Introduction:
I. The children of Israel were complaining – again.
II. They were being fed, but they were tired of the kind of food they were getting.
III. And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
IV. Jesus later compared this to Himself: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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. (John 3:14-18)
V. What can we learn about Jesus from that brass serpent?
Discussion:
I. You cannot be saved by your own effort
A. What could people have done to heal themselves from this snakebite?
1. No modern medicine
2. No anti-venom
3. Science has proven that the idea of “sucking out the snake venom” is a myth.
a. Snakes inject the venom deep into the body.
b. It’s in the bloodstream.
c. It’s already spreading through the body in seconds, and you can cause more tissue damage trying to get the venom out.
4. A tourniquet can’t stop snake venom.
5. Being bitten by one of these venomous snakes meant death.
B. What can man do, in and of himself, to cure his affliction from sin?
1. Every religion in history has come up with some kind of means or method.
a. Praying on beads
b. Fasting
c. Marching around a rock
d. Whipping themselves
e. Offering milk to cobras or statues
2. (Titus 3:5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
II. You cannot be saved without your effort
A. Would any have been saved if they hadn’t looked at the brass serpent?
1. Would it have done any good to sit in his tent and pray “The Serpent’s Prayer”?
2. I believe that God will heal me?
3. You can believe that all you want, but if you don’t look at the snake, you wouldn’t be healed!
4. Well, God COULD heal me from snakebite when I rub strawberry jelly on my forehead – He has that power - but do you have any reason to believe that He WOULD!?
B. There are people who say that we’re rejecting the sovereignty of God by trying to do something.
1. I say that they are rejecting the gift of God by telling God how He has to do things!
2. (Luke 6:46) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
III. You cannot take part of what God has made and part of what man has made
A. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. (Matthew 9:16-17)
B. You cannot rely on traditions
1. King Hezekiah was praised for doing what was right: He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. (2 Kings 18:4)
a. Nehushtan means “the brass thing.”
b. Can’t you hear people saying “But we’ve always burned incense to the snake.”
i. “Moses, the man of God, gave us this snake!”
ii. “But we’re sincere when we’re burning the incense.”
iii. “Well, who are you to say there’s only one way to worship God? That’s awfully narrow minded!”
2. (Hebrews 10:1-4) For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
a. That was a valid part of worship for around 4000 years.
b. NOW it’s wrong, because that’s not what God has authorized for us today.
3. (Galatians 5:4) Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Conclusion:
I. Then said Jesus unto them, “When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28)
II. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” This he said, signifying what death he should die. (John 12:32-33)
III. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. (John 6:44-45)
