John 3:14

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

And {G2532} as {G2531} Moses {G3475} lifted up {G5312} the serpent {G3789} in {G1722} the wilderness {G2048}, even so {G3779} must {G1163} the Son {G5207} of man {G444} be lifted up {G5312}:

Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up;

This verse, John 3:14 KJV, is part of Jesus' significant conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews. Jesus is explaining the concept of the new birth and moves into a profound comparison that foreshadows His own destiny and the means of salvation.

Context

The dialogue with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) explores essential Christian doctrines, including being born again. In this verse, Jesus references a specific event from Israel's history found in the Old Testament. During their journey through the wilderness, the Israelites were bitten by venomous serpents as a judgment for their complaining against God and Moses (Numbers 21:5-6). God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole; anyone who looked at it would live (Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus uses this historical event as an analogy for what is about to happen to Him.

Key Themes

  • Parallel of the Serpent and Christ: Jesus draws a direct parallel between the bronze serpent lifted in the wilderness and Himself, the "Son of man," being "lifted up." Just as the serpent represented the consequence of sin (death) but became the means of healing through obedience (looking), Christ, who became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), is lifted up as the means of salvation from spiritual death.
  • Necessity of Being Lifted Up: The phrase "even so must the Son of man be lifted up" indicates the divine necessity of Christ's crucifixion. It wasn't a random event but a predetermined part of God's plan for redemption.
  • Salvation Through Faith/Looking: Implicit in the analogy is the idea that just as the Israelites were saved by looking at the bronze serpent, people are saved by looking to (believing in) Jesus Christ when He is lifted up (on the cross).

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word translated "lifted up" is hypsoo (ὑψόω). This word carries a double meaning:

  • Physical elevation (as in lifting the serpent on a pole or Christ on the cross).
  • Exaltation or glorification.

Jesus uses this term strategically, referring primarily to His crucifixion, which, paradoxically, is also the path to His ultimate exaltation and glory (Philippians 2:8-9).

Significance and Application

John 3:14 is a crucial bridge between the Old Testament illustration and the New Testament reality of Christ's atoning work. The bronze serpent offered physical life to those facing physical death due to sin's consequences. Christ, lifted on the cross, offers eternal life to those facing spiritual death due to their sin. The action required is simple yet profound: looking or believing. Just as the Israelites had to actively look at the serpent, we must place our faith in the crucified and risen Christ. This verse sets the stage for the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, explaining the mechanism by which God's love provides salvation: through belief in the Son who was "lifted up."

For believers today, this verse reminds us that salvation is found solely in looking to Christ and His finished work on the cross. It is not by our own efforts or merit, but by grace through faith in Him who was lifted up for us.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Numbers 21:7

    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.

  • Numbers 21:9

    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.

  • John 8:28

    Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

  • John 12:32

    And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me.

  • John 12:34

    The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

  • Luke 24:44

    And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me.

  • Luke 24:46

    And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

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