Before coming the event of the snake upon the pole in the desert, Jesus shared the following truths with Nicodemus
John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
No one.
No one can speak with authority about “heavenly things” unless he has been in heaven (cf. v. 11). Men discern the secrets of heaven only by revelation, never by speculating about them.
Ascended up to heaven.
That is, no human being has gone to heaven to learn of “heavenly things” (v. 12). Only the Son of man, who came from heaven, has ever been there, and He alone can reveal them. There is no reference here to Christ’s ascension to heaven following the resurrection.
Came down from heaven.
The following verses explain these coming down verses:
John 6:33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
oh 6:41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”
Joh 6:42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jonh 6:50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Joh 6:58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
My dear friend can you think of a more delicious bread to enjoy and to live forever.
John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
Son of Man.
Jesus’ characteristic title for Himself, use of which here is evidence that Jesus is still speaking.
Mar 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,
Mar 2:11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Which is in heaven
It refers to the timeless existence of Jesus in heaven, His permanent abode.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Let us turn to Numbers 21:6-9 to read about the background of the serpent:
Númbers 21:6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
Núm 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
Núm 21:8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
Núm 21:9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Even so.
In the wilderness the earnest gaze of faith brought healing. “Even so” faith in the infinite sacrifice of Calvary brings healing from the ravages of sin.
On His last day of teaching in the Temple Jesus declared,
Joh 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
Joh 12:33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
In John the expression “lifted up” always refers to the crucifixion. Let’s look at some verses: .
John 8:28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
Joh 12:34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
The gospel record cites no other instance at this early period of His ministry upon which Jesus revealed the profound truth here told to Nicodemus.
As he saw Jesus hanging on the cross Nicodemus must have remembered vividly the figure of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, and Jesus’ words about His being “lifted up.”
But this event, which blasted the hopes of the disciples, convinced Nicodemus of the divinity of the Son of God (DA 775, 776).
Of the Synoptics, only Matthew quotes Jesus foretelling His death by crucifixion.
Matthew 20:17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,
Mat 20:18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,
Mat 20:19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Why the word “must?” is this how far love has taken Jesus to die for me? I cannot understand it, I can only stand and meditated in awe and shame and gratitude.
Must. Or, “it is necessary that.” Wherever Jesus uses this word in reference to Himself (see chs. 9:4; 10:16; 12:34; cf. ch. 20:9) He affirms the divine necessity that brought Him to this earth for the accomplishment of the plan of salvation.
Let us read a few more verses of Scripture:
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
When I fell in love with my first love there was also a MUST.
When my only child needed…there was a must.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
God is not exclusive, He is inclusive. He includes even you and me in His plan of salvation
John 12:34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
This man, my friend is Jesus Christ who was not willing that you and I should die that He came and died in our place.
Luk 2:49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
What is the business of God the Father? You and me. We are involved in the most important, the most noble, the most loving business.
The business of heaven to save us for eternity.
Let us ask Nicodemus to conclude his dialogue with Jesus:
I, Nicodemus was being drawn to Christ. As the Saviour explained to me concerning the new birth, I longed to have this change wrought in myself. By what means could it be accomplished? Jesus answered my unspoken question:
“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.”
Here was ground with which I was familiar. The symbol of the uplifted serpent made plain to me the Saviour’s mission. When the people of Israel were dying from the sting of the fiery serpents, God directed Moses to make a serpent of brass, and place it on high in the midst of the congregation.
Then the word was sounded throughout the encampment that all who would look upon the serpent should live. The people well knew that in itself the serpent had no power to help them. It was a symbol of Christ.
As the image made in the likeness of the destroying serpents was lifted up for their healing, so One made “in the likeness of sinful flesh” was to be their Redeemer. Romans 8:3. Many of the Israelites regarded the sacrificial service as having in itself virtue to set them free from sin.
God desired to teach them that it had no more value than that serpent of brass. It was to lead their minds to the Saviour. Whether for the healing of their wounds or the pardon of their sins, they could do nothing for themselves but show their faith in the Gift of God. They were to look and live.
Those who had been bitten by the serpents might have delayed to look. They might have questioned how there could be efficacy in that brazen symbol. They might have demanded a scientific explanation. But no explanation was given. They must accept the word of God to them through Moses. To refuse to look was to perish.
Not through controversy and discussion is the soul enlightened. We must look and live. I, Nicodemus received the lesson, and carried it with me. I searched the Scriptures in a new way, not for the discussion of a theory, but in order to receive life for the soul. I began to see the kingdom of heaven as I submitted himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
END OF THE CONVERSATION
Deep into the night I made my way home. The last words that Jesus spoke, kept on ringing in my heart:
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Joh 3:15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
There are thousands today who need to learn the same truth that was taught to me by the uplifted serpent. They depend on their obedience to the law of God to commend them to His favor. When they are bidden to look to Jesus, and believe that He saves them solely through His grace, they exclaim, “How can these things be?”
Like Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same way as the chief of sinners. Than Christ, “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Through faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not our Saviour.
It earns nothing. It is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin. And we cannot even repent without the aid of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says of Christ, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. Repentance comes from Christ as truly as does pardon.
How, then, are we to be saved? “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,” so the Son of man has been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29.
The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul.
The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” Psalm 40:8.
In the interview with me, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation, and His mission to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did He explain so fully, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the hearts of all who would inherit the kingdom of heaven.
At the very beginning of His ministry He opened the truth to me, a member of the Sanhedrin, to the mind that was most receptive, and to me, an appointed teacher of the people. But the leaders of Israel did not welcome the light. I, Nicodemus hid the truth in my heart, and for three years there was little apparent fruit.