How was the Bronze Serpent like Jesus?
The episode of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21:4-9 stands as one of the most enigmatic and yet theologically rich narratives in the Old Testament. Its significance is magnified by Jesus’ own reference to it in his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:14-15, where he draws a direct parallel between the lifting up of the serpent and his own impending crucifixion. This typological connection raises profound questions: How is the bronze serpent like Jesus? Why would Jesus, the sinless Son of God, compare himself to a symbol so closely associated with judgment and even the serpent of Genesis? What does the bronze serpent symbolize, and how does this symbol illuminate the person and work of Jesus? This article will explore these questions by examining the biblical texts, the theological symbolism of the serpent, and the redemptive significance of the bronze serpent as a type of Jesus Christ.
The Narrative of the Bronze Serpent in Numbers
The context of the bronze serpent is the wilderness wanderings of Israel. After being delivered from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites repeatedly grumbled against God and Moses. In Numbers 21, their impatience and complaints provoke God’s judgment:
“Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” (Numbers 21:6-9)
The narrative is striking for several reasons. First, the instrument of judgment–venomous serpents–becomes, paradoxically, the instrument of healing. Second, the healing is not automatic; it is conditioned upon faith, as those who look at the bronze serpent are healed. Third, the bronze serpent is not magical; it is a sign ordained by God, pointing beyond itself to the grace and power of God to save.
Typology and the New Testament Connection
Typology is a method of biblical interpretation in which an element found in the Old Testament is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament. The New Testament itself encourages this approach, and nowhere is this clearer than in Jesus’ words to Nicodemus: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)
Here, Jesus identifies himself as the fulfillment of the type represented by the bronze serpent. The parallel is explicit: just as the serpent was lifted up on a pole for the healing of the Israelites, so Jesus must be lifted up–an unmistakable reference to his crucifixion–so that all who look to him in faith may have eternal life.
The Symbolism of the Serpent
The choice of a serpent as a symbol is initially perplexing, especially given the serpent’s association with Satan and sin in Genesis 3. Why would God command Moses to make a serpent, and why would Jesus compare himself to such a symbol?
The serpent in the wilderness was a symbol of the curse and judgment that had come upon the people because of their sin. By instructing Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up, God was providing a visible representation of the curse being dealt with. The people, in looking at the serpent, were confronted with the reality of their sin and its consequences, but also with God’s provision for their healing.
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:21 provide a theological lens for understanding this symbolism: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Just as the bronze serpent represented the curse, so Jesus, though sinless, was made to be sin for us. He bore the curse in his own body on the cross (see, Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us”). The serpent, then, is not a symbol of Jesus’ character, but of the curse and judgment he bore on behalf of sinners.
Bronze as a Symbol of Judgment
The material of the serpent–bronze–is also significant. In the Old Testament, bronze is often associated with judgment. The altar of burnt offering in the tabernacle was made of bronze (Exodus 27:1-2), symbolizing the place where sin was judged and atonement made. The bronze serpent, therefore, is a fitting symbol of judgment borne and overcome.
Faith and the Means of Salvation
A crucial aspect of the bronze serpent narrative is the means by which healing is received. The Israelites are not told to perform a ritual, offer a sacrifice, or earn their healing. They are simply to look at the serpent in faith, trusting in God’s promise. This act of looking is itself an act of faith–a recognition of their helplessness and a reliance on God’s provision.
In the same way, Jesus teaches that salvation comes not by human effort, but by looking to him in faith. John 3:16, immediately following the reference to the bronze serpent, makes this explicit: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The parallel is clear: just as the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent and lived, so all who look to Jesus in faith receive eternal life.
Why Does Jesus Compare Himself to a Snake?
The comparison is not to the character of the serpent, but to the function it served in God’s redemptive plan. The serpent was a symbol of the curse; Jesus became the bearer of the curse. The serpent was lifted up for all to see; Jesus was lifted up on the cross, publicly bearing the sin of the world. The serpent brought healing to those who looked; Jesus brings eternal life to all who believe.
This comparison also underscores the scandal and paradox of the cross. The cross, like the serpent, was a symbol of shame and curse (Deuteronomy 21:23: “for a hanged man is cursed by God”). Yet it is precisely through this cursed and shameful death that salvation is accomplished.
The Bronze Serpent as a Warning Against Idolatry
It is worth noting that the bronze serpent, though ordained by God as a means of healing, later became an object of idolatry. In 2 Kings 18:4, King Hezekiah destroys the bronze serpent because the Israelites had begun to worship it. This serves as a warning that even God-given symbols can become stumbling blocks if they are separated from their intended purpose and become objects of devotion in themselves.
Conclusion - The Bronze Serpent and Jesus Christ
The bronze serpent is a profound type of Jesus Christ, prefiguring the manner and meaning of Christ’s death on the cross. It symbolizes the curse and judgment of sin, the necessity of faith, and the sufficiency of God’s provision for salvation. Jesus’ identification with the serpent is not an identification with evil, but with the curse borne for sinners. The lifting up of the serpent points forward to the lifting up of the Son of Man, who, though sinless, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God.
The bronze serpent thus stands as a powerful testimony to the unity of scripture and the depth of God’s redemptive plan. It reminds us that the symbols God chooses may sometimes shock or unsettle us, but they are always perfectly suited to reveal both the seriousness of sin and the greatness of grace. As we look to Jesus, lifted up on the cross, we see both the judgment our sin deserves and the healing that only he can provide–a healing received not by works, but by faith alone.