John 3:8-15 Lifted Up

John 3 NLT 
8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” 9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. 10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe Me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. 

Numbers 21 ► NLT
But the people grew impatient with the long journey, 5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” 6 So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the LORD told him, “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!” 9 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! 

There are a lot of parallels between these two passages. In John, Jesus was prophesying His own death in verse 14. He was explaining to Nicodemus that He came from Heaven and would be crucified for man's sins on a cross. He would be lifted up above the earth and everyone who believed in Him would look up at the One who saves them from eternal life apart from God.  

In Numbers, the people complained against Moses and God. They did a lot of complaining during their 40 years in the desert. God was probably getting a little tired of hearing it. Moses was, at one point he asked God to kill him and end his miserable life! So after one of the Israelites round of complaining, God had poisonous snakes come in and bite them. Moses asked God to spare the Israelites so God instructed Moses to make a bronze snake, attach it to a stick and raise it up. Here's the cool part; ALL WHO LOOKED AT IT WOULD BE SAVED! 

All who look to Jesus can be saved too. As verse 15 says "so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life." Today, as you face the worries and concerns of this world, look to Jesus. Walk with Him and if you fall, He will lift you up and carry you through. 

Blessings, Cecilia