In John 3:14, Jesus makes a reference to an important event that was prophesied in the Old Testament regarding the Messiah. He states, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” This verse points to the crucifixion of Jesus and the purpose behind His death on the cross. By exploring the background of this statement, we can gain a deeper understanding of Christ’s mission and why He willingly laid down His life.
The Background Story in Numbers 21
To comprehend Jesus’ words in John 3:14, we must first look at the story He alludes to from Numbers 21:4-9. As the Israelites were journeying through the wilderness, they became impatient and spoke against God and Moses. They complained about the manna God provided and even expressed a desire to return to Egypt. As punishment for their sin, God sent venomous snakes among the people which bit them, causing many to die. The people then repented and asked Moses to pray to the Lord for forgiveness.
God instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. If anyone was bitten by a snake, they were told to look at the bronze snake and they would live. Moses obeyed and made the bronze serpent, lifting it up so the people could see it. Those who had been bitten gazed upon the bronze snake and were healed just as the Lord said.
This story paints a powerful picture of sin leading to death, yet God providing the means to salvation. The serpent was a symbol of the very thing that was afflicting the people. However, when they looked to the thing God provided – the bronze serpent – they were saved from the consequences of their sin.
Jesus as the Ultimate Provision
In John 3, Jesus is having a conversation with Nicodemus, a religious leader in Israel. Just as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, Jesus tells Nicodemus that He Himself must be “lifted up.” The Greek word used here for “lifted up” is hypsoó which means to exalt or lift up on high. But it also has connotations of being physically suspended on something. Jesus knew the kind of death He would die – crucifixion on a cross. Though it was a cruel method of execution, Jesus understood that His being “lifted up” on the cross would serve a greater purpose.
Through this statement, Jesus reveals that He is the ultimate provision of God to save people from sin and death. Just like the bronze serpent was lifted up to heal those suffering from snake bites, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross to provide the cure for the fatal disease of sin that plagues humanity. His crucifixion would make eternal life available to those who look to Him in faith.
There are some key parallels between the account in Numbers 21 and what Jesus says about Himself in John 3:14:
- The serpent on the pole pictured Christ being lifted up on the cross.
- The serpent brought healing from the venom of snakebites as Christ brings healing from the poison of sin.
- The bronze serpent had no power in itself – the power was from God. Likewise, the cross has no power, but Christ’s power comes from being the Son of God.
- Just as the people looked with their eyes to the serpent and lived, we must look with faith to Christ to receive life.
The main point is that Jesus would be crucified to provide the remedy for sin and walk. Whoever believes in Him would pass from death into life, just as those who looked at the serpent lived.
Why the Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up
From this background, we can better understand Christ’s words that the Son of Man “must” be lifted up. It was necessary for several key reasons:
- To fulfill God’s plan of salvation – The crucifixion was no accident. It was ordained by God to fulfill His redemptive plan. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). His death on the cross was central to God’s work of salvation.
- To die as a substitute sacrifice for sin – As the perfect Son of God, only Jesus could pay the penalty for sin. God’s justice and holiness required a sacrifice. Christ bore our sins in His body on the cross so we could be freed from the punishment we deserve (1 Peter 2:24). His life was given as a ransom for us (Mark 10:45).
- To destroy the power of Satan – Through His death, Jesus delivered the crushing blow to Satan’s rule and power. His perfect life fulfilled God’s law and His death broke the claim Satan had on humanity through sin. The cross disarmed and triumphed over evil forces (Colossians 2:15).
- To reconcile us to God – Sin separates us from a right relationship with our Creator. But Christ’s sacrifice removed the barriers that stood in the way of us being reconciled and reunited with God (Romans 5:10). Peace and restoration are found through the cross.
- To demonstrate God’s love – God showed His infinite love by sending His only Son to die for us. Christ’s sacrificial death was the ultimate expression of divine grace, mercy, and compassion for hopeless sinners (Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10).
Jesus clearly understood that the purpose behind His coming was to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Though the events of the cross would be horrific, their redemptive results would be worth the pain and sorrow. As the prophet Isaiah foretold, “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10). Christ submitted to the Father’s will, knowing His death was necessary to provide salvation.
The Necessity of Looking to Jesus
One final connection between the account in Numbers and Christ’s words is the necessity of looking to the provision to be healed. The Israelites had to direct their gaze upon the bronze serpent to be cured and live. Similarly, we must look to Jesus and what He accomplished in His death to receive forgiveness and eternal life. Just as there was no other remedy in the desert, Christ is the only way of salvation (John 14:6).
We cannot earn mercy and grace through our own merits and efforts. Isaiah asks the pertinent question, “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?” (Isaiah 6:6). Our only hope is found in looking outside ourselves to the One lifted up to save us. We must turn from sin and trust solely in Jesus, believing He died for our sins and rose from the dead.
So in summary, Jesus had to be lifted up on the cross because He alone could provide the way of redemption and rescue. His crucifixion was the means of reversing the curse of death and separation from God. However, just as the bronze serpent had no power unless the people looked to it, so the cross of Christ only saves those who repent of their sins and put their faith in Him.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up to Draw All People to Himself
There is another profound truth embedded in Christ’s statement about being “lifted up” found a few verses later in John 12:32-33. On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus declares:
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. (John 12:32-33)
Here the meaning of being physically raised up on the cross is made even more explicit. But the end purpose is that Christ might “draw all people to myself.” Through the cross, God would reach out with love to the entire world and call all nations and ethnic groups to find salvation in His Son. His death would have universal implications.
The vivid picture is of people from every tribe and language being drawn by God’s grace as they look to the crucified Savior. The humble obedience of Christ to die on the cross provided the means to reconcile sinners to their Maker across all cultural and social boundaries. The effects of Jesus’ sacrifice know no limits for those who put their trust in Him.
This does not mean universal salvation for all people. But rather, that redemption was made available for all through Christ’s shed blood. The invitation went out to both Jews and Gentiles. By His death, Jesus broke down the dividing wall that separated people and formed one new people of God (Ephesians 2:14). The offer of eternal life extends to the whole world, but every individual must choose to look to Christ and believe.
OT Prophecies of the Messiah Being Lifted Up
Beyond the Numbers passage, there are other Old Testament prophecies that foreshadowed the Messiah being lifted up in crucifixion. Here are a few key examples:
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. (Psalm 22:12-15)
They have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. (Psalm 22:16-18)
Each of these psalms and prophecies point to the Messiah being rejected and crucified. Isaiah 53 vividly describes Him being pierced and crushed for our sins. Psalm 22 describes the horror and agony of crucifixion centuries before this method of execution was practiced. Though veiled at the time, these prophecies foretold the suffering the Son of Man would endure to pay for the sins of the world.
The Glory Revealed Through the Cross
While Christ’s death on the cross was humiliating and agonizing, it also revealed His true majesty and glory. Paradoxically, the moment when Jesus was lifted up in crucifixion was also His coronation as King and triumph over the powers of darkness. As one preacher said, “The cross is His throne.”
When Christ stipulated that the Son of Man must be lifted up, He was not speaking aimlessly or fatalistically. Jesus understood that the path to ultimate victory went through the cross. While it appeared He was helpless to stop His persecution and death, Christ was voluntarily laying down His life according to God’s sovereign plan.
What humans intended for evil, God meant for redemptive good. The cross manifested God’s power to overcome evil with love and His wisdom to bring life from death. Though Christ was reviled and mocked as He hung on the cross, He endured because He knew redemption awaited. The lifting up of Jesus on the cross became the pathway to the resurrection and His glorification.
That is why Paul could proclaim: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’ – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14). By bearing our curse, Jesus brought blessing. From His lifting up flowed grace and new life in the Spirit.
The Necessity of Christ’s Exaltation
After His crucifixion, Jesus rose victorious from the grave and later ascended into heaven. The lifting up of Jesus through resurrection and exaltation revealed His supreme authority and glory:
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
The ascension and enthronement of Christ demonstrated that the power of sin and death had been fully defeated. The cross that had lifted Him up to die became the gateway to glory and honor at the Father’s right hand. All authority in heaven and earth was given to the risen Christ (Matthew 28:18).
God’s plan of redemption was fulfilled by first lifting His Son up on the cross and then raising Him to the highest place. The necessity of Christ’s death was equally matched by the necessity of His resurrection and exaltation. One led to the other in the unified purpose of salvation.
The lifting up of Jesus through crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension means that our lives can also be raised up and restored. As Paul explained:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)
Because Jesus was lifted up, we also can experience new life now and eternal life in the age to come. The Son of Man had to be crucified and glorified so that the sons and daughters of the resurrection might also be raised.
The Cross Reveals Our Own Heart’s Condition
In conclusion, the cross has a way of revealing the true condition of our own hearts. When Christ stated the necessity of His being lifted up, He provided no caveats or conditions. Jesus knew that the cross was the Father’s pure plan of love for humanity. He also knew that not everyone would perceive the cross in this way.
To many in His day, the notion of a crucified Messiah seemed absurd. They were looking for a political liberator, not a sacrificial lamb. But their rejection of Christ said more about their own hardened hearts than the wisdom of God’s plan. The cross exposes whether we are responding in faith or unbelief.
How do we view the cross? Do we see it as foolishness or embrace it as the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18)? Do we reject Christ because His way seems weak and humiliating? Or do we trust that His death provides the only way of redemption? The irony is that we cannot look to Jesus in faith while simultaneously rejecting the cross that lifted Him up to draw all people to Himself.
So Christ’s words remain both an invitation and a challenge. Will we accept that the Son of Man had to be lifted up to save us from our sins? Or will we deny the necessity of the cross and turn away from God’s provision of life? Like Nicodemus, may our encounter with the crucified Christ soften our hearts to receive Him in faith. The only proper response is to look with repentance and gratitude to the One who was lifted up that we might have eternal life.