The Serpent And The Cross.

THE SERPENT AND THE CROSS.

John 3:14-21.

JOHN 3:14. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” This refers back to an incident during the wilderness wanderings of the children of Israel (cf. Numbers 21:4-9), and forward to the crucifixion.

If a serpent on a pole was a shocking symbol for a monotheistic people, so is the picture in our minds’ eye of the broken body of a man impaled upon a wooden cross. Yet, in both instances, this is what God commanded.

Without the brazen serpent there was no healing for the Israelite who had been bitten by a serpent (cf. Numbers 21:9) - and without the Cross there is no salvation for any one of us, bitten as we are by the sting of death which is sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

JOHN 3:15. “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus was ‘lifted up’ in the crucifixion, so that everyone who “believeth in Him,” trusting not in themselves but trusting in His sacrificial blood, would have “eternal life.” It is through such faith that we receive this truth into our hearts.

JOHN 3:16. “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.”

The source of man’s salvation is the love of God. The giving of His “only begotten Son” was and is, the supreme act of God’s love toward mankind. The “whosever” speaks of the universality of the love of God. As in the previous verse, it is “whosoever believeth in Him” who “should not (will not, shall not) perish, but have everlasting life.”

JOHN 3:17. “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”

This was Jesus’ mission of salvation. Not to condemn, but to save. In the first advent Jesus came not to judge, but ‘to seek and to save that which is lost’ (cf. Luke 19:10).

JOHN 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.”

There is a privilege attached to belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is ‘no condemnation’ (cf. Romans 8:1). This shows the importance of having believing faith. Likewise, the peril of not believing is to find oneself “condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Thus the cry of the Apostles, ‘believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved’ (Acts 16:31).

JOHN 3:19. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

This is the true cause of condemnation. Light is come, but men prefer darkness because their deeds are evil. Salvation is of God, and is on offer for all men. This verse shows us that if anyone perishes, it is of their own doing.

JOHN 3:20. “For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

The ungodly person, the evil doer, hates the light, and will not come to the light lest their sins be exposed. And even some who have the outward appearance of coming to the light (e.g. through church attendance, &c.) may well harbour within their hearts a hatred towards the light of the gospel. No unregenerate person likes to hear that they are a sinner!

JOHN 3:21. “But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought of God.”

We are saved “unto good works” (cf. Ephesians 2:10). Works that bear fruit (cf. John 15:8). So those who are saved are not ashamed to come to the light, that their works may be manifest for what they are, to the glory of God (cf. Matthew 5:16).