[Jesus said] “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Devotion based on John 3:14,15

Things didn’t go as planned when God rescued his Old Testament people from their slavery in Egypt and promised to settle them in a land flowing with milk and honey. But that change of plans wasn’t God’s fault; it was entirely the fault of his stubborn people, who refused to trust him. As the situation deteriorated—and the people began to complain angrily against God and his servant Moses—the Lord sent venomous snakes among them to teach them an important lesson.

But while some of the Israelites died from poisonous bites, the lesson God wanted to teach them wasn’t so much about his punishment for stubborn wrongdoing. He wanted to teach them about his love, forgiveness, and salvation. So when the people cried out for mercy, what did God do? He sent them a savior! He told Moses to fashion a bronze snake and lift it up on a pole. The Lord told him that “anyone who is bitten can look at it and live” (Numbers 21:8). And as he always does, God kept his promise. “Cast your eyes on the bronze snake and you will live!”

We may never be bitten by a snake, but each one of us is snake-bitten by our sin. From the moment we took our first breaths, our brokenness has been our faithful but deadly companion. Left to ourselves, we could never escape sin’s poisonous and deadly venom.

Enter Jesus, the world’s only Savior from sin and death. Jesus explained how God showed his love by sending him. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” In other words, while our sin is indeed deadly—and we’re unable to save ourselves from its consequences—our Savior God has sent his Son to do what we could never do, to give us life and salvation forever.

What do you and I need to do? Absolutely nothing. Cast your eyes on Jesus! Trust him. He saves.

Prayer: