In the discussion on Calvinism a few weeks ago John 3:15-20 came up. I did not fully cover it, so I decided to give it a post on its own. On rereading John 3, I realized, that in context verse 14 cannot be removed, it is the all important heading verse for the next six verses. I am going to discuss it in detail in this post, then in another post I'll cover the other six.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: John 3:14
To fully understand this, we must now look at what Jesus is referencing here. In the book of Numbers we read the story of the Israelites speaking against God and Moses, therefore God sent fiery serpents among them and many died of the bites. God provided a cure, which just a small step of faith:
And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put upone a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9
Whoever looked on the serpent of brass lived. But in order to live you had to look on the serpent. Some didn't, and they died. Christ is saying that, he would be lifted up on the cross, and whosoever looked on him in faith, should be saved. You have to make the choice to look on him, you have to put your faith in his saving power, if you do as in Numbers, you are saved, not from death of your body on this earth, but the eternal damnation of your soul.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: John 3:14
To fully understand this, we must now look at what Jesus is referencing here. In the book of Numbers we read the story of the Israelites speaking against God and Moses, therefore God sent fiery serpents among them and many died of the bites. God provided a cure, which just a small step of faith:
And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put upone a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9
Whoever looked on the serpent of brass lived. But in order to live you had to look on the serpent. Some didn't, and they died. Christ is saying that, he would be lifted up on the cross, and whosoever looked on him in faith, should be saved. You have to make the choice to look on him, you have to put your faith in his saving power, if you do as in Numbers, you are saved, not from death of your body on this earth, but the eternal damnation of your soul.
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