Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash

John 3:13-18 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

I believe John 3:16 is perhaps the most famous and memorized Bible verse. I believe this is because John 3:16 is part of a discourse that the Lord Jesus held with a Jewish Rabbi and Leader named Nicodemus. We are told this in:

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

and in John 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master (Greek διδάσκαλος – didaskalos, literally “master teacher” or Rabbi) of Israel, and knowest not these things?

As Jesus discussed salvation with this “master teacher of Judaism” He began to reveal that Christianity is not just another religion among many. Those who are true Christians are “born again of the Spirit of God” (John 3:3, 5, 8). A Christian becomes a Christian because that person calls on Jesus to be saved. The Genuine Call from the lost person creates what you might call a chain effect which is described in …

John 1:12-13 … as many as received {Jesus}, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

God makes the Christian. Not the Church, nor the Creed; not the Pastor nor the Person. Only God. God causes a supernatural change to occur in the believer, one in which God describes it as “being born again”.

Tonight I want to focus on the passages leading up to John 3:16, starting here:

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary on John says of verse 13:

“The perfect knowledge of God is not obtained by any man’s going up from earth to heaven to receive it – no man hath so ascended – but He whose proper habitation, in His essential and eternal nature, is heaven”

In other words only Jesus Christ has ever had direct contact with God in Heaven. He has looked upon God, spoken to God face to face, lived with God, and is Himself God. So what Jesus is about to tell this Rabbi named Nicodemus – and us who are listening in – is firsthand information. Jesus is not speaking as a Prophet nor a Pastor, but as a Person of the Trinity.

Now Jesus gives us a parallel between an Old Testament event, applying it to His coming crucifixion. Jesus says:

John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

We know this is a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion because of the phrase LIFTED UP. Jesus told the Pharisees:

John 8:23 -24, 28 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. … Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

John 12:32-33 {Jesus said} And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Jesus knew from the very beginning of His earthly ministry that He would be LIFTED UP or crucified for our sins. Though Nicodemus may not have fully understood all that Jesus was saying, it is clear that Jesus is comparing His coming crucifixion to the time in the Old Testament that Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness.

The Lifting Up Of The Serpent Defines The Crucifixion

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

To understand Jesus’ illustration we need to go in the Bible to where Moses LIFTED UP the serpent. This is found in Numbers Chapter 21.

What happened in Numbers 21? Well, it starts out well. Israel had just had a great victory. Attacked by the King of the the Canaanites, God blessed His people. We read:

Numbers 21:3 .. the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and {Moses} called the name of the place HORMAH.

The name “HORMAH” means “devotion”. God’s people were having victory because they were devoted to God. They sought the Lord. They looked to Him, and not to themselves. The Church in America is failing today because we are NOT HORMAH. We are not devoted to our God. We are doing things all for the wrong reasons.

We are to glorify the Lord!
We are to trust Him, and fully rely on Him!
He is able, but we are not!

As Israel begins to move once more that day’s march starts out with celebration. Our God blessed! They started out singing. But then we read:

Numbers 21:4 {Israel} journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

The land of Edom is the place where the children of Esau lived, the ancient enemies of Israel. Israel had an easy win with the Canaanites, and probably thought that things would be downhill for a while. It wasn’t. There is more stress, more trials. And the people became discouraged.

God knows that we are going to be discouraged at times. This is why the Lord tells us:

2 Chronicles 20:15 … Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Fear and discouragement often go together. Discouragement is the devil’s greatest tool. He can fan the spark of discouragement into a flame of disobedience and dishonor. This is what happened with Israel.

Numbers 21:5 … And the people spake against God, and against Moses…

The people spoke against God and His chosen leader. They even went further by mocking the manna that God had given them in Grace. Israel had a shortage of water – though they were not dehydrated. They were tired and stressed – though not overwhelmed. But as they murmured and mocked, God listened.

The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is DEATH” (Romans 6:23).
The Bible says that “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”
(James 1:15).

Sin is dangerous – very dangerous – especially when you anger God. The Bible says:

Numbers 21:6 {because of their sin} the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

As death came on many, Israel decided to repent, to turn from their sin and cry out to God. The Bible says that:

Numbers 21:7 … the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

Now we’re coming to Jesus’ reference from John 3. God spoke to Moses, and told him:

Numbers 21:8-9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Moses lifted up a brass serpent on a pole. If a serpent had bitten anyone, if that person looked up and focused on that serpent believing – they would live.

The Serpent And The Christ

The serpent represents the sin of the people. The serpent represents our Lord Jesus Christ. That was what Jesus said. Once more:

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

It was a serpent in the Garden of Eden that enticed Adam to sin against God (see Genesis 3:1, 6-7; 2 Corinthians 11:3). That serpent is satan (Revelation 12:14-15; 20:2). Sin caused humanity to fall from God. Sin brought snakes into the camp of Israel. Sin brings death.

• The serpent that was placed on Moses pole was not a natural serpent. It was made of brass by Moses. The Man that hung on the Cross of Calvary was not a natural born man. He is God made, born of the Holy Spirit:

Matthew 1:20 … the angel of the Lord appeared unto {Joseph} in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Luke 1:35 … the angel {of the Lord} answered and said unto {Mary}, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

• Sin was killing Israel. They could only be saved by looking up at that serpent on the pole. Sin kills us. We are only saved by looking up at our Jesus on the Cross of Calvary.

Why did God use a snake in the Old Testament to represent the Christ in the New Testament. The answer is very simple.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For {God the Father} hath made {God the Son} to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The snake represented sin. When Jesus was crucified – LIFTED UP on Calvary’s Cross – God literally MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US. Jesus knew no sin. He was completely sinless. The Scripture declares:

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet WITHOUT SIN.

Jesus became not just me, but every sinner who would ever be born. He became the ultimate snake. Dying on that Cross He took my penalty and your penalty upon Himself. He did this so that we could become:

Sons of God
Children of Light
Priests unto God
A peculiar people who praise Him!

• There was no work for Israel to do in order to be saved from death. Moses built the serpent and put it on the pole according to God’s specifications. All Israel could do was look at the serpent. They could not make their own pole. They could not earn nor deserve their salvation. God in Grace provided that salvation, they only need LOOK. God said:

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Only God can save. Only God. We look unto Him, high and lifted up. Suffering, bleeding, dying. That is MY sin which caused that. That is MY God Who is hanging there for me. Ever will I love Him because of that. We are to look unto Jesus. And, as Moses did, do nothing to modify what God has said. Moses did exactly as God said, and Israel lived. We as God’s Ambassadors must – we MUST – do the same!

Damnation Or Salvation Based On That Look

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already

Whoever looks up at Jesus, believing will not perish. That is every person’s choice, to look or not to look. Those who look are saved. The sin is covered, and the person is freed from slavery to sin to serve the living God. What does the Scripture say?

Romans 6:6 … Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that HENCEFORTH WE SHOULD NOT SERVE SIN.

Romans 6:16-18 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

The death of Christ freed us who are His from sin so that we can serve the Savior. Let us together serve the Savior!

May God touch your hearts with His Word.