Significance of the bronze serpent by Lawal Suleman

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:14-15 KJV

In response to the cry of the Children of Israel, the Lord commanded moses to erect a bronze serpent on a pole, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beholds the serpent of brass, he will live. It’s amazing to see that all that was required, was for the children of Israel to look at the brazen serpent and be healed. When the Lord Jesus came as a fulfillment of this picture, He quoted this verses of scripture, but He substituted the word ‘Look’ with the word ‘Believe’. Showing us there was something deep going on in that picture.

What got the children of Israel healed, was not merely looking at the bronze serpent. What got them healed was what they understood from what they saw. When an Israelite sees bronze he knows exactly what that means. Bronze signifies judgment. Meaning the serpent is to judge. 

As they looked and saw a bronze serpent, they realized the serpent was just, which made them free from the venom and power of the serpent. 

“Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”

John 12:31-33 KJV

The Lord Jesus referred to Himself as that brazen serpent. When He hung on that cross, two significant things where happening simultaneously.

First, was the judgment of that era and the prince of that era- ‘now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out’(satan became the god of this world when Adam legally passed on His dominion to him). When the Lord was lifted up on the cross, it was actually the judgment of Satan and the dethroning of Satan.

Secondly, Jesus bore upon Himself the curse of man as that bronze serpent. He was the perfect substitutionary sacrifice that was to bear the sin nature of man and it’s consequences. 

When He said ‘“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”

If you look closely you will notice the word ‘men’ in the above verse of scripture is in italics. Meaning it was not in the original manuscript, it was only included by the discretion of the interpreters. That verse should read,  ‘“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me. He was not actually talking about drawing all men to Himself(even though we can quote it that way. For the lesser is included in the greater). He was talking about drawing all judgment to Himself as the propitiation of our sins.

When you look at the cross, do you just see a 33year old man wrongly accuses and crucified, or can you identify your sins, curse, sickness and diseases upon Him as you substitute. What you see is very vital. In that wilderness as the children of Israel looked upon the bronze serpent, they saw judgment placed on the serpent. That was how they were healed.

The day you see your sicknesses and diseases laid upon the body of Jesus on the cross, marks the end of oppression in your life.