THE SNAKE ON THE POLE
John 3:14-17 NKJV
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Jesus was having a late-night conversation with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Nicodemus knew there was something special about Jesus. Jesus began to share with Nicodemus the spiritual truth of the new birth, being born of the Spirit. Nicodemus balked at the idea of being born again, but Jesus did not spend a great deal of time trying to explain heavenly things. The response of Jesus to Nicodemus implied that as a teacher in Israel, Nicodemus should have understood what Jesus was saying.
Then Jesus spoke of an Old Testament story that was well-known to Nicodemus. In the 21st chapter of Numbers, the nation of Israel is on the journey to the land God promised them. Along the way, they became discouraged and began to speak against God and Moses. The Israelites even complained about the manna that was given to them every day and was keeping them alive. Their complaining opened the door to poisonous snakes coming into the camp and biting the people. Many were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to pray for them. God instructed Moses to make a bronze replica of the poisonous snake and set it on a pole. The instructions were that everyone who was bitten was to look at the bronze snake. Everyone who looked at the snake would live.
Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that the bronze snake was a type of Himself. In the Old Testament, there were types and shadows that would point to the work God would do in Jesus. Jesus said that just as the snake was lifted up, so He would be lifted up also on the cross. And whoever believed in Jesus would not perish but have eternal life, or the God kind of life.
Then Jesus shared a word with Nicodemus that has been one of the most quoted verses of the Bible: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
And even though it is not quoted nearly as often, I appreciate John 3:17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” If we are going to quote verse sixteen, we need to add verse seventeen. This verse is a good reminder that God loved us enough to send Jesus. And that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world might be saved. One of the biggest obstacles to reaching a lost world is that we as believers, if we are not careful, can turn from reaching the lost to condemning the lost for their sin. The message to Israel and those bitten by the snakes was not: see what happens when you complain. Rather, it was: here, just let me get you to where you can see the bronze snake on the pole because if you see it, you will live.
Our mission today is to get people to Jesus. Condemning them for their sin is not helping. Showing them that God loved them enough to do something about their sin, and now all they must do is believe in His Son, is the good news. I don’t know if condemning people is ever the right strategy for reaching them. Most people without the Lord already feel condemned. We preach the answer for condemnation, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
A few years ago, we put up billboards that said God is not mad at you. We have received pushback on our billboards before, but I was surprised at an email we received condemning this billboard. A man was adamant that God was mad at sinners. I wrote back to him and very politely disagreed and suggested that instead of fighting against a fellow believer, we would be better off reaching the lost. Sadly, that approach did not work. Even though I told him in my email that I would not correspond anymore, he wrote another long email arguing his point. God so loved the Israelites that He provided an answer, the snake on the pole, even when they spoke against Him. And God so loved the world that He provided an answer, Jesus on the cross, even when people speak against Him and blaspheme His name.
PRAYER
Thank You, Father, for the answer You have provided in Jesus. Thank You that I do not have to die in my sins, but I have eternal life in Him. Thank You for Your great love!