Read
“And 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.”
John 3:14-15
Reflect
It was only 7 in the morning, and the day was already blazing. Asher and Elias were out collecting the daily manna for their family and were careful not to stray too far from the camp. Asher moved a small, withered tree branch to see if there was any manna underneath, but instead, he found a deadly viper coiled and ready to strike. And it did, hitting Asher square on his right arm. He screamed in pain, and immediately Elias ran to help his brother. The snake was already slithering away, but he didn’t care about that. He had to try and help Asher. What was it Moses said? Something about going and looking at a bronze snake on a pole.
Of course, that seemed completely crazy, but Elias and Asher both knew that if they didn’t do something quickly, Asher would be dead very quickly. So Elias picked up his brother and started carrying him back toward that strange bronze snake that Moses had placed on a hill near the center of all of the camps. It was only a 10-minute walk, but carrying Asher made him take much longer. After about 25 minutes, the boys were at the hill, but Asher was near death. Elias whispered to his brother, “Asher, look at the snake. Just try it. We have nothing to lose.”
Asher opened his eyes and looked toward the pole. As he caught sight of the bronze snake, something happened. He started waking up. The effects of the venom began to wear off. He put his feet down and let go of Elias. Within a couple of minutes, he felt as though he’d never been struck by the viper (although the tell-tale snakebite marks were still fresh and clear). Neither boy could believe it actually worked, and it was something they couldn’t contain. They began running through their camp and telling people what happened. News started passing from person to person. By the end of the day, their entire camp knew the story. By the end of the next day, every camp of every tribe knew.
The vipers were everywhere, and dozens of people were struck by them every day. So now, people stayed extra close to the camps, and when they were bitten, they rushed back to the pole. Everyone who looked at it was cured, and nothing could keep anyone from getting to it when they had to.
This is the story Jesus was talking about in today’s scripture. (Numbers 21:4-9) The children of Israel had yet again hacked off God (when didn’t they do that?), and he’d unleashed a bunch of poisonous snakes on them as a punishment for their lack of gratitude. But He also gave them a remedy – the snake on the pole, which was later referred to as the Nehushtan—a name that simply meant “the bronze thing.” If they merely looked at the bronze snake, they’d be healed. It was so easy, but you had to wonder if someone refused to take a look to save themselves or a friend.
Jesus’ point was that He is just like that snake on a pole. He’s the remedy for our snakebite of sin (remember who and what talked Adam and Eve to eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden?). If we try and cure ourselves of sin, we’ll die knee-deep in them. But if we just look on Jesus with full faith in our hearts that He’s our only hope, and if we trust Him completely with our lives, we’ll be cured.
Most people will never look at the Nehushtan—at Jesus. They decide it’s too simple, too foolish, or unnecessary. Some convince themselves that sin isn’t really fatal, or that they can manage it on their own, or that another path will get them where they need to go. And so they carry their snakebite with them, day after day, all the way to the grave.
Don’t make that mistake.
When Jesus says that the Son of Man must be lifted up, He isn’t asking us to climb, strive, or earn our healing. He’s asking us to look—to trust that what He has done is enough. Just as the Israelites had only one remedy for their venom, we have only one remedy for sin. And it really is that simple.
So this week, begin each day by deliberately looking to Christ. Before the rush of the day sets in, take a few quiet moments to place your trust in Him again, asking Him to walk with you through whatever lies ahead. And at the end of the day, look to Him once more—thanking Him for His faithfulness, confessing what needs to be confessed, and leaving your burdens at the foot of the cross.
When you keep turning your eyes back to the One who was lifted up for you, the poison loses its power—and you’ll find yourself resting more easily, walking more lightly, and living each new day with clearer hope.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
