Book of John - Chapter 3 - Verse 14

When Jesus spoke of being lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness, He was referencing an event from the Old Testament in which the Israelites were plagued by fiery serpents. In order to save the people from death, God instructed Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole. Anyone who looked upon the serpent was healed. This act served as a foreshadowing of Jesus' crucifixion on the cross. Just as the serpent was lifted up to bring physical healing to the Israelites, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross to bring spiritual healing and salvation to all who believe in Him. This imagery emphasizes the idea of Jesus taking on the sins of humanity and offering redemption through His sacrifice. By drawing this parallel, Jesus is indicating that His death on the cross would be a means of deliverance and healing for all who come to Him in faith.

When Jesus proclaimed that "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up," he was referring to an incident from the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. The people of Israel had sinned against God, and as a result, fiery serpents were sent among them, causing many to die. In order to save the people, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole. Those who looked upon the serpent were healed of their snakebites. This act of looking upon the lifted serpent in order to be saved was a foreshadowing of Jesus being lifted up on the cross for the salvation of all mankind. Just as the Israelites had to look upon the serpent in faith to be healed, so too must we look upon Jesus in faith to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The lifting up of the Son of man, Jesus, symbolizes his sacrificial death on the cross, which brings about our spiritual healing and redemption.