Look Up and Live

Numbers 21:5-8, John 3:14-15

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Look up and live. That was a safety initiative when I was in high school in Australia. It was to raise awareness of overhead power lines. Look up and live. Especially for construction workers to be aware with heavy equipment of what’s above them. Those lines can kill you, so look up and live.

There’s a story in the Old Testament from when the people were traveling from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. They grumbled against God. And so God sent venomous snakes into their camp. Many were bitten and died. The people then went to Moses and said we’ve sinned against God, can you pray to him to take the snakes away? God didn’t take the snakes away, but instead he instructed Moses to make a snake and put it up on a pole. And when anyone is bitten by the snakes, if they look to that bronze snake, they would live. Look up and live.

Jesus, when he was speaking to Nicodemus said this:

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert Jesus had to be lifted up as well. He was lifted up on the cross bearing the sins of the whole world. So if you’ve been bitten by the snake, if you have sinned, and death is your destiny, God says to you “look up and live.” Look up at the one he lifted up on the cross to pay for your sins believe in him and you will be saved. You will live.

So throughout your earthly life sins going to bite you time and time again. You know the solution now. You can look up and live and know that God forgives you. And one day you will live with him forever in heaven. May each day of your life be filled with peace as you look up to Jesus and live. Amen.