When Jesus spoke of that old snake story from the past by saying, "And just 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) He was pointing toward the past and toward the future. The story from the past would give meaning to the story that was not yet written. The story from the past was written in the wilderness. The story about to be written would be written on a hill outside of Jerusalem called Calvary.
As surely as Moses raised up the serpent in the wilderness, so would God raise up His Son on Calvary's cross. On that cross He would suffer and die so that anyone who looked with a believing heart would know forgiveness, experience healing from the plight of sin, and be given assurance of eternal life. The story about to be written carried with it a powerful life giving promise and the only condition for receiving it fully was looking with faith.
Today as we read the Words found in the 3rd chapter of John, it is all a story from the past. But, it still remains a story which affects both our present and our future. It affects our present in that our decision about the sacrifice on the cross has a determining factor on our trip through this life being one that counts for something of value. And, most assuredly it affects our future as the promise of eternal life made so long ago is still offered to everyone of us who looks toward the cross of Christ with faith. This life is not the end. There is more. It is a promised reality offered by the One who has made a way for the best and the worst of us to know deliverance from the disobedient heart that has the inherent power to destroy us.
As surely as Moses raised up the serpent in the wilderness, so would God raise up His Son on Calvary's cross. On that cross He would suffer and die so that anyone who looked with a believing heart would know forgiveness, experience healing from the plight of sin, and be given assurance of eternal life. The story about to be written carried with it a powerful life giving promise and the only condition for receiving it fully was looking with faith.
Today as we read the Words found in the 3rd chapter of John, it is all a story from the past. But, it still remains a story which affects both our present and our future. It affects our present in that our decision about the sacrifice on the cross has a determining factor on our trip through this life being one that counts for something of value. And, most assuredly it affects our future as the promise of eternal life made so long ago is still offered to everyone of us who looks toward the cross of Christ with faith. This life is not the end. There is more. It is a promised reality offered by the One who has made a way for the best and the worst of us to know deliverance from the disobedient heart that has the inherent power to destroy us.
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