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Listen "#105 | Infected but not Affected - What Jesus, Serpents, and Venom have to do with our Salvation "
Episode Synopsis
In this episode we look at the story of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21 and how Jesus uses this story to illustrate his own saving power. God sent serpents into the Israelites' camp to infect them with venom. Many Israelites died, but some cried out to Moses and asked him to pray to God for the snakes to be removed. God responded, not by taking the snakes away, but by telling Moses to create a bronze serpent and lift it up on a poll. God said that when an Israelite looked to the bronze serpent on the poll, the venom in their bodies would not kill them. The interesting thing about this story is that God used the very thing that infected the Israelites with venom - a snake - as the solution to their problem. Why did he do this? Because the snake, while having venom in its body, remains unaffected by that venom. The Israelites, having venom in their body, needed to be like that snake - they needed to become immune to the venom in their own body.
In John 3, Jesus says that he is like the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole. Through his incarnation, he becomes an Israelite with "venom" in his "flesh". And yet, like the serpent, Jesus is never affected by that venom. Jesus is immune to the "venom" in his body. Throughout his whole life, all the way up to the very moment he died, Christ was like that bronze serpent who never allowed the venom in his body to affect him. He resisted the power of sin in his flesh all the way to the very end of his life. At his crucifixion, he entered into death with the venom never having influenced him. Now, all who look to the Son of God - trusting in his capacity to make them immune to the "venom" like he is - can overcome the power of the "venom" in their "flesh", too. This happens as we look expectantly to Christ - placing our trust in his capacity to save/heal us - and allow the life-giving power of the Spirit to counteract the venom in our flesh and produce life - not death - in us.
Key Passages
Numbers 21:4-9
John 2:23-25 - Jesus knew what was "in" humans
John 3:14-17 - Jesus says I can save people like the bronze serpent saved people
Explainer Video on how to use www.biblehub.com and www.blueletterbible.org
Leave us a question or comment at our website podcast page.
* Intro Music: "Admirable" Carlos Herrera Music
In John 3, Jesus says that he is like the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole. Through his incarnation, he becomes an Israelite with "venom" in his "flesh". And yet, like the serpent, Jesus is never affected by that venom. Jesus is immune to the "venom" in his body. Throughout his whole life, all the way up to the very moment he died, Christ was like that bronze serpent who never allowed the venom in his body to affect him. He resisted the power of sin in his flesh all the way to the very end of his life. At his crucifixion, he entered into death with the venom never having influenced him. Now, all who look to the Son of God - trusting in his capacity to make them immune to the "venom" like he is - can overcome the power of the "venom" in their "flesh", too. This happens as we look expectantly to Christ - placing our trust in his capacity to save/heal us - and allow the life-giving power of the Spirit to counteract the venom in our flesh and produce life - not death - in us.
Key Passages
Numbers 21:4-9
John 2:23-25 - Jesus knew what was "in" humans
John 3:14-17 - Jesus says I can save people like the bronze serpent saved people
Explainer Video on how to use www.biblehub.com and www.blueletterbible.org
Leave us a question or comment at our website podcast page.
* Intro Music: "Admirable" Carlos Herrera Music
In God we trust