Well, we'll begin in the passage
that Brother Robert just read in John 3. The past few weeks
I've been going through this and I kind of capitalized on
this issue of the new birth showing in several messages evidences
of the new birth. And then coming up to John 3,
14, Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness. That's a reference to the book
of Numbers chapter 21 and I want you to go there too. I'm gonna
just go back to that passage in Numbers 21 and then come back
up to John 3 14 and 15 mainly. I added John 3.16 because it's
a verse that so many people today have read, memorized, quote,
and even quote as their salvation. But it's one of the most misunderstood
passages of scripture that you'll ever find too. But mainly I'm
going to focus on verses 14 and 15, and then I'm going to come
back in a few weeks and begin at John 3.16 and preach a message
on that. But I will deal with it a little
bit today. But I've preached on this subject
a lot of times in the past 30 some years. You've heard it. Brother Mark Pannell, a couple
years ago, did a series through this. It's an excellent series.
You can find it on Sermon Audio, his series of messages on this. So I'm not going to be telling
you anything different from what Mark said or anything new, but
hopefully the Lord will use this to feed our souls and help us
to understand more of what salvation is all about. what it means. And the title of this message,
obviously, Christ Lifted Up. That's what I want to do this
morning. I want to lift up Christ. I want to worship God. I want
to give Him all the glory. And how do you do that? By lifting
up Christ. And that's what he says here
to Nicodemus, verse 14, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness. Even so must the Son of Man,
Christ, the God-man, be lifted up. Now that speaks of the ground
of salvation, right there. That's the ground of it. Upon
what ground will God save me, receive me, bless me? On the
ground of Christ, the Son of Man being lifted up, and that's
speaking of His death on the cross, specifically. Now I'm
gonna talk about Christ being lifted up in several ways. But
here it's talking about His being lifted up on the cross to die
for the sins of His people, having their sins imputed to Him, dying,
shedding His blood unto death to satisfy the justice, that's
the ground of salvation. Now verse 15 says, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Now that's
the fruit of salvation. That's the fruit of Christ's
work on the cross. See, man's believing is not the
ground or the cause. It's not what makes the difference.
Christ lifted up is the ground, the cause, what makes the difference. Man's believing is the fruit
of his death. and all for whom he died will
come to believe in him. They'll be given the gift of
faith. So look at John 3 16, for God so loved the world. Now
we could call that the only source of salvation is the unconditional
love of God towards his people. And that's not talking about
everybody with that exception. And I'll show you that more when
we come back to John 3, 16. But the word world there is speaking
of God's people all over this world. God's elected out of every
tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation. And I'll show you, you can't
mistake that if you go strictly by the Bible. I can show you
a verse where it says, the whole world lieth in the wicked one. is not talking about every individual
there. Now by nature, we're all in that satanic family but God
has redeemed his people out of that and given them faith and
of course, what did he tell Nicodemus? He says you must be born again
or you can't see the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. So The source of salvation is
the free, unconditional love of God. The ground of salvation
is Christ lifted up, his death on the cross, the fruit of salvation. Now look at verse 16, for God
so loved the world, there's the source, that he gave his only
begotten son, there's the ground, gave him to do what? To die on
the cross. That whosoever believeth, here's
the fruit, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. And that's what it's all about.
Now he mentioned here as Moses lifted up the serpent into wilderness. So go back to Numbers chapter
21. And this is an episode in the
life of Moses and the Hebrew children having come out of Egypt
and beginning their wanderings, going to the promised land. And
it says, look at verse four of Numbers 21. It says, and the
people spoke against Moses. Now they're going through the
wilderness and on their way to the promised land. And they spoke
against God and they spoke against Moses. Now there was a problem. They were complaining. And they
say, wherefore or why have you brought us up out of Egypt to
die in the wilderness? For there's no bread. They didn't
have any bread. Now listen to, they had bread,
but they didn't have what they wanted. That's man's problem. He doesn't have what he wants.
Neither is there any water. So they're hungry and they're
thirsty. And our soul loatheth, hateth this light bread. Do you like light bread? Well, And
that light bread there is the manna which God sent them from
heaven to nourish them. They didn't want what God sent
from heaven. They wanted what was back in
Egypt. And these two verses here, verses four and five, the first
thing you need to notice is these words, the words and attitudes
of the people are reflective of every person's state before
God by nature. sinful, unbelieving, and the
provision of manna. Now manna in the Bible, if you
read in John chapter 6, is a type of Christ who is the bread of
life. And so what we have here in picture and type is man not
desiring the things of God. We fell in Adam, we're born spiritually
dead and trespassed as a sin, and we have no desire nor hunger
for the things that glorify and honor God, the things that God
freely and fully provides. And that's just as true in salvation. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians
1.18 that the preaching of the cross, now we're talking about
Christ lifted up on the cross. To do what? to accomplish the
free, full salvation of every sinner for whom he died. But
we don't want that manna. We want it our way. We want to
be able to say we made the difference. We want to fulfill our sinful
taste and our sinful pride. And so the preaching of the cross,
it says in 1 Corinthians 1.18, is foolishness to them that perish. We loathe that light bread, that
manna. It comes from God. They didn't
have anything to do with that. They didn't grow the wheat. They
didn't grind it. They didn't make the dough and
bake the bread. That wasn't their work. That
was God's work. He sent it to them. But they don't want it. And that's the way we are by
nature when it comes to salvation. We don't want salvation God's
way. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. Neither can he know them. They're
spiritually discerned. If left to ourselves, to our
own wills, we will not feed upon the manna of Christ. We will
not believe the gospel. And that's why Christ told Nicodemus,
you must be born again, or you can't even see your need or feel
your need. The Bible says blessed are those
who hunger and thirst after righteousness. They'll be filled. The problem
is we don't hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God.
Man hungers and thirsts after his own righteousness. Look at
all the false religions in the world. Do this, don't do that. Try to be sincere. Try to work
your way. But that free gift from heaven,
Christ coming down, Dying on that cross, being lifted up on
Calvary's cross to establish the only righteousness by which
man can be justified and saved and from which the only way he
can have life. We don't want. We're just like
the Hebrew children here. Our soul loathes this light bread. You know, the greatest evidence
of spiritual death is that people by nature do not know, do not
desire, and do not believe in the true Christ of the Bible
and God's way of salvation conditioned on Him as the one and only righteousness
that God will accept. You wanna know if a person's
totally depraved? Preach the gospel to them. Don't
hold out a bottle to them, preach the gospel. See how they respond. I know how I responded when I
first heard it. I hated it. I loathed that light
bread. People believe that they can
do something to attain and or maintain salvation and they insist
upon it and that's why we must be born again. But we can't see
that. By nature we have no taste or
desire for the manna which God sends from heaven. We'd rather
be in the flesh pots of Egypt in bondage of the law. That's
man's desire. And that's what false religion
is, even false Christianity. It puts man under the whip of
the law. Do and live. Earn your way. Earn your reward. That's what
it's all about. And by nature, we all desire
the things of the world. Even it's self-righteous works
religion. Christ said in John 6, he said,
labor not for the meat that perisheth, but labor for that which lasts
eternally. That's the work of God. And he
said, what shall we do to work the works of God? And he said,
this is the work of God that you believe on him whom God hath
sent. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look at verse six here in Numbers 21. It says, the Lord sent fiery
serpents, poisonous snakes. That's what that is. The fire
of poison. Fiery serpents among the people
and they bit the people. and much people of Israel died.
What's that a picture of? What's that tell? Tells us this,
the wages of sin is death. When it's finished, sin brings
death. Just as a deadly poison ran through the bodies of the
people whom these serpents bit. Sin is a deadly poison. we received in our fall from
Adam. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. Adam brought sin and death into
the world and that's our state by nature. Sinners who deserve
nothing but death and unless a remedy is found it'll kill
us. We fell in Adam, we're born in
a state of sin and death, we're spiritually dead. Look at verse
7. He says, therefore the people came to Moses and said, we have
sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee. Pray
unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses
prayed for the people. Now that illustrates what happens
when God the Holy Spirit brings us to see our sinfulness, to
see our need of a mediator, to see our need of a savior. Moses
himself is a picture of Christ here. The one mediator between
God and men. the one who intercedes between
God and his people. And it says in verse eight, and
the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent and set
it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that everyone that is
bitten, when he looketh upon it, it shall live. And Moses
made a serpent of brass, a brazen serpent. and put it upon a pole
and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man," you can
look at it this way, if any man's a sinner, well, we're all sinners.
If a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of
brass, he lived. When he looked upon the serpent
of brass, he lived. And here's the picture of Christ
switches from Moses to the brazen serpent. That brazen serpent
set upon a pole is a picture of Christ, showing that the only
way of salvation from sin, from condemnation, from the poison
of sin, is Christ lifted up on the cross of Calvary as our surety,
our substitute, our redeemer, the redeemer of God's chosen
people all over this world. Out of every tribe, kindred,
tongue, and nation. Jew and Gentile. Now with that
in mind, go back to John 3. Verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that
whosoever believeth in Him, whosoever looks to Him, at believing is
the look of faith, should not perish but have eternal life.
What is that teaching us? It's teaching us this. Everything
in salvation, every benefit, every blessing of salvation is
the work of God's sovereign grace and power conditioned upon this
one great and powerful miraculous person and work, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He must be lifted up. And as
I said, this is a direct reference to Christ being lifted up on
the cross. That brazen serpent, a serpent
of brass. You know, the serpent was made
of brass. You remember something else that
was made of brass in the Old Testament is the brass altar,
the brazen altar. You know what that pictures?
God's judgment against the sins of his people. It's where on
that brazen altar, That's where God's wrath fell upon the sacrifice
instead of the people. And somebody asked one time,
said, well, why is it a serpent? That sounds kind of strange because
when we think of a serpent, who do you think of in the Bible?
You think of Satan, the serpent who appeared to Eve, brought
down the whole human race. We think of Satan, we think of
evil, we think of sin. But we all, even God's elect,
are aligned with Satan in a natural sense. We're born that way. Well, why a serpent? It's because
Christ had to be identified with us. Not in becoming a sinner. He didn't become a sinner. But
to take our place under God's wrath for our sins imputed to
him, the wrath of God fell upon him, just like upon the sacrifice
on the altar of brass. And the brazen serpent had the
form of a serpent, but there was one big difference. There
was no poison in the brazen serpent. There was no sin in the brazen
serpent. You see, Christ identified with
us, his people, God's elect, who were given him from the foundation
of the world. We were servants of sin, servants
of Satan. He identified with us, but there
was no sin in him. Our sins were imputed to him.
The Lord Jesus Christ was man in the likeness of sinful flesh,
under the condemnation and wrath of God, found in fashion as a
man, yet he is without sin, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners. He was made sin, he was made
a curse for us, but only by the imputation of our sins to his
account. And he did that in order that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So just as the
serpent was a cursed creature, the Lord Jesus Christ was made
a curse for us when he hanged upon that tree. The book of Galatians
tells us Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law
being made a curse for us. For it's written, curse it as
everyone that hangeth on a tree. He his own self bore our sins
in his own body on the tree, in a human body. He took our
sins to the cross. And the brazen serpent Moses
lifted up was a fiery serpent, and our Lord Jesus was made to
endure the fiery wrath of God as the substitute of his people.
His very soul was made to burn with the fires of hell for us,
for his people, when he was made sin for us. There was but one,
the notice in Moses' time, He made that serpent. There was
one serpent of brass lifted up on the pole. You see, there was
one brazen serpent by which the Israelites could be cured. Not
two or three. Not one made of brass and one made of gold and
one made of silver. No, just one. And even so, there's
but one mediator between God and men. The man Christ Jesus. One way of salvation. None other
name given in heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
There's but one name, Jesus Christ the Lord. And so, as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up. But let me give you just a few
things about Christ being lifted up. Christ dying on that cross,
being lifted up on that cross, do you know something? I know
you all know it, because you've heard it many times. Do you know
that was God's plan before the beginning of this world. And
so we could also see Christ lifted up in the everlasting covenant
of grace. You see, God, before the foundation
of the world, chose His people and He gave them to Christ. He put all of the responsibility
of our whole salvation upon Christ. He made Christ to be the surety
of the covenant. Everything! in salvation, depended
upon Him. You see that? That's the covenant
of grace. It didn't depend on you or me.
It didn't depend on Nicodemus. Nicodemus, you've got to be born
again or you can't even see these things. It's not conditioned
on man. That's a false gospel. To say
that Christ died for all without exception upon condition of people
believing is a false gospel. He must be lifted up in that
covenant, and the gospel is the preaching of the terms of that
covenant. Salvation conditioned on Christ, and He, when He's
lifted up on that cross, what did He do? He fulfilled all the
conditions. He fulfilled all righteousness.
He put away our sins, lock, stock, and barrel, by the sacrifice
of Himself. His blood cleanseth us from all
sin. He's the surety of it. You know, the brazen serpent
was provided for the Israelites because of God's pity for them.
And Jesus Christ was provided for the healing of perishing
sinners because of God's love and pity for us. Even when we
were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Even when we
were enemies, he says. Now, having died for our sins,
having been lifted up on the cross, Christ must be lifted
up from the grave. Having satisfied justice, having
finished all that was required, having met every condition and
requirement and stipulation, and having fulfilled all righteousness
for his people, he could not stay dead. And he was lifted
up out of that grave. You see, righteousness established
for his people. God is just and justifier. Righteousness
and peace have kissed each other. Righteousness demands life. Life
from the dead. So he was lifted up from that
grave. He's risen. He's not in a manger. He's not
in the grave. He's risen. He's seated at the
right hand of the Father. And having died and been raised
from the dead, he must be lifted up unto glory. The disciples
stood and they watched him ascend he disappeared in a cloud and
the angel told him he said just as he ascended he's coming again
but he was lifted up and he must for what reason he's now seated
at the right hand of the father ever living to make intercession
for us so who shall lay any charge to God's elect. It's God that
justified. Why? Christ lifted up. Who can
condemn us? It's Christ that died. He was
lifted up on the cross. Yea, rather He's risen again.
He was lifted out of the grave. And even at the right hand of
the Father, which is in heaven, ever living to make intercession
for us. He's lifted up in glory. And for that reason, we cannot,
we cannot perish. We who believe in Him. And then
having died for us, been raised from the dead for us, and now
lifted up into glory to intercede for us, he must draw us to himself. He said it. He said, all that
the Father, look over in John 6. In John 6, 37, he said, all that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out. You see it there, John 6, 37.
He said in verse 38, I came down from heaven not to do mine own
will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the will,
the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which He hath
given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again
at the last day. Christ being lifted up means
that we'll be lifted up. He must draw us unto Himself. And what did he say? Look at
John 12. Let me show you this. This is a direct reference to
what I'm talking about. John chapter 12 and verse 32. Mark this in your Bible if you
don't have it marked. The Lord saying, and I, verse
32 of chapter 12, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will
draw all unto me. Who's the all there? It's all
for whom he died. All whom the Father gave him
before the foundation of the world. All for whom he was lifted
up on the cross. If I be lifted up, there's the
ground. His being lifted up on the cross
will draw all unto me. There's the fruit. And look at
verse 33. This he said signifying what
death he should die. Lifted up. So Christ being lifted
up means that he must draw us to himself. How does he do that? Number one, Christ must be lifted
up in the preaching of the gospel. Whenever you go to a church service,
what are you hearing? Are you hearing man being lifted
up in his own pride and self-righteousness, his own accomplishments, or are
you hearing Christ lifted up on the cross? to pay for the
sins of his people, to satisfy justice, to bring forth an everlasting
righteousness, which ensures the salvation of all for whom
he died. Lifting up in the preaching of
the gospel. And then under the preaching
of the gospel, he must be lifted up within the sinner's heart. He must be lifted up. in our
heart. What am I saying? You must be
born again or you cannot see the kingdom of God. You must
be given a new heart that you didn't have before, a new mind,
new affections, new will that will bring you to desire and
hunger for that which glorifies God, the manna from heaven. Wherein
by God's grace you stop loathing that manna from heaven. and desiring
the flesh pots of Egypt, you desire Christ. He's the desire
of your heart, the desire of your soul. Let me show you an
Old Testament passage. Look over in Isaiah 45. This is the lifting up under
the preaching of the gospel of Christ within the hearts of his
people that brings them to look to him and him alone. Look at verse 20 of Isaiah 45. The prophet says, assemble yourselves
and come, draw near together, you that are escaped of the nations.
They have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image
and pray unto a God that cannot save. Tell ye, bring them near,
yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? Who hath told it from that time?
Have not I the Lord? And there's no God else beside
me, a just God and a savior. How's he just and justify? by
Christ being lifted up on the cross. There is none beside me,
verse 22. Now look at it. Look unto me
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. For I'm God and
there's none else. Look unto him. That's the look
of faith. Now remember what Christ told
Nicodemus. You must be born again. or you
cannot see the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven. How can
you look at something you can't see? In order to look unto Him,
you must be given eyes to see. In order to hear Him with the
ear of faith, you must be given ears to hear. He must be lifted
up in the new birth in your heart. How do we run the race of grace?
according to Hebrews chapter 12, verse two. Looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith. He's lifted up before
our very eyes in the word of God. Spiritual eyes to see. Nicodemus, I know you're religious. I know you've done a lot, sincerely
trying to do good unto people. I know you've tried to worship
God. You read and memorized the scriptures.
You've probably written a few commentaries. But unless you're
born again, you cannot see. And unless you see, you cannot
look. You see, faith is the gift of
God that lifts Christ up within our hearts. Christ lifted up
is our hope. Who is He? What Robert said,
He's the Son of God incarnate. And I know people, you know,
they have their own views of things. The babe in a manger. The long-haired God praying on
a rock. Whatever they have, you know. But my friend, the view
that we have of Christ comes from the word of God. Unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given. But who is he? He is Emmanuel, God with us. God manifest in the flesh. He's
like old Simeon saw. He is the consolation of Israel. He's the peace of God's people,
spiritual Israel. What did he do? What did he accomplish
on that cross when he was lifted up? Oh, he's trying to save everybody,
but he's just frustrated. Man won't let him. No, no, no.
You got a wrong view of Christ. He's the one whose name is Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. He's the Lord
my righteousness. I have no other righteousness
but his. And his righteousness, charged to my account, demands
my salvation and will work forth in power to lift him up within
my heart. You know what happens when he's
lifted up in your heart? You believe in him. You look
to him. Look unto me and be ye saved
all the ends of the earth from God. There's none else. All right.