Christian Reflection and Prayer

"Lifted to Save"
By Rev. Wayne Palmer
February 23, 2015


Read John 3:9-18. TEXT:
 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the
Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:14).    

Lenten Devotion-  rNicodemus is just not getting it. He's not a
bad guy; why can't he earn his way to heaven? Patiently, Jesus
reminds the teacher of a time when Israel grumbled in the
wilderness and God sent poisonous serpents. After thousands
died, the survivors begged Moses to ask God to remove the
serpents. Surprisingly, God answered No! The serpents would
stay, and they would keep biting people. But Moses was to lift
a bronze serpent on a pole.

Imagine you were bitten. All you had to do was look at the
bronze serpent on the pole, trust God's promise and you would
live. Jesus told Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."

Just like Nicodemus, you and I are infected with the deadly
poison of the serpent who bit our first parents in the Garden of
Eden. There is no way to save ourselves from our poisonous
sinful nature. So God sent His only-begotten Son to save us.

When Jesus was lifted up on the cross He paid for our sins by
being punished in our place. Only when we look at Jesus and
trust the Father's promise to forgive us for Jesus' sake can we
be saved from the venom of death within us.

Nicodemus had a clear choice! Just like the ancient Israelites
bitten by the serpents and just like you and me today, he
could look to Jesus the Light of the world in faith and live or
walk away into the darkness and die.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, turn my eyes to Your cross, that I may believe
and live. Amen.