Lifted Up That We May Not Perish

Reading: John 3:14-21 - You are in the wilderness and you were just bitten by a deadly snake. You are surely to die, and there is nothing you can do about it. Suddenly, you hear someone telling you to look up and gaze at something Moses was told by God to lift up on a standard. Inexplicably, when you look at it your body reacts differently and you are healed. The symbolism is deep and profound. But what does it have to do with us?