Look and Live
God had just given the Israelites victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites should have been content; instead, they became impatient about getting to the land God had promised to them and started grumbling once again against God and Moses. God had had enough of their complaining. "So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died" (Numbers 21:6)
The snakes had their intended effect and the people began to confess their sin. Then the Lord told Moses:
"Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it:" So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! (Numbers 21:8-9)
It was this picture from the past that Jesus put before Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to Jesus in the middle of the night. Jesus was less interested in explaining himself than in offering himself to this seeker. Jesus recalled the familiar story, saying, "As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).
Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand that we, too, have been bitten-not by a poisonous snake, but by the poison of sin. We too need a cure to break the curse or we face certain death. And just as God provided the cure to his people in the desert, so has he provided a cure to us. But the cure requires something of us. We have to look to Jesus.
Jesus invited Nicodemus to turn away from his learned religiosity and self-righteousness and look to him in repentance and dependence-a simple remedy, but one that required action. In its simplicity, this saving invitation becomes a stumbling block to many. But when we humble ourselves to look at Jesus lifted high on the cross, he breaks the power of the poison of sin and brings healing to our very souls.
~ Jesus, I have looked to your for life. You are the only remedy for the deadly curse of sin, and I continue to fix my gaze on you.
