so the son of man must be lifted up...

i love the bronze snake story in numbers. i remember the first time i heard it...i had thought i knew every story in the bible, but this one was new.

the people of israel are complaining (again...) of no bread or water... and god sends poisonous snakes and the people start to die from the snake bites. then god tells moses to make a snake and put it on a pole and whoever looks to it will live. all they have to do is look...they can't save themselves.

the healing wasn't in the snake...it was in god. jesus later refers to this story in john 3. '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

just like the israelites were all bitten by the snakes, we are all bitten by sin. and we can't save ourselves. there's nothing that can keep us from death (separation from god forever)...but we can be healed if we look to jesus.

'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 3:16

the snake was a symbol of death for the people of israel. it became a symbol of life when they were told to look to the snake to be healed. jesus' death on the cross is a symbol of life for us, for when we look to him as our savior, we escape the death that sin brings.

happy easter!