Jesus Was Lifted Up…
Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-15
April 13, 2003 (Palm Sunday
Note: this message inspired and partially based on an address by Rev. Keith Drury, of Indiana Wesleyan University, given at a seminar on teaching the Bible to adults.
Introduction
Today is Palm Sunday, and on this day we begin what we call Holy Week. It’s a great time for those who call themselves followers of Jesus to remember and reflect on the sacrifice of Christ.
This week will see services at various churches, including a special communion event here, as well as the community Good Friday service at 1st Assembly of God.
Generally we think of Palm Sunday as the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem with shouts and palms – that event we call the Triumphal Entry.
And I think of the irony involved with the crowd who when Jesus came into Jerusalem, called Him blessed, crying out, “Hosanna!” But a few days later were crying out, “Crucify Him!”
But today, rather than looking at His triumphal entry, I want to look at what Jesus accomplished with His death.
I’m going to use an Old Testament story, that links to the New Testament by a comment by Jesus to a teacher who visited Him one night.
We don’t normally associate the Old Testament with Palm Sunday, but hang on. You’ll how it ties in very nicely.
And I think that when you do, you will walk away with a new appreciation of Jesus and what He did for you. And more than that, I hope that you will walk out of here with a renewed sense of commitment to live for the One who gave His all for you.
Let’s start with…
1. The setting – “Show me the snake!”
I’d like you to turn with me to Numbers 21:4-9. If you are using the Bibles in the seats, this is on page 111.
This story occurs during the trek of the Israelites to the Promised Land, and they were getting a bit cranky.
NU 21:4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
NU 21:6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 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.
NU 21:8 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." 9 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, he lived.
Let’s recap the scene: the people were in the desert, wandering around. And they were tired of the food, which was manna.
God had provided the manna every day so the Israelites wouldn’t starve. When it first started coming, they were all excited.
“Check it out! This is cool! It just shows up – we don’t have to plant for it, we don’t have to hunt and kill it, all we have to do is go get it. How’s that for awesome?”
We don’t really know what manna was, but Keith Drury has compared it to oatmeal.
I generally like oatmeal. In fact, I could eat it just about every day, at least for a while.
But I think I’d get tired of it if that’s all I got for every meal every day for years and years.
“What’s for breakfast, Ma?” “Oatmeal.” “What’s for lunch, Ma?” “Oatmeal.” “What’s for supper, Ma?” “Oatmeal.” “Hey Ma, what’s for thanksgiving dinner?” “Oatmeal.” “Christmas dinner?” “Oatmeal. Deal with it.”
The people were getting tired of having only manna to eat day in and day out. They don’t like the fact that God had provided them something they didn’t even work for. They also seem to have forgotten that God had delivered them miraculously from Egypt, and that He had been providing for all their needs since leaving Egypt.
They get to complaining, and God sends snakes into the Israelite community. And not just garter snakes, but poisonous snakes. The snakes bite people and they start dying.
Very tragic story – when God brings a judgment, sometimes “innocent” people die. Maybe children were bitten and died.
The people go to Moses and say, “Hey Moses, pray to God to take these snakes away.” So Moses prays.
But God does not make the snakes go away.
God tells Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole so that everyone who looked at the snake would be healed from their snakebite.
Key point: Instead of removing snakes, God made a provision for those who were bitten by the snakes: look at the bronze snake. And everyone who took God at His word and looked at the snake was healed.
The person who believed God and acted on that belief was taken care of.
Keep that in mind as we look at the next thing, that…
2. The application – “Show me the Savior!”
Please turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 3, beginning in verse 14. This is on page 752 of the Bibles in the seats.
While you’re finding that, let me give you some background here.
Fast forward from our episode with the snakes about 1500 years. Jesus is making a name for himself, and he is approached by a high-profile religious leader named Nicodemus, who has some questions for Jesus.
And during the conversation, Jesus says something that bridges a huge gap in time.
John 3:14-15
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Now this ol’ world’s full of bad stuff, huh? We’re in a war, and there are many other wars around the world right now. People are being murdered for their Nike shoes and FUBU jackets, or for just getting a dirty look on the freeway. People are starving all over the world.
And the root cause of all this chaos is not political or military. The root cause is sin.
And we cry out to God, “Make all this sin and madness go away!” but God doesn’t seem to be doing that.
So what has He done? The same thing He did in the desert. He made a provision for you and me.
And that’s the key point: Instead of removing the sin, God made a provision for those who have sinned.
He sent His Son to be hung on a cross. Jesus was lifted up so you and I could find forgiveness and hope. He laid down His life, allowing Himself to be nailed to an ugly old cross. He died for you and me. He died to take my sins onto Himself. He died to take your sins.
The Bible says that He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might be the righteousness of God.
He suffered, bled, and died, so that everyone who believes in Him might have eternal life, cured from the snakebite of sin.
He hung there for you and me. And just as people looked upon the snake, we can look on the Lord Jesus Christ, whose death sets us free from sin and death.
We can’t literally look at Jesus hung on the cross anymore, because He isn’t there anymore – He’s risen, and isn’t that good news! Without the resurrection, the crucifixion is nothing more than the martyrdom of a religious man.
But the awesome event we celebrate next Sunday validates Jesus’ words, and more importantly, validates His sacrifice.
His sacrifice made a provision for you and me.
3. What does this mean for me?
Whoever looks to Christ, believing that He did everything necessary, is saved from the penalty of their sin, much like the Israelites were saved from the penalty of their sin of grumbling against God.
But there’s one major difference: the snake on the pole brought healing for one episode. Jesus on the cross brought healing for sin, once and for all.
The Bible says that Jesus died once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous (that’s you and me), to bring you to God.
Let me tell you what all this means:
Forgiveness of your sins, no matter what and no matter how many.
Thieves, murderers, adulterers, pornographers, you name it. They can be forgiven no matter what the crime or no matter what the sin.
You might be thinking, “But I’ve never sinned, at least like that.”
Let me ask you something: have you ever told someone something that wasn’t true? Then you have lied. Have you ever looked at another man or woman other than your spouse wishing you could have them? Jesus says you’ve committed adultery. Have you ever hated someone? The Bible says you’re a murderer. Have you ever loved anyone or anything more than God? The Bible says you are an idol-worshiper.
And it’s not just the “big ones.” Sins such as lying, stealing, gossiping, ignoring those who need your help, neglecting your family.
Folks, the bottom line here is that we’ve all sinned. And even one sin is too many. And the Bible also says that we deserve death and hell for our sins.
But Jesus was lifted up on that cross and He died so that we can have forgiveness!
The next thing we gain from Jesus’ death is…
A home in heaven.
The Bible says that when you have trusted in Christ to take your sins on him, when you have believed in Him, you have forgiveness of those sins, and a home in heaven when you leave earth.
Sometimes we look at the shape of the world and wonder if there is anything better down the road.
Well, let me tell you that God has something in store for those who love Him, and that place is called heaven.
In heaven, there is no more war, there is no more pain. The Bible says that He will wipe every tear from our eye, and that in His presence, all will be wonderful.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait. In heaven, no one will reject me, because God has already accepted me.
I grew up wondering if anybody outside my family would really accept me. So tried hard at everything I did so others would accept me. I tried hard in school, and I partied hard when I partied.
But I found acceptance in Christ. God loved me so much that He sent is Son to die for me.
In Heaven no one will betray me or let me down. No one will cheat me or try to hurt me. All will be great in the presence of God Himself in heaven. Anybody else looking forward to that?
Another great promise we have because Jesus was lifted up is…
A new life on earth.
In spite of all the bad stuff going on here on earth, God makes it possible to enjoy our life in Him.
Jesus said that He came so we could have a full life, enjoying God and His benefits. That doesn’t mean all your problems will go away, but it does mean that we have His help in facing them.
The Bible is full of promises for His children, as they face the hassles and trials of life.
I can tell you from personal experience that facing trouble with God is infinitely better than facing trouble without Him.
But wait, there’s more!
The Bible also says that when we believe in Jesus, God makes us a new person entirely.
It’s not always obvious to us and others, but God tells us that He sees us as a new person, forgiven, a child of God who He is shaping to help us be more like Him, until that wonderful day when we are with Him.
When we believe in Jesus, we’re believing in the promises of God to help us be people who reflect His love in our lives. We gain the opportunity for authentic relationship and communion with God Himself.
It’s a wonderful thing to see a life that has been changed by the love of God.
People are freed from addictions as well as harmful and sinful relationships. Free to live the life God intended for us to live.
Free from fear of death, and free to live. Jesus said that if He sets you free, He sets you free, indeed.
4. So now what?
You gotta believe. Look again at what Jesus said in verse 15 of John:
15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
You have to believe in the Son of God. What do I mean by believe? Let me illustrate by going back to our story about the snakes.
God told Moses to put that snake on the pole so that whoever looked at it could be healed from their snakebite.
But you’ve got to understand something. Just because the snake was on the pole, it did not automatically mean people were healed. They had to look at the snake.
Remember I said earlier that those who acted on their faith, who did more than just say, “That sounds good,” found hope and healing.
The crowd with Moses was huge, probably numbering between 2-3 million, and the acreage they covered was roughly half the size of Rhode Island.
What about someone who was bitten way out there? They had to come look at the snake. They had to get up and go to where the snake was, so they could look at it.
I would almost guarantee that there were a bunch of people who didn’t believe Moses when he said there was a provision for those who were bitten.
“That Moses has always been a crackpot. In fact, I wonder if he isn’t a crack head. Looking at some stupid snake on a pole isn’t going to take the venom out of my system. Get real.”
Or there might have been others who said, “That sounds good for you, but not for me.” I don’t need to look at some snake in order for me to get better.”
Well, guess what? They missed out. And it cost them their lives.
But others said, “I have no other choice. If I want the healing that God offers for this fatal snakebite, I need to go and look at the snake.” So they decided to get up and go.
That took faith. To walk that far meant you really thought God meant what He said, or at least it was worth checking out.
Well, believing in Jesus is “get up and go” faith.
“Get up and go” faith is not to sit down and say, “Yeah, I believe it’s true.” Most people believe in Jesus like they believe in George Washington. “Yeah, I believe George Washington was a nice historical figure.”
The word, “believe” means that you’re putting all your confidence and trust in it, so much so that you’re willing to stake your eternal destiny on it.
Is that how you believe in Jesus? I hope so, because that’s the kind of belief that brings eternal life.
JN 3:16 "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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
You can’t have “sit down and wait” faith. It doesn’t work. You can’t just figure that because Jesus was lifted up for you that you’re going to heaven. It doesn’t work that way.
You need to act on what God has provided for you. You need to make a conscious decision on your own to believe in Jesus.
Do you have “get up and go faith?” If not, ask God for it. He wants you to have the kind of faith that can call on Jesus to set you free from sin and death, give you a home in heaven, and wonderful life on earth.
So here’s the bottom line of all this: do you want to take advantage of the provision that God has made for you by sending His Son to be lifted up for you?
Would you like know you are forgiven for all your sins, great and small? Would you like to have a new life on earth and a home on heaven?
Then look to Jesus. Here’s how you do that:
First, you admit you need the provision. Admit to God that you are a sinner, and that you understand that sin not only breaks God’s law, it hurts Him terribly.
Second, believe that Jesus died for you, and rose from the grave. The Bible says that if you believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the grave, you will be saved.
Third, call on Him to give you that provision – forgiveness, a home in heaven, and a new life on earth. The Bible says that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Call on Him to free you from your past, so you can be free to live for Him in all things.
If you haven’t done that, will you do that today? I’m going to lead us all in a prayer in just a moment that you can use as your own to take Christ as your Savior.
If you have done that before, but maybe you’ve fallen away, won’t you call on Him again? He’s ready and waiting to accept you again, just as He did with Peter, who rejected Him bitterly and with cursing.
Maybe you accepted God’s provision for you a long time ago, and have been living for Him. Today I would invite you to just renew your covenant of love and thanksgiving for what He endured on your behalf.
Right now I want to lead a prayer for those who want to take Jesus as their Savior, accepting the provision God has made for them.
I want everyone to stand, and I’m going to lead us in two prayers. The first is a prayer to take Jesus as their Savior that I want everyone here to repeat with me, okay? I don’t want anyone here to feel singled out.
Then I’m going to pray for the rest of us as we dismiss.
Let’s pray.
If you have prayed that prayer, either for the first time or you have come back to Christ, please leave me a message on the back of the response card in your bulletin.
Put down, “prayed the prayer” or something like that if it’s your first time. If you’re returning to Christ today, then put down “returned to Jesus,” or something like that. I’ll know what you mean.
I want to get you some information about what to do next, so you can get that relationship with God established and started off on the right foot.
Before I close our service in prayer for the rest of us, let me once again invite you to join us on Thursday for our communion activities. And I want to offer a special invitation for anyone here who has given their life to Christ for the first time, or have come back to Him today.
Communion is a wonderful event remembering what Jesus did for us on that day at Calvary.
Let’s close in prayer.
