Gospel of the Brazen Serpent

The point: Have a clear picture of the gospel, especially for the young, in vivid pictorial language.

The brazen serpent incident is presented as a 'vivid pictorial language' to make the abstract theological truths of the gospel clear, especially for children.

For there is more fanciful interpretation with Old Testament history than perhaps any other portion of the Word of God except apocalyptic vision, and the Book of the Revelation a case in point. However, many judicious and wise and sane commentators feel that the passage in John 3 is not necessarily an exhaustive, account of what our Lord said to Nicodemus, but rather a summary account. And because there are so many striking parallels that give meaning to, and support, and undergird, and illustrate the central parallel emphasized by our Lord, that it is proper to draw out the analogy a little b...

9:02 - 10:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate a felt awareness of the desperateness of your spiritual condition to appreciate Christ.

The serpent bite is contrasted with a 'passing itch or a burning sensation as in the case of a bee sting' to emphasize the deadly nature of the Israelites' condition and, by extension, spiritual death.

It was not a matter of a passing itch or a burning sensation as in the case of a bee sting, nor was it even partial but permanent dismemberment of one of the appendages of the body. It was a matter it was a matter of death. Secondly, the condition was not only deadly, it was a desperate condition. There is no indication that any man, any woman, any boy, any girl attempted a man-made means of deliverance or found such a means of deliverance at hand.

13:35 - 14:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the Israelites' direction was simply to 'look' at the brazen serpent. This parallels the Gospel's direction to 'believe' in Christ, which is a spiritual…

An imaginative scenario of Moses carrying the brazen serpent through the camp, with people asking questions or trying to touch/buy it, illustrates the simple, unexpected nature of God's prescribed remedy.

Once Moses has constructed the serpent of brass. Can we use our imaginations? He's making his way out into the center of the camp to set it up upon the standard so all may see. Perhaps, perhaps, because the word is silent, as he's on his way from the place where he constructs his serpent of brass and fastens it to the standard.

39:42 - 40:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the Israelites' direction was simply to 'look' at the brazen serpent. This parallels the Gospel's direction to 'believe' in Christ, which is a spiritual…

Martin imagines skeptical Israelites debating the ridiculousness of merely looking at a brass serpent, dying while others who humbled themselves lived, to illustrate the pride that hinders faith.

Now obviously this meant the crippling of natural pride. Skeptics lived in that day as in ours. You see the skepticism of the very language that brought on this judgment as God brought us out here to kill the whole bunch of us.

41:20 - 41:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He states that the result for the Israelites who looked was physical life, evidenced by their ability to journey. Similarly, those who believe in Christ receive eternal life…

The fact that the Israelites 'journeyed' after looking at the serpent is used to show that true life has tangible manifestations, contrasting with the absurdity of a 'corpse' with a sign saying 'I'm alive'.

How do we know that those who looked truly lived? Verse 10. And the children of Israel journeyed.

48:04 - 48:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The tragedy of the evangelical church is that it's strewn with people who are spiritual corpses with a sign around their neck saying, I've looked to Jesus and I'm alive. But my friend, the stink of death is all over them…

Martin shares that pastors are heartbroken by 'spiritual corpses' in the church who claim to be Christians but refuse to obey God's word, illustrating the disconnect between professed faith and actual life.

The tragedy of the evangelical church is that it's strewn with people who are spiritual corpses with a sign around their neck saying, I've looked to Jesus and I'm alive. But my friend, the stink of death is all over them. There's no serious regard for the scriptures. The thing that breaks the hearts of pastors is I meet with them in pastor's conferences all around the country and the world.

50:34 - 50:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The tragedy of the evangelical church is that it's strewn with people who are spiritual corpses with a sign around their neck saying, I've looked to Jesus and I'm alive. But my friend, the stink of death is all over them…

The Christian life is likened to a tape sales chart with dips and upward trends, acknowledging that spiritual growth is not always a straight line but still shows overall progress.

The evidence that you've looked to Christ and lived is that there will be the normal expressions of the life of God in your soul. Oh, there will be degrees to which that life is manifested. Your own spiritual pilgrimage will not be like a straight line from here to glory. It'll be like the curve or the lines in the back that record our tape sales that gets Roger upset sometimes when it takes a dip and goes across and the rest.

51:59 - 52:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not seek healing through secondary means like mirrors (sacraments without faith), association with believers, or relying on parents' faith; you must look individually to Christ.

Hypothetical scenarios of Israelites trying to look at the serpent through mirrors, associating with those who looked, or relying on parents' looking, illustrate that salvation requires an individual, direct look of faith in Christ, not secondary means.

Suppose there was some clever chap that said, well, I wonder, if I get a set of mirrors so I can see the serpent in the mirrors, if that'll work. No, he had to look upon the serpent of brass. Maybe there was someone else that said, well, if I can just get close enough to people who've looked, maybe some of the virtue that has entered them will enter me. And so he goes around and snuggles up into the circles of those who've looked.

56:08 - 56:31 Read in full sermon