Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake??

Posted By: Jeff Wickham

Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/16/19 07:11 PM

In the Bible, the snake is usually a symbol of Satan, evil, and sin. However, in John 3:14-15, Jesus compared Himself to the bronze serpent that Moses hung in the wilderness. In fact, God used the snake symbol multiple times with Moses, and each experience reveals something about Jesus. This video looks at three of those experiences, and the amazing things that one can learn from these living parables.?
Posted By: APL

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/17/19 05:38 PM

What are we saved from? What makes us sinful?
Posted By: Jeff Wickham

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/19/19 03:11 PM

Sin is to go against God's will. When Christ saves us, He forgives us from our past sins and enables us to carry out God's will. This effectively halts the wrong attitude in us that was initiated by Adam and Eve at the fall.
Posted By: APL

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/20/19 02:20 AM

Originally Posted by Jeff Wickham
Sin is to go against God's will. When Christ saves us, He forgives us from our past sins and enables us to carry out God's will. This effectively halts the wrong attitude in us that was initiated by Adam and Eve at the fall.
BUT - what are we saved from, a bad attitude?
Posted By: Jeff Wickham

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/20/19 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by APL
BUT - what are we saved from, a bad attitude?

I think the answer you are looking for is "sin." Sin is the transgression of the law, so God is saving us from those transgressions. And I agree.

Digging deeper, we have two problems when it comes to those transgressions. The first is our past guilt. The second is our tendency to keep on sinning. Christ takes care of both by uniting us with Him. This union enables Him to justly pay for our past guilt, and by giving us His life to flow in our veins He enables us to carry out His will.

Our part in the plan of salvation is to repent - to adopt a daily attitude where, out of the love in our hearts for God, we wholeheartedly seek to know and do His will, depending on Him for strength. He then works in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. He not only enables us to fulfill those commands in the law, but enables us to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Posted By: APL

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/20/19 04:34 PM

But - what are we saved from? Does God kill the sinner or does sin kill the sinner? If sin, NOW does sin kill the sinner? What does we "repent" of? What is "repentance"?
Posted By: kland

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/21/19 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by APL
Originally Posted by Jeff Wickham
Sin is to go against God's will. When Christ saves us, He forgives us from our past sins and enables us to carry out God's will. This effectively halts the wrong attitude in us that was initiated by Adam and Eve at the fall.
BUT - what are we saved from, a bad attitude?

Is it not self?
Posted By: dedication

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/22/19 06:37 PM

Serpent
Serpent represents sin.
Scripture begins with the serpent beguiling the human race into sin.
Revelation speaks of that dragon, the serpent who is the devil.

Sin became the condition of the whole human race from which they could not deliver themselves.

Scripture says that Christ was made "sin for us". (2 Cor. 5:21)
Thus the serpent, symbolic of the cures of sin.
Christ took the curse of sin, in our place.

"Gal. 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:


To look to Christ and remembering the serpent being lifted up, is to remember that Christ bore our sins, and to believe that as we look to Christ and believe, we are justified, forgiven and can rise to newness of life, freed from sin. (See also Romans 6) We can reckon ourselves free from sin!!!

Quote

The transgression of God's law made the death of Christ essential to save man and yet maintain the dignity and honor of the law. Christ took upon Himself the condemnation of sin. He opened His bosom to the woes of man. He who knew no sin became sin for us. {FLB 104.4}
As man's substitute and surety, the iniquity of men was laid upon Christ; He was counted a transgressor that He might redeem them from the curse of the law. . . . He, the Sin-Bearer, endures judicial punishment for iniquity and becomes sin itself for man. {FLB 104.5}
Sin, so hateful to His sight, was heaped upon Him till He groaned beneath its weight. The despairing agony of the Son of God was so much greater than His physical pain, that the latter was hardly felt by Him. {FLB 104.6}
God permits His Son to be delivered up for our offenses. He Himself assumes toward the Sin-Bearer the character of a judge, divesting Himself of the endearing qualities of a father. {FLB 104.7}
Herein His love commends itself in the most marvelous manner to the rebellious race. {FLB 104.8}
The sin of the whole world was laid upon Jesus, and divinity gave its highest value to the suffering of humanity in Jesus, that the whole world might be pardoned through faith in the Substitute. The most guilty need have no fear that God will not pardon, for because of the efficacy of the divine sacrifice the penalty of the law will be remitted. Through Christ the sinner may return to allegiance to God.

{FLB 104.9}






Quote
Do you believe that Jesus is your Saviour? that He died on Calvary's cross to redeem you? that He has offered you the gift of everlasting life if you believe on Him? {FW 70.1}

And what is it to believe? It is to fully accept that Jesus Christ died as our sacrifice; that He became the curse for us, took our sins upon Himself, and imputed unto us His own righteousness. Therefore we claim this righteousness of Christ, we believe it, and it is our righteousness. He is our Saviour. He saves us because He said He would. {FW 70.2}
Posted By: dedication

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/22/19 06:42 PM

What is repentance?
It is making a U-turn in our life.
Instead of looking to self, following after our own interests, our own goodness or sinfulness -- we look to Christ, accept His forgiveness, His justification, and follow Him, living in newness of life walking on the paths of righteousness with Him.

Repentance is not a one time thing. We must turn our backs on sin. Everytime we take our eyes off Jesus, and start feeding on our own weaknesses and falling into sin, we need to STOP, turn, and focus upon Christ who forgives and leads us on the paths of righteousness.
Posted By: APL

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/23/19 01:04 AM

I asked Jeff: But - what are we saved from? Does God kill the sinner or does sin kill the sinner? If sin, NOW does sin kill the sinner? What does we "repent" of? What is "repentance"?
Posted By: kland

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/23/19 01:15 PM

What are we saved from -- But is that the right question?
What are we lost from? Why are we lost? What causes us to be lost? How are we lost?
Posted By: Daryl

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/23/19 02:17 PM

John 12:32 says,? "And I [CHRIST], if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me" [CHRIST].

As the serpent was lifted up so Christ was also lifted up. Those who looked upon the serpent received healing and those who look upon Christ also receive healing.
Posted By: APL

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/23/19 02:54 PM

You should quote the originial verse as it was written: John 12:32 And I, [CHRIST] if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all to me[ CHRIST].

The word "men" is supplied. Christ was a witness to men and to angels! She left off "men" multiple times such as DA are PP. Example: But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe. To this result of His great sacrifice--its influence upon the intelligences of other worlds, as well as upon man--the Saviour looked forward when just before His crucifixion He said: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me." John 12:31-32. The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. It would establish the perpetuity of the law of God and would reveal the nature and the results of sin. {PP 68.2}


Quote
What are we saved from -- But is that the right question?
What are we lost from? Why are we lost? What causes us to be lost? How are we lost?
Seems to be the same question. So, what we lost from that requires used to be saved from.
Posted By: kland

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/25/19 09:29 PM

Is it that we were created in God's image/character and we have lost that image/character?
Posted By: APL

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 10/31/19 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by kland
Is it that we were created in God's image/character and we have lost that image/character?
HOW did we loose God's character? HOW are we saved from loosing a character? HOW is the character restored?
Posted By: kland

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 11/04/19 08:31 PM

Would that be by substituting another image in His place, that of self? And we are restored by losing self, and allowing Christ and God to make their dwelling within us?
Posted By: James Peterson

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 11/19/19 01:36 AM

Originally Posted by APL
You should quote the originial verse as it was written: John 12:32 And I, [CHRIST] if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all to me[ CHRIST].

The word "men" is supplied. Christ was a witness to men and to angels! She left off "men" multiple times such as DA are PP. Example: But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe. To this result of His great sacrifice--its influence upon the intelligences of other worlds, as well as upon man--the Saviour looked forward when just before His crucifixion He said: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me." John 12:31-32. The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. It would establish the perpetuity of the law of God and would reveal the nature and the results of sin. {PP 68.2}


That is not what Jesus meant at all.

His words were in the context of some Greeks who, having gone up to Jerusalem, wished to meet him. Jesus was making the point that he had to die first and that through his death, salvation would extend to the whole world, ALL OF HUMANITY ALONE. It was not that all would be saved but that all would be awe-struck and amazed by the image of him lifted up. Everyone's eyes were going to be turned towards Calvary through the spreading of the gospel by the disciples from generation to generation of HUMAN BEINGS.

By the way, the serpent that Moses made was to counteract the evil ones swarming the camp, not that it should have been let loose to swallow the evil, but that anyone having been bitten should be healed by looking in faith towards the one raised up by God.

Jesus became a man, symbolised by an animal (more usually a lamb or lion) but there he is depicted as the Archangel Michael in warfare against an angelic host turned demonic, angel against angel, serpent against serpent, in the other-wordly world illustrated by the contrast between the animal kingdom and us humans.
Posted By: APL

Re: Why did Jesus compare Himself to a snake?? - 11/19/19 04:53 PM

It is written: 1 Corinthians 4:9 For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a theater to the world, and to angels, and to men.
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