the cross, as Jesus saw it

The Word for today:
Numbers 22

Here’s an easy question…

Q. What is the most well-known Bible verse?
A. John 3:16.

Here’s a slightly tougher question…

Q. Of all the Old Testament stories, which one did Jesus use to illustrate John 3:16?
A. For the answer, let’s turn to John 3 and see:

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. 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. (John 3:14-16)

Now let’s look at the story Jesus referred to:

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 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, he lived. (Numbers 21:4-9)

The serpent on the pole represented the people’s sins, just as Christ was made sin for us on the cross:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus said that He would be lifted up, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Through the snake on a pole and through Jesus, God provided a way of escape that required only faith from the people.

Neither the people of Israel -- nor you, nor I -- can do anything more than look to God’s remedy with faith. If we do, we will live forever.

If we want to understand the cross, we should see it as Jesus did. If we want to see it as Jesus did, we should liken it to the snake on a pole in Numbers 21,

For 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. 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.

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