Readings for Lent 4

Numbers 21: 4-9

Ephesians 2: 1-10

John 3: 14-21

Passage for meditation:  “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14-15   

Devotion:  If you are familiar with the Indiana Jones movies, you know that Dr. Jones hates snakes.  He would not have done well if he had to walk in the wilderness with the Israelites.  For there the people sinned against God, and venomous snakes were sent among the people, biting and killing many of the Israelites.  Reason enough for anyone to hate snakes! 

However, it wasn’t the snakes fault that the people died.  It was their sin, their grumbling against God and His unusual plan of salvation.  They had been in Egypt and had food and drink to eat, yet they were in slavery.  Now they were free and God had provided for their physical needs, and yet it wasn’t what the people wanted.  So they complained against God and his plan.  They sinned and they died.

When the people repented from their sin, God initiated another unusual plan of salvation.  A bronze snake was put up on a stick so that when people were bitten, they could look at it and live.  God didn’t take the snakes away.  People still were bitten.  But now they could look at the sign that God provided for them to live.

In an even more unusual and greater plan of salvation, Jesus said that it is necessary for Him to be lifted up like the snake in the desert.  The serpent satan has bitten the world with his venomous fangs and left all who are born on earth to die.  God’s greater, more unusual plan from the beginning was to send His only Son to be bitten by satan and take the full venom from the serpents fangs. (see Gen.2:15!) Not only was Jesus allow himself to be bitten by the serpent, but he was also able to draw the venom that has poisoned us and left us for dead.  Jesus so fully took on our venom, that he actually became venom for us, so that we might live. (see 2 Cor. 5:21!)  In His rising from the dead, Jesus effectively crushed the head of the ancient serpent! 

Those who continually look up to see Christ bitten and poisoned for them, receive life now and forever.  Then we will live with the once poisoned and now living Christ who has won for us victory over satan’s fangs of death.  Until that day, we live in faith of the one who drew our poison unto himself and join in the confession of Indiana Jones, “I hate snakes!”