Reflection for Lent IV

By Rev’d. Allison Dean

In Numbers 21 we read about how Israel (again) turned away from God, spoke against him and his servant Moses, despite having (again) experienced God’s deliverance and salvation. The consequence of their rebellion was to be bitten by poisonous snakes, and many of them died. This affliction had the effect of making the people sorry for their sin. So Moses prayed for the people and the Lord told him to make a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten would live if they looked upon it.

In John’s account of the gospel we see that Jesus takes this image of the serpent being lifted up and applies it to himself:

3:14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “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.

Of course, in Jesus’ case, the bronze serpent becomes his body, and the pole becomes the wood of the cross. This transformation doesn’t diminish the power of salvation. Rather, it amplifies it. That snake on a pole in the desert was for a specific time, specific place, and specific people. But God himself was nailed to a cross on that hill far away, and as the writer to the Hebrews tells us, that sacrifice lasts forever, because he (Jesus) is forever.

And just as Israel had to look upon the snake to be saved, so we must look to the cross of Christ for our salvation. For there is no salvation without the cross.

As I was reflecting on this week’s readings, the words of that old hymn came to mind, “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt. Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.”

Those words repeated themselves in my mind – “yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt”. Can you see that image in your mind? Can you picture Jesus hanging on the cross, bruised, beaten, bloodied, wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, submitting to the stripes by which you and I are healed and saved?

Many people don’t want to think about the cross because it’s sad, it’s depressing, etc. But there can be no Easter without Good Friday, no resurrection without crucifixion.

In our baptism we were marked with the sign of the cross as the priest/deacon said, “…I sign you with the cross, the sign of Christ. Do not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified…”

By God’s grace, it is the body that was broken on the cross, the blood that was spilt, that is made present upon the altar every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist.

When we recall John’s words (3:16) about how much God loved the world, may we always remember that the cross of Christ, in all its shame and disgrace, in all its pain and misery, in all its horror and gruesomeness, is the manifestation of God’s love. That’s why Charles Wesley could write in that beautiful hymn:

He left his Father’s throne above – so free, so infinite his grace – emptied himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race.

Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the world’s salvation.

THANKS BE TO GOD! (What else could we possibly say?)