Numbers 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it icon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Jesus refers to this classic story to introduce and illustrate the central gospel message of John 3:16. This visual symbol strikes the mind’s eye and paints a clear picture of a spiritual truth: Believe in Jesus and live! The symbolism is easy to grasp: the serpent is sin; its poison brings death; God responds with a plan of salvation, a serpent on a pole; our sin (the serpent) was laid on Him (the brass serpent); the pole is the cross; look upon Him and live. There is no way any human would have ever thought about this as a remedy; it is God’s idea.
The key human response to the event is: Behold the serpent of brass. Jesus defines the word behold, in John 3:16: it means believe. “Whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved [Acts 16:31].” The Gospel calls us to look upon Jesus on the cross. Faith looks. Faith saves. Faith lives. 2 Corinthians 4:18: “We look…to the things that are unseen. For…the things that are unseen are eternal.” Colossians 3:1: “Seek the things that are above.”
The vital question for us is this: To whom, or to what, will we look for help, for good, for answers, for life and salvation?