Daily Inspiration

Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” —John 3:7-15

Serpents poisoned the Israelites in the desert, and the only cure was for Moses to hold up an image of the serpents. When the people looked upon the lifted-up bronze image, the poison was pulled from their bodies, and they were saved.

Still, the serpent bites the people, and the venom of sin covers our souls. Yet Christ Jesus took on all of our sin, and nailed it to His Cross. When we look to the Savior, lifted on the Cross, we too are saved. The venomous serpent has no sting, and claims no life of those who look with love to Jesus lifted on the Cross. For before He was lifted up, He gave His Flesh and Blood so those who eat of Him shall have eternal life in them.