Friday, June 24, 2011
John 3:14-16 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. 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.
IN HIM WE HAVE LIFE
Here Jesus uses a story from the Old Testament to illustrate the plan of salvation. As the Israelites traversed the Sinai desert on their way to Canaan, they started grumbling. Though God had provided loving guidance all through their desert trek, supplying their every need, they proved themselves ungrateful by complaining. So God sent poisonous serpents into their camp to punish their rebellion, and many died. When God heard their cry of repentance, He told Moses to construct a brass serpent, put it on a pole, and say: "Whoever looks at the serpent trusting that I will save them will be unharmed by the venom."
Jesus went on to show Nicodemus that the brass snake Moses put up on a pole was a picture of Himself. Just as God's people of old were rescued by a simple look at the brass snake, so all who look on Jesus, the Crucified One, with eyes of faith won't be hurt by the deadly sin-venom. "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."
This passage is one of the most familiar passages of Scripture. It describes the great love of our Triune God that moved Him to make the Supreme Sacrifice. Who can fully appreciate what is here said? Who can comprehend how the all-wise Creator, the King Supreme, the Lord of all, willingly died for a sinful world to whom He owed nothing? He gave His life, the Innocent for the guilty, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This Bible truth lies beyond the range of our comprehension. Yet what we can't grasp with our limited reason, we have been led by the Spirit to accept by faith. God showed His love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still unworthy sinners. In Him we have life, life to the full!
