Posted on by Margarita & Stace Crews

JUST AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SNAKE / JOHN 3:14-15

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) John 3:14-15

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The Bronze Snake and the Cross: Finding Healing in Your Darkest Moments

We all know what it feels like to feel bit by the consequences of a broken world. Whether it is the sting of a bad decision, the ache of a broken relationship, or the heavy weight of anxiety, there are moments when our spirits feel completely poisoned.

If you are walking through a desert season right now, a strange and powerful story from the Old Testament holds the exact key to the healing you are looking for.

In the New Testament, Jesus brings up this obscure moment from Israel’s history to explain His entire mission on earth. In John 3:14–15, He says:

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

To understand the depth of what Jesus is promising us, we have to look back at where this story began.

The Cursed Community

In Numbers 21:4–9, the Israelites were wandering through the desert, weary, frustrated, and complaining against God. Their rebellion opened the door to a terrifying plague of venomous snakes. People were dying, panic was spreading, and the community was completely helpless against the poison in their veins.

They cried out for mercy, and God provided a highly unusual cure.

He didn’t make the snakes disappear. Instead, He commanded Moses to make a snake out of bronze and lift it high on a pole in the middle of the camp. God’s instruction was simple: Anyone who was bitten could look at the bronze snake and live.

It made no medical sense. Looking at a metal image cannot cure snake venom. But it wasn’t about the bronze—it was about faith and obedience. Those who chose to look up, trusting God’s word despite their pain, were instantly healed.

From Physical Cure to Eternal Healing

Jesus uses this vivid picture to show us what He came to do for you and me.

The bronze snake was a prophetic shadow; Jesus is the reality. The Israelites were dying of physical venom; humanity is suffering from the spiritual poison of sin, shame, and separation from God.

Just like that bronze snake, Jesus was “lifted up” on a wooden cross outside Jerusalem.

The beauty of the Gospel is the parallel: Healing requires a look.

  • The Israelites didn’t have to extract their own venom. They just had to look up.
  • You don’t have to fix yourself, clean up your past, or earn your way into God’s good graces. You just have to look to Jesus in faith.

When we look to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the poison loses its power. Our spiritual wounds are mended, our guilt is washed away, and we are given a vibrant, eternal life that starts right now. If you feel overwhelmed today, stop looking at the depth of your wounds and start looking at the height of your Savior.

A Closing Prayer for Healing and Faith

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being a God who meets us in our wilderness. Forgive us for the times we complain, wander, and let the bitterness of life poison our hearts. We confess that we cannot cure ourselves.

Today, we look up. We turn our eyes away from our pain, our failures, and our fears, and we fix our gaze squarely on Jesus lifted up on the cross. Thank You, Lord Christ, for taking our curse so that we could receive Your healing. Let Your perfect love drive out our poison. Restore our joy, heal our broken paths, and fill us with the confidence of eternal life.

In Jesus’ powerful name, Amen.

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Bible Study Tools I Use

Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. THE WIND … THE SPIRIT / JOHN 3:8
  2. BORN OF WATER / JOHN 3:5
  3. BORN AGAIN / JOHN 3:3
  4. TEMPLE / JOHN 2:19
  5. DROVE ALL FROM THE TEMPLE AREA / JOHN 2:15
  6. SIGNS / JOHN 2:11
  7. CHOICE WINE – HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK / JOHN 2:10
  8. WINE – THEY HAVE NO MORE WINE / JOHN 2:3
  9. YOU SHALL SEE HEAVEN OPEN / JOHN 1:51
  10. CEPHAS … PETER / JOHN 1:42
  11. THE FIRST THING ANDREW DID / JOHN 1:41
  12. THE TENTH HOUR /JOHN 1:39
  13. WILL BAPTIZE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / JOHN 1:33
  14. LAMB OF GOD / JOHN 1:29
  15. PHARISEES / JOHN 1:24
  16. GRACE AND TRUTH / JOHN 1:17
  17. THE WORD BECAME FLESH / JOHN 1:14
  18. BORN NOT OF … HUMAN DECISION / JOHN 1:13
  19. RECEIVED … BELIEVED / JOHN 1:12
  20. THE WORLD DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM / JOHN 1:10
  21. GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN / JOHN 1:9
  22. HIS NAME WAS JOHN / JOHN 1:6
  23. LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS / JOHN 1:5
  24. LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN / JOHN 1:4
  25. WITH GOD IN THE BEGINNING / JOHN 1:2
  26. THE WORD / JOHN 1:1
  27. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace

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