What Old Testament event is referenced in John 3:14, and why is it important? Setting the Scene in John 3:14 “ ‘Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.’ ” (John 3:14) • Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus about the necessity of the new birth (John 3:1-13). • He reaches back to a pivotal moment in Israel’s history to explain His own impending crucifixion. The Old Testament Event Referenced Numbers 21:4-9 records the account: “Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many Israelites were bitten and died. So the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned…’ And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole; when anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole. If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.” (vv. 6-9) Key details: • Sin: Israel’s grumbling and unbelief (v. 5). • Judgment: God sends venomous snakes (v. 6). • Provision: A bronze serpent lifted on a pole (v. 8). • Response: Look in faith and live (v. 9). Why This Event Matters to Jesus’ Teaching 1. Foreshadowing the Cross • “So the Son of Man must be lifted up.” The raised serpent prefigures Christ lifted on the cross (John 12:32-33). 2. A Picture of Substitution • The image of the curse (a snake) becomes the means of healing; likewise, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 3. Salvation by Faith, Not Works • The Israelites were not told to fight snakes or pay a price—only to look. In the same way, salvation comes through believing in the lifted-up Son (John 3:15-16; Ephesians 2:8-9). 4. Universal Availability • “Anyone who is bitten” could look and live; Christ’s offer extends to “whoever believes” (John 3:16). Echoes Throughout Scripture • Galatians 3:13 — “Christ redeemed us from the curse…having become a curse for us.” • 1 Peter 2:24 — “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” Key Takeaways for Today • The bronze serpent event is historical and prophetic, proving Scripture’s unity. • Jesus uses that account to reveal the heart of the gospel: look to Him in faith and receive eternal life. |
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