Have you ever experienced a subtle, nagging symptom— brushed it off, telling yourself, "It's nothing, I'm just tired," only to discover later that you probably should have went to the doctor?
Ignoring physical warning signs is a well-documented human defense mechanism. According to a landmark study on health-seeking behaviors published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, over 43% of adults intentionally delay seeking medical care for serious, acute symptoms—not because care is unavailable, but because they convince themselves they are healthy or fear facing a terminal diagnosis. Now this study did not say this; but I wonder if the majority of the 43% of adults were men, but I digress.
When it comes to our spiritual lives, this tendency to minimize or rationalize our condition is far more dangerous. Millions of people walk through life convinced that they are essentially "good people" who are doing just fine on their own. They ignore the quiet conviction of sin in their hearts, assuming that their good deeds will easily outweigh their bad ones when they stand before God. A great number of people assume that when you die you will go to heaven. In fact there are a lot of people living today who never stop to consider where they will go when they die, until they are meet face to face with their own mortality. Truth is death comes to us all, and yet it is the one thing we don't seem to want to prepare for.
In John 3, during a late-night meeting with the religious scholar Nicodemus, Jesus reaches back 1,600 years into Israel's history to bring a shocking diagnosis. By linking an ancient wilderness story to His upcoming execution on the cross, Jesus reveals that every human being is infected with a fatal spiritual condition—and presents the only cure that can save us.
The Scripture: John 3:13–15
"No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
— John 3:13–15 (NKJV)
Shadows of the Old, Reality of the New
To understand why Jesus brought up this ancient story to Nicodemus, we must journey back to the book of Numbers (chapter 21). The nation of Israel was wandering through the harsh Arabian desert after being miraculously delivered from hundreds of years of Egyptian slavery. God had faithfully provided daily manna from heaven and water from dry rocks. Yet, despite His constant care, the people grew impatient and began to complain against God and Moses. They detested the food God gave them, calling the heavenly manna "miserable bread". They made statements out of anger and frustration saying that "it would have been better if God would have left them in Egypt as slaves" These people refused to see their deliverance as a blessing from God and complained that they were still wondering in the desert.
In response to their open rebellion, God sent venomous "fiery serpents" into the camp. Thousands were bitten, and many died as the poison burned through their veins. Desperate and dying, the people cried out to Moses, confessing their sin and begging for mercy.
God instructed Moses to perform an unusual act. He was to forge a serpent out of bronze, mount it high on a wooden pole in the center of the camp, and lift it up for all to see. God made a simple promise: anyone who was bitten and simply looked at the bronze serpent would live.
Now Human logic would ask: How could looking at a piece of metal cure a deadly snake bite? Furthermore to add more confusion, God had explicitly forbidden making carved images (Exodus 20:4). So why was God now asking them to look to this serpentine statue to be healed? How could looking at some bronze serpent save their lives?
But God was using this as a prophetic object lesson. Throughout the Bible, the serpent was a symbol of sin, while bronze was a symbol of divine judgment. You see, the bronze serpent represented sin judged. God was telling Israel: "You can either suffer the judgment for your sin on your own, or look in faith at the image of your sin being judged on your behalf."
Fast forward 1,600 years to Jerusalem. Nicodemus—a brilliant Pharisee and member of the ruling Sanhedrin—was sitting across from Jesus. He had grown up hearing this story. No doubt he had studied this story, and possibly had taught it to others. Yet Jesus was about to teach him this story in a way that he had never understood it before.
Jesus connected the dots for him: "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." - (John 3:14)
You see Nicodemus assumed that because he was a moral teacher and a physical descendant of Abraham, he was automatically safe from God's judgment. Jesus was warning Nicodemus that he was spiritually in the exact same condition as those dying Israelites in the desert. He was infected with the deadly venom of sin. His lineage, his pedigree, all of his accomplishments and good works could never save him. He must look to the Son of Man to be saved.
And just as the bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole, Jesus Christ would soon be "lifted up" on Golgotha's cross. On that wooden post, the sinless Son of God would take our sin upon Himself, enduring the fiery judgment of God in our place so that whoever looks to Him in faith will not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus was telling Nicodemus that if he wished to be saved, to be born again, he too must look to the Son of Man, Jesus Christ for His salvation. Nicodemus must by faith trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Placing Your Absolute Faith in Jesus
The message of the Gospel is not a novel New Testament invention; it has been God’s redemptive plan from the very beginning. The remedy God provided in the desert was strikingly simple: Look and live. Likewise, the remedy for our sin today is just as simple: Believe in Jesus Christ and be saved.
Yet, like Nicodemus, many people hesitate, delay, or refuse to accept this simple truth because it requires acknowledging their true spiritual condition. It requires an admission of guilt and repentance.
Here are three undeniable reasons why every single one of us must place our faith in Jesus Christ:
1. You Must Put Your Faith in Jesus Because You Are a Sinner
The Israelites sinned through open rebellious grumbling. Nicodemus sinned through self-righteous pride and spiritual blindness. Their sins looked different on the surface, but both stood guilty before God.
So many people today ignore their spiritual condition. They excuse their sins, compare themselves to others, and assume they are spiritually healthy. Lets face it, we might not think we are perfect, but we don't think that we are all that bad either. We have a tendency to look at the world and say to our selves. "I am not as bad as so and so." It is easier to point out the sins and the problem of others than it is to look at ourselves.
But until you humbly admit that you have broken God's law and carry the deadly poison of sin, you will never see your desperate need for a Savior. You see healthy people don't go to the doctor, sick people do. A person must realize that they are sinner before they come to the realization that they need a savior.
2. You Must Put Your Faith in Jesus Because You Stand Condemned
When the poisonous snakes swept through the Israelite camp, the people didn't argue about whether the venom was fair—they cried out for mercy because they knew they were dying.
Many people treat their rebellion against God like a minor infraction, assuming that God will grade on a curve or that their good deeds will balance out the bad. That is like telling a mortgage company, "I paid my bill on time for 11 months, so you shouldn't mind if I skip December!" Pastors and preachers today don't want to call out sin. They would rather soften the low and call them a mistake, or a problem. Make no mistake about it your sin is not some minor mistake it is a sin against God. It is not like some minor traffic ticket that we are guilty of but rather a sin against God.
The Bible warns us that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Apart from Christ, every human being stands legally guilty and condemned before a holy Judge. We are deserving of the wrath of God because of the sins we have committed. Hell is the rightful punishment that our sins deserve. Only when we realize the weight of our condemnation will we appreciate the infinite value of God's mercy.
3. You Must Put Your Faith in Jesus Because He Died for YOU
God did not offer the Israelites ten different ways to be healed from the snake bites. He didn't tell them to make herbal ointments, perform religious rituals, or try to heal themselves. There was only one remedy: look to the bronze serpent lifted up on the pole.
In the same way, there are no alternative routes to heaven. Jesus declared in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
When Jesus was lifted up on the cross, He bore the full, fiery wrath of God that our sins deserved. His blood paid our ransom in full. You cannot save yourself, your religion cannot save you, and your good works cannot save you. Jesus Christ alone is our salvation! Put your faith in Him and be saved today!!
Tying It All Together
Are you ignoring the spiritual warning signs in your life, or are you ready to admit your need for a cure?
The poison of sin is real, and the penalty is severe. But God, in His incredible love, has provided the ultimate remedy. Just as the Israelites in the desert were saved by simply turning their eyes toward the bronze serpent on the pole, you can be forgiven and granted eternal life today by turning your heart to Jesus Christ who died for you on the cross.
Reflect: Have you been relying on your own goodness or religious background to save you, or have you placed your trust entirely in the finished work of Christ?
Encouragement: No matter how deeply the poison of sin has affected your life, the grace of Jesus is far greater. His sacrifice on the cross paid for every single sin you have ever committed.
Challenge: Stop trying to fix yourself or excuse your sin. Look to the cross of Calvary today, put your total trust in the Risen Savior, and receive the free gift of eternal life! If you would like to do that or if you have questions on how you can be saved, or what salvation means. Text "I want to know Jesus" at 217-218-4196.
This is Part 12 in our series, Life-Changing Encounters with Jesus.
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