Jesus: The Antidote For Sin

I. EFFECTS OF SIN (NUMBERS 21:4-9)

A. JOURNEYED IN THE WILDERNESS (21:4)

1. DEVILS TRAFFIC IN SPIRITUAL DRYNESS

B. MUCH DISCOURAGED BECAUSE OF THE WAY (21:4)

1. GOD MAY TAKE A WHILE TO GET YOU TO THE PROMISED LAND AFTER HE BRINGS YOU OUT OF EGYPT, BUT SIN, UNBELIEF, AND GRUMBLING WILL SLOW DOWN -- YOU DO NOT FAIL ANY OF GOD’S TEST, YOU JUST KEEP TAKING THEM OVER UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT.

C. SPAKE AGAINST GOD AND MOSES GRIPING AT GOD’S PROVISION -- SAYING THEY HATED THE MANNA (21:5)

D. GOD SENT FIERY SERPENTS (21:6)

1. AMONG THEM

2. BIT THEM

3. MANY OF THEM DIED

4. SIN WILL TAKE YOU FARTHER THAN YOU WANT TO GO

5. SIN WILL COST YOU FAR MORE THAN YOU WANT TO PAY

6. SIN WILL KEEP YOU LONGER THAN YOU WANT TO STAY

E. RECOGNIZED THEIR SIN (21:7)

F. PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD TAKE AWAY SERPENT (21:7)

1. DID NOT TAKE AWAY SERPENT AS CURE BUT GAVE THEM SOMETHING ELSE TO LOOK AT

2. SOME WERE PROBABLY STILL BIT AND STILL DIED (THOUGH THERE WAS PROVISION--YET NOT REMOVAL)

3. THE ANTIDOTE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVED WAS FIXING THEIR EYES ON THE SOURCE PROVIDED FOR HEALING

II. ANTIDOTE PROVIDED FOR POISON

A. WHEN YOU’RE BITTEN, LOOK ON HIM AND LIVE (21:8)

B. SERPENT OF BRASS (21:9)

1. NOT PHYSICALLY, SUBSTANTIALLY A SNAKE BUT IN THE LIKENESS, IMAGE OF A SNAKE

2. ROMANS 8:3 For What the Law Could Not Do, in That it Was Weak Through the Flesh, God Sending His Own Son in the Likeness of Sinful Flesh, and for Sin, Condemned Sin in the Flesh:

3. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 For He Hath Made Him to Be Sin for Us, Who Knew No Sin; That We Might Be Made the Righteousness of God in Him.

4. PHILIPPIANS 2:7-8 But Made Himself of No Reputation, and Took upon Him the for of a Servant, and Was Made in the Likeness of Men: and Being Found in the Fashion as a Man, He Humbled Himself, and Became Obedient unto Death, Even the Death of the Cross.

5. GALATIANS 3:13 Christ Hath Redeemed Us from the Curse of the Law, Being Made a Curse for Us: for it Is Written, Cursed Is Every One That Hangeth on a Tree:

6. HEBREWS 10:5 Wherefore When He Cometh into the World, He Saith, Sacrifice and Offering Thou Wouldest Not, but a Body Hast Thou Prepared Me:

III. IMAGE OR TYPE OF BEING BORN AGAIN (3:14-21)

A. BORN AGAIN (FROM ABOVE) >>> SEEING THE KINGDOM OF GOD (3:3)

Jesus Answered and Said unto Him, Verily, Verily, I Say unto Thee, Except a Man Be Born Again, He Cannot See the Kingdom of God.

B. BORN OF WATER + SPIRIT >>> ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD (3:5)

Jesus Answered, Verily, Verily, I Say unto Thee, Except a Man Be Born of Water and of the Spirit, He Cannot Enter into the Kingdom of God.

C. BORN OF SPIRIT >>> CHANGE IN NATURE (3:6)

That Which Is Born of the Flesh Is Flesh; and That Which Is Born of the Spirit Is Spirit.

D. BORN OF SPIRIT >>> HEARING AND MOVING TO A DIFFERENT SOUND (3:8)

The Wind Bloweth Where it Listeth, and Thou Hearest the Sound Thereof, but Canst Not Tell Whence it Cometh, and Whither it Goeth: So Is Every One That Is Born of the Spirit.

E. AS SERPENT WAS LIFTED UP, SO JESUS MUST BE PLACARDED FOR ALL MEN TO BEHOLD (3:14)

And as Moses Lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, Even So must the Son of Man Be Lifted up:

F. BELIEVE -- LOOK WITH THE EYES OF FAITH AND SEE JESUS (3:15)

That Whosoever Believeth in Him Should Not Perish, but Have Eternal Life

G. NOT PERISH (3:15)

1. YOU ARE ALREADY DYING (YOU HAVE BEEN BITTEN) -- REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ACTION AS FIERY POISON KILLS QUICKLY

H. LOVED (3:16)

1. OUR SIN CAUSED THE JUDGMENT OF THE FIERY SERPENTS POISON AND CURSE; YET AT OUR REPENTANCE GOD’S LOVE PROVIDES AN ANTIDOTE/ ATONEMENT

2. ANTIDOTE IS NOT AN INJECTION (WORK) BUT A BEHOLDING (FAITH) -- IT IS SOMETHING THAT EVEN THE ONE CLOSEST TO DEATH CAN DO -- BELIEVE ENOUGH TO TURN YOUR EYES TO THE CURE

3. YOU JUST REALLY NEED TO SEE JESUS -- BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD I. NOT TO CONDEMN (3:17)

1. NO NEED TO CONDEMN -- YOUR DEATH IS ALREADY SEALED UNLESS YOU LOOK TO THE HELP PROVIDED

2. YOUR ONLY HOPE IS IMMEDIATE SALVATION

3. CERTAIN POISONS WHEN INJECTED IN YOUR LEG WILL KILL YOU AS SOON AS THE CONTAMINATED BLOOD REACHES YOUR HEART -- THAT’S WHY A TOURNIQUET IS USED TO DECREASE THE BLOOD FLOW

J. BELIEVE IN THE NAME (3:18)

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.