The exalted Son of Man

In conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus mentioned an interesting parallel between a serpent in the desert and himself: “As Moses exalted the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be exalted so that all who believe in him may have eternal life »(Johannes 3,14-15).

What does Jesus mean by that? Jesus draws on a story from the Old Testament about the people of Israel. The Israelites were in the desert and had not yet entered the promised land. They were impatient and complained: «The people were annoyed on the way and spoke against God and against Moses: Why did you bring us out of Egypt, that we should die in the desert? For there is no bread or water here, and we are disgusted by this meager food »(4. Moses 21,4-5).

What was the meaning of the manna? “They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them; but the rock was Christ »(1. Corinthians 10,3-4).

Jesus Christ is the rock, the spiritual drink, and what was the spiritual food that they ate? It was the manna, the bread, that God dropped all over the camp of Israel. What was it? Jesus symbolizes the manna, he is the true bread from heaven. The Israelites despised heavenly bread, and what happened?

Poisonous reptiles came, they bit and many of the people died. God instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent and hang it on a pole. «So Moses made a brazen serpent and raised it up high. And if someone bit a snake, he looked at the brazen snake and stayed alive »(4. Moses 21,9).

The Israelites were ungrateful and blind to what God was doing for them. They had forgotten that he had saved them from slavery in Egypt through miraculous plagues and provided them with food.
Our only hope is in the provision that comes from God, not from something we do but from the one lifted up on the cross. The term "exalted" is a term for the crucifixion of Jesus and is the only remedy for the condition of all humanity and for the discontented people of Israel.

The brazen serpent was just a symbol that made physical healing possible for some Israelites and pointed to the ultimate One, Jesus Christ, who offers spiritual healing to all of humanity. Our only hope of escaping death depends on paying attention to this destiny that God has made. We must look to and believe in the Son of Man, who has been exalted, if we are to be saved from death and given eternal life. This is the gospel message recorded in the story of Israel's wandering in the desert.

If you, dear reader, have been bitten by the serpent, look to the Son of God lifted up on the cross, believe in him, then you will receive eternal life.

by Barry Robinson