The Gospel of John 3:13-15 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:13-15 KJV)

The only person in flesh who has stepped into the grounds of this earth who came from heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ. And, He is the only One who has ascended back to heaven from earth (Acts 1:11). He now sits at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:3). Hence, He is the only One able to guide, lead and bring us to God. He is the only Way to the Father who is in heaven (John 14:6).

In these passages, the reference to the serpent "lifted up" was a cast and shadow that points to the crucifixion, a vile way of execution, to rescue humanity from curse inflicted by the serpent's deception in the garden. "Son of Man" refers to the Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah. These are hints given to Nicodemus to recognize who He is. The Book of Numbers in the Old Testament records the incident that the Lord recalled. In this incident a vivid picture of how salvation would be brought to mankind through Christ was demonstrated. The people of Israel were attacked and bitten by poisonous snakes due to their disobedience. They went to Moses for help, and as Moses consulted with God, he was instructed to make an image of a snake and mount it on a pole. Anyone who looked at the snake was cured from their bite, and lived (Numbers 21:8-9).

This was a foreshadow of Christ's sacrifice on a cross. The people in Numbers 21 were suffering due to their own failings, which resulted in death. Their only hope was to trust in something beyond themselves. The idea of being healed simply by looking at the bronze snake left no doubt that it was God's power, not their own, that brought healing. This is not about pagan worship of an image. It is about responding to God's direct command.  In the same way, all people suffer as a result of sin (Romans 5:12), and the end result is death (Romans 6:23). Our only hope is trust on someone beyond ourselves (Romans 5:6). The fact that salvation comes entirely by faith leaves no doubt: we can't earn our redemption (Titus 3:5). Faith in Christ Jesus is not a "work," or something we do, any more than look at the serpent on the pole was. Looking to Christ Jesus is for everyone. Only those who refuse are going to miss out on being rescued.

Our salvation is totally by grace through faith. It is written: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

(When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.)

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