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
Recent
Archive
2022
January
February
A LEGACY OF FAITHHOW DO YOU APPROACH JESUS? GRUMBLING & COMPLAININGTHE STANDARD OF HOLINESSTHAT DOESN'T SOUND FUN!WHO IS A SINNER?JOY FROM READING THE BIBLEBETRAYING, DENYING & MEGOD'S BLESSINGSDO WE DENY KNOWING JESUS SOMETIMES?PASS THE LOCUSTS AND HONEY ...GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESSTHE UNHOLY IS MADE HOLYWHO IS A GOD LIKE HIM?!?HEALTH INSPECTOR'S PERSPECTIVETHE MASTER OF TIMINGWHO IS THE GREATEST?
March
RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE A CHILD OR DO NOT ENTER!HOW DO YOU APPROACH JESUS?STANDARD OF HOLINESSPARABLE OF THE TENANTSTHE COMPLAINTS OF CHILDRENJUSTICE AND JESUSGOOD NEWSREADING AND PRAYING THE IMPRECATORY PSALMSHIS GRACE IS ENOUGH (Num. 24-25)WAITING ON THE LORDOUR LEGACYGOD PROVIDESPSALM 65ABSURD, INCOMPREHENSIBLE EVILA LAW BREAKER MEETS HIS SAVIORLOOKING BACK GIVES HOPE FOR WHAT'S AHEADONE LINERS
April
WHOM HAVE I IN HEAVEN BUT YOU?LIVING YOUR "BLESSED" LIFE NOWTHE PERFECT POSSESSION OF DILIGENCELUKE 15: LOST AND FOUNDHALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR!SEEK GOD WHEN MAKING DECISIONSTRUSTING GOD BRINGS VICTORYHOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?JESUS RIDES INTO TOWNFAINTING WITH FEAR ... OR RAISING OUR HEADS?ANXIOUS THOUGHTSA BRIEF MEDITATION ON PROVERBS 14:5THE GREATEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME
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
No Comments