How Was Nicodemus to be Saved?

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. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:14-17

Steps: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12

Nicodemus must have been wondering how all of this change would take place when Jesus told him this wonderfully simple story. In the ancient times when Israel, the nation, was wandering in the wilderness, they got into a struggle with God over would He feed them and what kind of food would He feed them. Numbers 21:4-9. They just happened to be in an area where there were many serpents and since they did not want, or trust, that God was taking care of them He took His covering hand off of them and allowed them all to be bitten by poisonous snakes. This symbolized the fact that all have been bitten by the serpent Satan. To heal them God instructed Moses to fabricate an image of a serpent and then put the serpent on a pole and then lift up the pole so that all could see the serpent on the pole. Then God instructed Moses to tell the people that all who looked upon the serpent on the pole, in cooperation with the instructions of God, would live, those who refused to look would die. This story was to alert Nicodemus that he, who had been bitten by Satan, would find life by looking at the Son of God who would be lifted up on a cross, and Who would have taken all of the sins of the world upon Himself. Jesus would allow Himself to be perceived as the greatest of all sinners, and yet all who would look to Him would be saved. When Nicodemus actually saw this happen, His recovery was completed, he was saved from the bite of the serpent.

Prayer for Today: Help us Lord to be willing to read Your story, and to be willing to look to You for help. Help us to be willing to look to the Son of God lifted up on a pole for us. Thank You Lord for Your great love toward us.