ON THE VANGUARD

LIFTED UP
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.."
John 3:14-15

It seems that every person knows John 3:16. Whether we learned it in Sunday school, or saw it posted on a sign at a sports game, the fact is that it can be quoted by almost everyone. But do we know the verses right before this famous one? I first became familiar with this verse in my Hermeneutics class in college. As we dissected this verse and its Hebrew roots, God began to show me personally the relationship between His being lifted up and His love for the world.
If we go back to Numbers 21 we find the story that Jesus is referring to concerning Moses. Following the defeat of Hormah (Num 21:3), the people traveled along a route leading to the Red Sea. However, the Israelites began another of their many waves of grumbling. They spoke against God and Moses, cursing them for detestable food and a lack of water. As a result, God sent venomous snakes into the camp. It is recorded that many Israelites died as a result of these snake bites. Then seeing the effects of their sin, the people came to Moses, pleading that Moses pray to the LORD to take the snakes away and forgive their sin of speaking out against God and His anointed one. When Moses prayed, God instructed Moses to craft a bronze snake and place it on a pole. For those who were bit, they simply were to look at the pole and they would not die (Num 21:4-9).
Skipping forward in time to John's gospel writing, John shares in chapter 3 where Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. After pointing out that the simple earthly things are not always comprehended and a concern for the heavenly things to also be learned, Jesus attempted to speak to Nicodemus in a way he maybe better understand. Jesus related to this time in Israel's past where the salvation from the snake bite came by looking at the image on the pole. But as Matthew Henry points out, it was not the snake that God was trying to get Israel to worship (as idolatry is a sin), but rather the looking up toward God.

"The Jews themselves say it was not the sight of the brazen serpent that cured; but in looking up to it, they looked up to God as the Lord that healed them."
Matthew Henry Commentary

Jesus was making a parallel in that the snake pointed people to God. So then, when Jesus Himself was on the cross, people were once again fixing their eyes Heavenward. As the truth of looking on the cross proved to bring physical healing, so the truth of looking on Jesus as Savior brought spiritual healing. Just as Jesus was lifted for us, He was bringing all men unto Him. It is on these heels then that John 3:16 makes more sense. For God the Father did love us all so much, just as He did the people of Israel,. Because of this love, He gave to the world His Son. If we believe in and look upon Him, just as Israel believed in life even after the snake bite when looking on the pole, then we too will have life. Our life will not be the physical as it was for Israel, but rather will be eternal life. Let us lift up our eyes, then, to the one who is lifted up. Lift up your eyes and join me ON THE VANGUARD!