St.

Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Monroe, Michigan Good Friday

New Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, Toledo, Ohio Rev. Christopher D. White
April 22nd, 2011 Numbers 21:4-9

“WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY: THE BRONZE SNAKE”

The words had become the rebel’s refrain: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die
in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” What a
reaction to God’s miracle of grace in the provision of manna: We detest, we loathe this miserable food!
That was their response to the God of all mercy opening up his gracious hand and providing them with
miracle food every single morning, in a place where not much food could be found, not to mention
exercising his divine might to save them time and time again going all the way back to the flight from
Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea.
Some things just never change, do they? This is a new generation of Israelites who repeat the
rebel refrain of their fathers. Why, you ask? Because they, like their fathers, were snake-bitten! The
venom of the ancient serpent ran through their veins just as thoroughly and completely as it runs through
ours today, poisoning all of the children of Adam with the deadly disease of rebellious sin.
But here today, on Good Friday, the antidote for the deadly venom of sin is raised up before us and
for all people to see – Christ crucified! Here in Numbers 21, the Lord of grace and mercy gave to his rebel
children an opportunity to repent and live with the promise to cure all the snake-bitten Israelites who
look upon the bronze snake, who trusted in their Savior God’s promise. In so doing, they saw the glory of
the serpent-crusher Jesus, who was raised up for all mankind so that all who look upon him in faith may
be cured of sin and live forever with him in paradise.
That’s the point that Jesus himself made in our gospel lesson for this Good Friday, as we have the
opportunity to see his glory in such striking terms this evening: “14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake
in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may
have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
It’s frustrating as a parent when our children thanklessly assess the blessings we give to them. As
for me, the ever-hopeful father that I am, I think my children should always be thankful when we put
food in front of them at the dinner table. They should always be thankful that they have clean clothes to
wear to school and a bed to sleep in, not to mention all of the auxiliary treasures that they receive and
that grandparents and various other relatives shower on them just because they’re cute! Honestly, is it
too much that I want them to be thankful? I often find myself getting angry when they’re not, or when
they complain about something I gave them, which prompts this kind of reaction is, “Fine! You don’t
want this? You don’t want to eat the food I have put in front of you? Then you can go to bed and starve,
mister!” There comes a point when my patience just plain runs out, and the thanklessness of my children
is met with punishment.
That’s what happened in our lesson. The thanklessness of God’s children was finally met with
punishment, and deservedly so. “6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the
people and many Israelites died.”
Now, that may seem like a harsh punishment to us. But, honestly, what did these people really
have to complain about? They had every spiritual advantage. And no, they didn’t just eat manna. They
also ate of the various sacrificial meals that were offered in the services of the congregation in the
tabernacle. They were guarded and protected by their Savior God in the pillar of cloud and fire, and they
always had a reminder of Yahweh’s presence among them in the ark of the covenant that rested in the
Holy of Holies.
 They had everything to be thankful for, because every one of their needs had been met by their
Creator. And like brat children, they harbored a spirit of thanklessness which prompted a harsh reaction
from above, a deadly reaction: The snake-bitten Israelites, in whom the venom of sin ran through and
through, were literally bitten by deadly venomous snakes that the Lord sent among them. The snake-
bitten were literally snake-bitten and faced death. And without the intervention of the LORD, they all
would have perished.
But listen: “8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who
is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then
when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”
The venom was deadly. Any of these thankless Israelites that was bitten by one of the venomous
snakes God sent was going to die...UNLESS they looked in faith towards the bronze snake that God
commanded Moses to lift up before them. That was their only hope for escape from the deadly venom –
faith in God’s promises which looked upon the bronze snake in hope of salvation.
I want you, now to listen one more time, fellow snake-bitten children of Adam, as Jesus makes the
connection between the bronze snake and himself when he says to Nicodemus: “14 Just as Moses lifted
up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes
in him may have eternal life.”
The children of Israel had an opportunity to see the glory of Jesus in the elevation of the bronze
snake that allowed them to live, even though they had been bitten by deadly venomous serpents.
Elevated upon the cross, we see today the glory of the great serpent crusher – the one who was promised
from Eden, the seed of the woman who would shatter the serpent’s head.
Lifted up on that holy hill of sacrifice outside of Jerusalem is God’s antidote for the serpent’s
venomous bite – the one and only Son. Jesus, lifted up for all, is the cure! And the promise that saved
the Israelites from the death that the venom brought remains for you and me today – all who look in faith
upon the one who was lifted up will not die but live, because sin’s venom is no match for the power of the
Almighty and merciful God, who provides cure on his terms and according to his will – through faith in
the elevated sacrifice!
Look closely! Look intently! There, lifted up for all to see and attached with nails to the torturous
tree is our only hope for life! He bleeds for you. He bleeds for me! He bleeds so that we do not become a
multitude of casualties from the serpent’s deadly bite. Look, listen, pay attention...with every word from
his lips, with every breath he takes, with every movement on that cross, he aches, he speaks, he lives, he
dies to give you life, to cure you, to save you.
Look up today – look up on this Good Friday and gaze upon divine promise that has found its
complete fulfillment. Look up with faithful eyes and hearts and view him, the bronze serpent realized.
View him in his greatest agony because then, you truly see his glory! “16 “For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.” Amen.