICH ONE AM I?WHAT WEEDS ARE IN YOUR GARDEN?I ACCEPTGET A HEART OF WISDOMPANDEMIC PARALYSISDON'T HAVE TIME TO READ A BOOK? LISTEN TO AN AUDIOBOOK AND MULTI-TASK!GOD, OUR GODA CALL TO HOLINESS
May
LAMENT AND PRAISEINTIMACYREMEMBER THE LORDGOD'S PROVIDENCE IN RUTHHE BROUGHT HIS PEOPLE OUT WITH JOYTELL THE GOOD NEWSTHE TROUBLES OF OUR HEARTSTRUST IN THE FATHER'S GOOD PLANPRAY AND BLESSWHEN TRUSTING GOD IS THE ONLY OPTIONTO THOSE WHO WAIT UPON THE LORD...TO "SHEEP OR NOT TO SHEEP"TRUST IN THE LORDTHE MYSTERY OF THE SEEDA small thing that is a BIG DEAL!A CRAZY STATEMENTHAVE YOU TURNED THE LIGHT ON?
June
CROSSROADS IN MARRIAGETHE PURSUIT OF WISDOM LEADS TO LIFEIN THE NAME OF JESUS "WALK!"It is NOT PersonalARROWSREVEAL GOD TO THE WORLDMERCY AND RENEWED HOPEI DON'T UNDERSTANDHOW TO BE AN EVERYDAY MISSIONARYGIVE THANKS TO THE LORDFOOLS ARE STUPIDI LOVE YOUARISE O LORD!THE MOUNTAINS OF GODWHAT DO YOU WANT MORE?USE YOUR VOICE
July
GOD'S WORD - OUR TREASURECONTEMPTGOD HEARS US EVEN WHEN WE GROAN#23 PERSONAL TESTIMONYO LORD, OUR LORDSUCCESSFUL MARRIAGES ARE VICIOUSLY COMPETITIVETHE UNLIKELY GAME CHANGERCHASING THE WINDLAZY RIVER OR PRODUCTIVE BLVD: IT IS YOUR CHOICEGIVING FROM GOD'S SOURCEPSALM 17: THE ANTIDOTE TO FEARTHERE'S NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SINTHE WONDERFUL LOVE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHERWHOEVER SAYS, 'YOU FOOL'MODEL JESUS LIFE FOR YOUR CHILDRENCHILDREN & STUDENT MINISTRIESLOVE ONE ANOTHER ROMANS 13:8POWER
August
LIGHT IN THE DARKNESSFROM WHERE THEN IS YOUR HOPE?WAIT ON THE LORDMY ROCK AND MY SHEPHERDBETTER THAN I DESERVEWELCOMEDID YOU WAKE UP SAD THIS MORNING?THE LORD'S PLANSMAKING IT CLEARMARRIAGE ISN'T THAT GREATANOTHER TIME AND ANOTHER PLACEEXCEEDING RIGHTEOUSNESSIt's ALL Your Fault!GOD'S DOWN PAYMENTTHE LIFE-GIVING AROMAWHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?
September
October
HE KEEPS US!TELL THEM!HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CONVERSATION?ARE YOU ASLEEP?PRAYING WITH A LASER FOCUS ... I LIKE TO CALL IT "PRAY FIRST"NEEDED: CHURCH DOORKEEPERSGOD'S WARNINGSOPPOSITIONTHE THING ABOUT PROMISESBUILD THE WALL!SPIRITUAL BATTLEGENUINE FAITHCHRIST'S SELF-SACRIFICESAVED BY GRACEJESUS OUR REDEEMER
November
December
OUR MAJESTIC GODLOVE YOUR BROTHERA TREE AND ITS FRUITLORD, THANK YOU FOR CORRECTION!SLOW TO SPEAK AND SLOW TO ANGERTHE CRY FOR MERCY. THE CRY FOR FORGIVENESS.WHEN GOD BEGAN KILLING THEMDON'T WORSHIP DUMB STUFFGOD'S PATIENCE AND OUR HOPETHE DAY OF SALVATIONWHEN WILL THEY LEARN?WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM?THE LOCKED DOOR OF THE VICTIMPRAISE TO THE LORDPRAISE GOD FOR 2020
No Comments