“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 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 3:13-15)
Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night to ask questions. Jesus tells him, you will not see the kingdom of God unless you have been born again. He explains that it’s not about his physical birth, but a spiritual birth. Nicodemus is confused; he believed that his entrance to the kingdom was secured by his heritage. Jesus then rebukes him because, as a theologian of Israel, he should have known this already. At this point, Nicodemus stops talking, and respectfully listens as Jesus continues to teach him.
Jesus begins teaching about the Messiah, of which the title “Son of man” is referring. He starts with bringing to memory an event in Numbers 21:5-9. Something that everyone, especially Nicodemus, was familiar. The Children of Israel complained about how hard their life was. Their sin was being ungrateful for all of God’s provision for them. God’s punishment for this sin, was sending fiery serpents among them, and those who bitten died. Finally, Israel repents and asks Moses to pray for them. God hears his prayer and instructs Moses to make a brazen serpent, place it on a pole and put it in the middle of Israelite encampment. He said, in this same manner, the Messiah will be lifted up in the middle of Israel.
This also helps explain how one is born again. The serpent was placed on a pole in the middle of Israel. Those who looked upon the brazen serpent would be healed and live. Looking was an act of faith. You would not cast your eyes upon the snake if you did not believe that you would be healed. If they obeyed, they would be healed, no matter how small their faith was. If a person did not think this would heal them, they would not look, and they would not be healed.
Faith is how a person is borne again. It is clear to us now, Jesus was talking about himself. New birth and new life begin by placing your faith in Jesus Christ. He was nailed to the cross and died for your sins. No matter how small your faith is, you can be born again.
Questions to Ponder
What are you trusting in for salvation?
Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ?