And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ~John 3:14
W hen the Israelites complained to Moses about the Lord’s provision, they demonstrated their lack of faith as well as their willful rebellion against God. Consequently, the Lord punished them with a plague of fiery serpents which fell on them with devastating consequences: pain and death from the venomous bites. The people cried out in repentance and the Lord provided salvation. The odd thing is that the salvation was in the form of a bronze serpent. All the people who had been bitten had to do was look at it and they would be saved from death. Those who thought that doing such a simple thing was stupid, pointless or foolish died.
Jesus used this incident of the bronze serpent to demonstrate how He would save all men from their sins. The bronze serpent is a type or figure of salvation in Jesus who became sin on the cross. The very thing that caused death brought life. All who look to Jesus on the cross in faith are saved from eternal death. Those who refuse to look at the cross because they insist they know better or think that looking at a man crucified in despicable shame is foolish, pointless or unscientific and cannot possibly make a difference will die. Those who are foolish enough to trust in the simple provision of the Lord inherit eternal life.