Do you remember the story of the bronze serpent? Israel, on the road out of Egypt, didn’t like the way things were, so they bad-mouthed Moses and Aaron, and worst of all, God. As judgment for their dishonoring Him, God sent fiery serpents to bite, and thus kill, those who chose to reject Him.
He also sent a cure. Moses pleaded for the wellbeing of the people he was called to lead, asking God not to destroy them all, because that would cause the nations around them to think He was less than He is.
God relented by telling Moses to erect a pole that had an image of the fiery serpent on it. When a person was bitten, if they looked to that pole with the serpent on it, they would not die. It was a matter of their faith and obedience.
So, why did Jesus bring that story up and say He would be like the serpent?
All humans are lost and sinful. We have all rejected God in some way or another. We are all under the judgment of death—eternal death, which is separation from God that is complete and forever.
Jesus would be attached to a pole—the Roman cross—to be lifted up above the earth, just like the bronze serpent.
When faced by the judgment of Heaven, humans can look to that One on the cross and be rescued/saved from the penalty for their anti-God choices. It is a matter of faith and obedience.
All our rescue requires is that we recognize that the One lifted up is God and was raised from the dead. Then, we’re to declare openly that this is what we believe. Believe in your heart, declare with your mouth. Salvation!
Believe in Jesus—who He is and what He has done and you will also have eternal life. You’ll never be separated from God and His goodness. If you haven’t already made that decision, today is the perfect day to do just that.
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
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