Good Morning Friends,
If all the things about Jesus were small enough to understand it would not spark the Spirit big enough in us to prompt us to recognize God in our worship and world. The mystery is that God is like us and not like us. There are going to be things we cannot wrap our mind around but that does not deny the truths of Scripture, but only our own shortcomings. We do need however to understand that Jesus is God with us but also one of us. He takes on our sin, so the poison of our failures and our wilderness experience will not kill us but give us the opportunity to be saved through God’s love not condemnation. Jesus healed a lot of people in the Bible and more than we can count on the cross. With that in mind we explore a very practical question about the character of the Jewish people against our own personality. This morning we contemplate the success and sacrifices in the lives of Moses and Jesus and perhaps our own as well as we ask, How Does Christ Strengthen Our Identity In A Way That Helps Us To Better Deal With Plagues?
Scripture: From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
Numbers 21:4b-9 (NRSV)
who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:6-11 (NRSV)
No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:13-17 (NRSV)
Message: The effects of Covid-19 now infecting society seem to be waning. The reality of it is not new and neither are plagues. History is replete with plagues of various kinds including spiritual, social, economic, environmental as well as viral. The Bible records a number of plagues, one of which is the that of serpents invading the camp of the Israelites. Many died but God intervened to save the Israelites. The beauty is that in the midst of every plague, there is a solution. The solution provided for the Israelites is similar to what God has put in place to deliver man from the plague of sin. Jesus was lifted up on the cross of calvary and crucified for the sin of the world. On the cross, he defeated death and spoiled principalities and powers publicly obtaining victory over them and sin. Here Christ is an example for us similar but different from the example of Moses for the Jews. Interestingly there is a symmetry between Jesus and Moses that can speak into what can give our lives a healthier identity. What Moses did for Joshua; Jesus did for the twelve. They both trained others to take over the reins of leadership. Both would bear the sins of others. The list is extensive. Both Moses and Jesus were born into a history of oppression from other nations. The killing of Hebrew infant male children was ordered by both Pharaoh and King Herod. Both Moses and Jesus hid from persecution in Egypt. Both used water as a symbol of salvation. Both were raised by men who were not their natural fathers. Both faced rejections. Both were described as shepherds. Both took compassion on others. Moses’ ministry started supernaturally with the burning bush and God speaking to Him. Jesus’ ministry started supernaturally when the dove descended on Him and a voice from Heaven spoke. Moses reappeared after His death and Jesus reappeared after His resurrection each helping to complete what God had envisioned. So, the solution provided for the Israelites is similar to what God has put in place to deliver man from the plague of sin. Jesus was lifted up on the cross of calvary and crucified for the sin of the world. On the cross, our victory is won if we place our identity in Christ and seek ways for our lives to glorify God.
And So, the Bible tells us that our identity in Christ is part of accepting His gift of eternal life through faith. John 3:16 is often quoted and today we have looked at this and the surrounding passages against the backdrop of the cross and an Old Testament story about a snake in the wilderness and what it reveals to us about the fact that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. So, Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. Just as Israel sinned against God and their sin brought the poison of evil into their lives, so too it was for the Jews 2000 years ago and for us today. There are several lessons we can learn from the experience of the Israelites as we endure the plague of the corona virus ravaging the world today. Humans are notorious for murmuring and complaining and focusing on themselves instead of the health of others. Many despise God and cast aspersions on God’s goodness and mercy. Those that profess to serve God, do so with their mouths and not their hearts. Friends, life is a gift from God. We often take it for granted until something happens to threaten our enjoyment of life. Whenever our comfort is disturbed, we murmur and complain, we blame God and those he has put to lead us. We completely forget about all he has done for us previously. Jesus makes the connection with this story about sin and the only way to be saved from its negative reality in our lives. What Jesus was telling everyone was this…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and everyone needs a do over. And that is the personal and powerful solution the Father provides in Christ on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, He was “lifted up” so that everyone who looked to Him could be healed from the poison of their sin and could be cured of the damage their sin had brought into their lives. So, to love people like God loves us we need to point people to the cross for healing. Now this is what Jesus is telling us. The only way anyone is going to be healed of the poison in their lives caused by their own sinfulness will be if Jesus is lifted up for them to see. And that is why it is important for us to lift up the healing power of Christ for others to see. This is why we are to have our identity in Christ. Friends, God loved us, so He sent His son so that we could look on Him. Maybe this is the only way we can love more like God. Maybe this is why the Holy Spirit strengthens our identity with Christ.
Pray we lift high the Cross, the love of Christ proclaimed. Pray we have an identity as a child of God looking up to our Father in heaven in the hope that all the world would be healed and know Jesus. Pray our faith in Christ heals us of our grumbling nature. Pray we look unto Jesus with faith today and be saved. Pray we realize that Jesus is the image of the living God. Pray we lift up our belief in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for others to see.
Pray we build up an identity that reflects God’s values. Pray that we are confident about Christ’s identity in us. Pray we are joined together into a recognizable identity that is the Body of Christ. Pray that our identity is in the unity of a loving community.
Pray we never lose our spiritual identity.
Pray we honor God by being completed in Christ’s love.
Pray our true identity as people of light, our secret identity of followers of Christ is not so secret. Pray we take on the family identity of the divine. Pray we use this superpower to save the world and fight evil and heal other’s spirit and to create and multiple and build. Pray we do not use our personal power to tear down or to kill or to steal or to destroy or stunt the growth of others. Pray we use our new identity in Christ for good…a good revealed by the Holy Spirit for our eternal redemption.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 