Look Up and Live

John 3:14-15

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They say there are two seasons in Minnesota, winter and road construction. And have had to painfully deal with road construction over these past number of months, especially on my way out to bring my boys to school. And every time I go through road construction, I always am forced to look at the signs. And it’s important that I do because a lot of times it seems like the detours change. And so I have to make sure that I know where I’m going.

But there’s one sign in particular that has especially caught my eye, and that’s this. It’s a sign that says, Look up and live. When I first saw it, I wondered, what is this all about? And as it got closer, then I understood they were encouraging the road construction workers as they’re driving their massive trucks and massive pieces of machinery to make sure that they realize there’s power lines above them and they could potentially run into them. And so they need to look up and live.

For me as a pastor, though, it struck me as a spiritual message. I look up and live. Reminded me of Jesus words in two verses right before the most famous verse in all of Scripture. John 3:16. But Jesus says, In John 14 and 15, he says 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)

Jesus reminds us of this story that took place in the Old Testament when the people of God were wandering through the wilderness and as He was bringing them to the promised Land, despite the fact that God had rescue them from slavery and God was providing food for them day in and day out, and that he was bringing them to this land filled with milk and honey. All they were focused on was what was right in front of them. They thought the food was crummy. They thought life was better back in Egypt. And so they’re complaining to God. What does God do? He allows these poisonous snakes to come into their camp, and as a result, many are dying because they’re getting bit. Finally, the people turn to Moses and they say, Please pray to God for us to take away the snakes.

Here’s what God did. God instructed Moses to fashion a serpent out of bronze and place it on a pole. And he wanted Moses to tell the people that everyone who looked upon that snake would live. Jesus uses that as a parallel for himself, that he too would be lifted up and that all who looked upon him would live. Jesus, of course, was talking about how he would be raised up on a cross. And though he would die on that cross, he would die for the sins of all people and all who trusted in him as their Savior would live. They would have eternal life.

Now, I think so often in our own lives we can be like a road construction worker who only sees the road right in front of him. Or we can be like the children of Israel, who only see our current problems right in front of us. Maybe we can gripe and complain to God. And I think about how important it is, though, for us to see the big picture, for us to realize that there’s much more than just what we can see in front of us. The fact that we need to have an awareness because if we don’t look up, we won’t live.

And we think about how important it is for us to know our Savior, Jesus Christ. So the Bible tells us the wages of sin is death. And that’s not just talking about death in this life, that’s talking about eternal death, in hell. And God is warning us that when we die, we’re going to have to face him in the judgment, are we ready for that day? Encourages us to look up and live. Look to Jesus as the one who has paid for your sin. It’s through him and only through him that you have the certain hope of eternal life.

So I know I’m going to see that sign plenty more times as I’m driving through that road construction detour. It’s a good reminder to me, not just of a physical message, but of a spiritual message, a good reminder to all of us as well, to have an awareness for even things that are greater than the things we see right before us. To be concerned about spiritual things and to look up to Jesus and live. Amen.