Problem: John writes, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life” (Jn. 3:14-15). Why does Jesus claim that the story of the brazen (Num. 21:4-9) serpent prefigures his death on the Cross?
Solution: This story prefigures Jesus for a number of reasons:
First, in both events, people are dying because of their sin. The Israelites sinned against God, and they were bitten by poisonous snakes. In the same way, all humans are dying of sin.
Second, the elevated object was the symbol of their judgment. The snake was what killed the people in Israel, and the Cross was what judged people in Jesus’ time. These were both symbols of judgment. This makes this story a fitting analogy. Moreover, a serpent was an unclean animal in the Hebrew Bible. In the same way, the crucifixion was a damning and unclean act. Jesus was already preparing the Jewish people (Nicodemus included) for the fact that their salvation would come through the means of an unclean symbol—like the serpent (in the OT) or crucifixion (in the NT).
Third, the people didn’t have to perform works to save themselves. In both cases, all the people had to do was look to the snake (or the Cross) to be healed.
“And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:4-9)”
