JESUS, AND THE SNAKE ON A POLE
By: Frank Tunstall, D. Min.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up…
Israel was in the wilderness, being led by Moses when a rebellion started among the Israelites. The punishment was severe as the Israelites were being bitten by venomous snakes. God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Moses obeyed, telling the people to raise the bronze pole so that the Israelites could see it. Those who looked up at the pole with repentant hearts would be healed.
Clearly the serpent on the pole had no healing or redemptive power. Neither did Moses personally have a cure. But God did. All those were healed who looked at the bronze snake on the pole and believed what God told Moses to do.
The serpent on a brass pole was a classic illustration of the salvation that comes by grace through faith. When we look to Jesus in faith we discover the gift of life that no “viper” can stop. The Lord’s ministry shows it is not even required to be the actual source to experience God’s gracious gifts. The miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee makes the point. The young couple being wed, and the servants who had obeyed Jesus, had no idea what was ahead. Jesus fed the wedding party with agape love.
I am a personal example.
I was admitted to the hospital March 26, 2020, flat on my back with Covid 19. My temperature was 104 degrees. I could not talk more than three words without uncontrollable coughing. My lungs were infested with the virus. I had pneumonia and was border line septic. All modern medicine knew to do was try to keep me comfortable. They expected me to die. I was the fourth person in Canadian County to develop the illness. The quarantine was tight. Neither my dear wife nor my children could enter the room. But the Holy Spirit could and did.
People were praying all over the country. I’ll always remember those prayer warriors.
On my fifth day of quarantine the Holy Spirit entered the room. I could not see the invisible Spirit, but I certainly felt the Spirit’s presence. I started hearing the most beautiful choir music of my life. It sounded like angels to me. I learned again it is a futile effort to try to quarantine the Holy Spirit.
My fever broke and I went to sleep.
The next day my fever was still gone. The doctor dismissed me from the hospital.
We will never appreciate the full depth of the Lord’s humiliation until we can picture Jesus Himself on the pole, our awesome Lord. Jesus can reach deeper than the deepest sin. This is true even when He was treated worse than a den of deadly cobras. Jesus willingly died in our place so that His children can have eternal life. But the third day — ah the third day! Jesus walked out of His tomb, never to die again.
Look and live, my brother live.
Look to Jesus now and live.
Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you look and live.
William Ogden, 1887
