THE SERPENT OF BRASS & JESUS
Num. 21:4-9
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: NOT SURE OF THE VALUE
1. My 35 year-old son and I had just finished our meal when I realized I’d left my wallet in the truck. As I headed out the door, I told the waitress what had happened. “But don’t worry,” I said with a grin, “I’m leaving my son for collateral.”
2. She looked at him. He winked at her. She turned back to me, “What else you got?”
3. Some things are of doubtful value, but we’re going to read about something that can save your life.
B. TEXT
“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
C. TITLE: “The Serpent of Brass & Jesus.”
I. WHY DID THE SNAKES COME/APPEAR?
A. COMPLAINING ABOUT GOD’S DIRECTION & FOOD
1. The Bible tells the story of how Moses led the Israelites from Egypt, through Sinai to Palestine.
2. Although they were on their way to the earthly equivalent to Heaven, all they could focus on was their inconveniences, their petty appetites, and their circumstances.
3. Note: Just because everything doesn’t go smoothly doesn’t mean God’s not in it! It’s God’s will to send us down different roads sometimes.
4. They should have known that God knows best. His pillar of fire and cloud went before them; Moses & Aaron led them faithfully; every step up to that time had been correct. They even got to eat Angel’s food daily!
5. But if you get a complaining spirit you can always find something to complain about! We may not like our lot in life, but if God is with us, that ought to be enough.
6. The appearance of the snakes coincided with the poison of the Israelite’s criticism and complaining. James said, “The tongue also is...a world of evil among the parts of the body....full of deadly poison.” (3:6,8)
B. THE VENOM OF SIN
1. The venom that ended up in their bloodstream is a picture of the deadliness of sin in our lives. Once they were bitten, their doom was certain. It was just a matter of time until they died.
2. ILLUS. CERTAIN OUTCOME
a. In the early days of nuclear fission at the Los Alamos Laboratories in New Mexico, a young scientist was demonstrating the effect of two unstable masses of uranium.
b. He did this by putting them close together but keeping his screw driver between them. Their proximity caused a pale green light to radiate in the room. But his screw driver slipped and the two spheres came together with a bright piercing light.
c. To avert an explosion, the young scientist reached out, grabbed the two spheres, and separated them. The reaction stopped and the light disappeared.
d. The young scientist said, “You will all be fine, but I’m already dead.” He was right; within 5 days he died in excruciating pain.
3. We all have been exposed to a deadly force; we have the poison of sin in our systems. It’s only a matter of time until it destroys us. “The wages of sin is death” Rom. 6:23. “Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death” James 1:15.
II. GOD HAS PROVIDED THE ANTIDOTE
A. GOD’S ONE REMEDY
1. When the poisonous snakes bit the Israelites, they pleaded with Moses to help them. He prayed and God told him, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." Numbers 21:9.
2. The Lord Jesus in John 3:14-16 said this was symbolic of Him being lifted up on the Cross; “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. For 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.” Jn. 3:14-16.
3. The Lord is saying that we’ve all (Rom. 3:23) – everyone in the world – been bitten by the snake of sin. Its deadly poison is coursing through our veins. It’s universally fatal. Unless the anti-venom is given to us, we’ll all die – eternal death.
4. But look! There is the Antidote, Jesus Christ, suspended on the Cross. All who look to Him for salvation, and trust in Him – He not only neutralizes the poison, but administers His own eternal life as well. Praise the Lord!
B. MODERN PARALLEL Origin of Yellow Fever Vaccine
1. In West Africa, in 1927, a blood specimen was taken from the native named Asibi, who was sick with Yellow Fever. Asibi recovered.
2. All the vaccine manufactured since 1927 derives from that original blood sample taken from this humble native, even carried down to today.
3. By enormous multiplication, it has offered immunity to Yellow Fever to countless millions of people in many countries.
4. The blood of one man in West Africa has been made to save the whole human race from Yellow Fever.
C. GOD’S REMEDY FOR THE POISON
1. In the area of SIN, Jesus Christ did the same thing; he volunteered the serum of his blood to save us. His was the only blood uncontaminated with the poison of sin. He was sinless; only His blood can wash away sin.
2. The Bible says, “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Cor. 5:21.
3. There’s only one Savior of the world. No one else ever died to atone for your sins. I wish I could tell you that Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, or Hindu teachings would save you, but they can’t.
4. Jesus was the only substitute for your sins. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.” John 14:6.
III. GOD’S ANTIDOTE IS AVAILABLE TODAY
A. IT’S NOT TOO LATE
1. It didn’t matter how far gone the Israelites were or at what stage of poisoning they were in; the moment they looked to the Serpent on the Pole, they were healed.
2. Some have told me, “I’ve done too much sinning for God to save me.” No, it’s never too late to look to Jesus! It doesn’t matter if you’ve been bitten the second time around; God is merciful to forgive us.
3. The truth is, if you were bitten 1,000 times and looked to Christ 1,000 times, you’d still be healed! He abundantly pardons.
B. IT’S FREE, BUT PERSONAL
1. There are no works to do, no hurdles to jump, no fine print – just free grace. Believe in Him & salvation is yours.
2. But no one else can get your antitoxin for you; you must go to the Cross yourself, alone. Your eyes must look upon Him; your mind and heart must trust in Him.
3. God’s motive for offering this to you, is love! Jesus loved you so much He took your place on the Cross and died the death you should have died. Our response should be gratitude and loving service to a magnanimous Savior!
C. IMITATE MOSES: LIFT UP CHRIST
1. Those of us who love our Lord should imitate Moses and lift up Christ before a dying world. The method (pole) we use doesn’t have to be eloquent or expensive; any old pole would do to lift up Christ. The point is to lift Him up!
2. This reminds us that WE HAVE A DUTY AFTER WE’RE HEALED: TO HELP OTHERS BE HEALED! What have you done since you were healed? Have you joined a church? Are you working in the Gospel work? Are you witnessing? Join in the rescue squad for dying souls!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Jason Tuskes was a 17-year-old high school honor student. He was close to his mother, his wheel-chair bound father, and his younger brother. Jason was an expert swimmer who loved to scuba dive.
2. He left home on Tuesday morning to explore a spring and underwater cave near his home in west central Florida. His plan was to be home in time to celebrate his mother’s birthday by going out with his family to dinner that night.
3. Jason became lost in the cave. Then, in his panic, he became wedged in a narrow passageway. When he realized he was trapped, he shed his yellow metal air-tank and unsheathed his diver’s knife. With the tank as a tablet and his knife as a pen, he wrote one last message to his family, “I LOVE YOU MOM, DAD, AND CHRISTIAN.” Then he ran out of air and drowned.
4. A dying message – something communicated in the last few seconds of life – is something we can’t ignore. God’s final words to us are etched on a Roman cross. They are blood red. They scream to be heard. They too, say, “I love you!” [750 Engaging Illustrations, p. 400]
B. THE CALL
1. Have you looked to the Savior for salvation? Will you look to Him now and say the Sinner’s Prayer with me?
2. What have you done since? Are you holding up Christ for others to see? What can you do to make a difference? Will you commit to do it? PRAYER.
