Preaching Christ From the Old Testament-pt.2: Jesus and The Law of Moses.

When Jesus explained to the two men on the road to Emmaus about Himself from the Law of Moses, what exactly did He say? Is there any indication anywhere of what He might of said. If He spoke of Himself from Moses to these two men, did He ever, to any other audience speak of Himself? He did, on some occasions, refer to Himself as the "substance" (Colossians 2:17) of what was spoken in Moses. We will begin with those references found in the gospels and then examine a few from the epistles of Peter and Paul and possibly others.

The earliest reference that Christ used about Himself from the Law of Moses was the serpent on a pole from John 3:14-15. In the dialogue with Nicodemus, the issue was the kingdom of God (vv. 3,5). Entering into the kingdom of God was synonymous with gaining eternal life as well as being born again (cf. vv. 3,5,7,15). And, Jesus knew that He came to die and that it would be by crucifixion, which is the act of raising a person, who has been fixed by nails to wooden beams, up high for all to see as an act of shame toward the perpetrator. The perfect analogy for the act of something being raised for all to see is the serpent episode in Israel's history.

Numbers 21:5-9 narrates the event to which Jesus is referring. Israel has had a wonderful victory over the king of Arad, as a result of a little 'covenant' or agreement they made with God. God did what He said He would do and Israel did what they were supposed to do. Marching onward toward the goal of the land of Canaan (cf. Deuteronomy 2:8-15), the people had a change in their tone. They, being tired and hungry, began to complain about the journey (Numbers 21:5). They, I assume, thought they deserved better. So, it seems, that God reminded them of what they actually deserved-death (Genesis 2:17). Thus, He sent "fiery serpents" among the people and they began to bite them so that many began to die. What were these serpents? Hard to say. They may be fiery as that which describes their appearance. They may be fiery as that which describes the effect of their bite. The term used for "serpent" is that used of the serpent in the garden (Genesis 3:1) and is the normal term used for any snake or serpent. In 2 Kings 18:4, this incident is spoken of and we are told that Israel took this "relic" of the serpent that Moses was told to make and worshiped it. Interestingly, it is called a "bronze serpent" referring to its obvious color. It must have been brilliant and copper in color. So, it would seem that the term "fiery" refers to the brilliance of the snakes in color.

As the people were dying from the bite of the serpents, they cry out to Moses, for help (v.2). Moses, apparently, prays to God for help, on their behalf, and God says to put an image of one of the serpents on a pole so that it can be seen. Thus, when people are bitten, not before, they can simply look at the image on the pole and God would heal them. The correlation is  obvious. Jesus said, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  Jesus, much like the bronze-colored serpent (the 'serpent', incidentally, is a cursed animal because of its use in the fall. Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ became a curse on the tree, the curse that we incurred for ourselves. We were bitten, so to speak, and yet He healed us [1 Peter 2:24]), was placed upon a wooden support for all to see. In John 3:14-15, Jesus speaks of Himself as One who will be lifted up, presumably on a pole or some kind of object (cf. John 8:28; 12:34) and that, just like the Israelites, all who look to Him will gain eternal life. This assumes, of course, this look is the result of the repentance that comes with understanding that you were bitten by the serpent of sin, so to speak, and that you have no recourse. Your death is imminent. It is sure and there is no "second chance". Thus, to look to Jesus Christ is healing, not for our bodies but for our dead souls.

This is the good news. Jesus Christ became a curse for us. Our sin was placed upon Him, and in exchange, for those who believe, His righteousness was placed upon us, i.e. to our account before God. Paul wrote: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB95) . Isaiah wrote: “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. ” (Isaiah 53:4–5, NASB95).  Far more than carrying away sickness (Matthew 8:14-17), He carried away our sins (Psalm 103:11-12). God, the righteous Judge, has crushed His own Son our behalf that we might be declared righteous and then made righteous. Not by what we have done (Titus 3:5-6), but completely by His own economy and accomplishments. To this end, we need to constantly give all honor and praise that is due His holy and just name.