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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus draws a profound parallel: just as a serpent made of bronze had to be lifted up for the Israelites to be healed, he himself "must" be lifted up. This isn't just about his crucifixion, but about his elevation as the ultimate remedy, making salvation accessible to all who look to him.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that his mission involves a necessary suffering and exaltation, drawing a parallel to a specific Old Testament event where Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to heal Israelites bitten by poisonous snakes. This imagery highlights that just as people had to look at the serpent to be saved from physical death, humanity must look to the Son of Man, lifted up on the cross, to be saved from spiritual death.
Why would Jesus compare Himself to a serpent, an image often associated with evil and poison? This ancient story holds a surprising twist.
In the book of Numbers, the Israelites were dying from the venomous bite of fiery serpents. In their desperation, God instructed Moses to make an image of a serpent and lift it up on a pole.
A Divine Counter-Toxin
This wasn't a magical charm. The serpent image itself held no power. Instead, it was a sign, pointing away from the deadly venom and towards God's provision for healing. Those who looked at the bronze serpent, with faith in God's command, were healed.
The Contrast is Key
Jesus uses this story to show that while the serpent symbolized poison and death, His own 'lifting up' would symbolize healing and life. He, who would bear the sting of sin, was Himself pure and without venom. This symbol, often linked to the enemy, becomes in God's hands a sign of salvation.
Jesus uses the word 'must.' What does this divine necessity reveal about His mission and our salvation?
The Greek word translated as 'must' (dei) carries a profound sense of divine appointment and inevitability. It speaks of a necessity rooted in God's eternal plan and the very nature of salvation.
God's Purpose Fulfilled
Jesus wasn't forced to the cross; He was purposefully going there as part of God's redemptive design. This 'lifting up' was essential for the salvation of the world.
Ask a follow-up
More Than Just the Cross
While the immediate picture is the crucifixion, the 'lifting up' also encompasses Jesus' exaltation to the right hand of God and His ultimate glorification. It's the entire process of His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension – all necessary steps to bring salvation.
Looking at a bronze serpent brought healing. What does 'looking' mean for us, and what is the incredible result?
The connection Jesus draws between the Israelites looking at the serpent and believers looking to Him is crucial. It's not about a passive glance but an active act of faith.
The Object of Faith
Just as the Israelites had to direct their gaze to the symbol God provided, we are called to direct our faith towards Jesus, the Son of Man 'lifted up.' This gaze isn't physical but spiritual – acknowledging who He is and what He has done.
The Promise of Life
The outcome for the Israelites was healing and life. For us, the outcome of this faith-filled gaze is eternal life. It's a rescue from spiritual death and an entrance into a life that begins now and continues forever with God.
Understand the original words
nachash · Hebrew Noun
An animal or object used in a figurative or literal sense. In this passage, it refers to the bronze serpent Moses erected in the wilderness to heal the Israelites who looked upon it in faith, serving as a type for Christ’s crucifixion.
hypsoō · Greek Verb
In this context, it refers to the crucifixion of Jesus. It carries a double meaning: the physical act of being raised on a cross and the theological act of being exalted or glorified by the Father through that death.
zōē aiōnios · Greek Noun Phrase
A life of divine quality that begins in the believer upon faith in Christ and continues into eternity. It is defined not merely by duration, but by the intimate, indestructible fellowship with the triune God.
This verse draws a direct parallel to a specific event in Israel's history in the wilderness. Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, would have been familiar with this story from the book of Numbers and its traditional interpretations.
c. 1450 BC
Israelites' Wilderness Journey
After escaping slavery in Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert for 40 years. During this time, they frequently grumbled against God and Moses.
c. 1450 BC
Fiery Serpents Attack Israel
As punishment for their complaints, God sent venomous 'fiery serpents' among the Israelites, causing many deaths. The people repented and asked Moses to intercede.
c. 1450 BC— this verse
Moses Lifts Up the Bronze Serpent
God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Anyone bitten who looked at the bronze serpent would live, a symbol of divine mercy and a unique healing mechanism.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Ministry and Teachings
Jesus began His public ministry, teaching about the Kingdom of God and performing miracles. He often used analogies and Old Testament references to explain spiritual truths.
c. AD 30
Jesus Explains His Mission to Nicodemus
Jesus spoke with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, explaining the necessity of spiritual rebirth and drawing a parallel between Moses lifting the serpent and His own future crucifixion.
This is the Old Testament account Jesus is referencing, where God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up so that those bitten by poisonous snakes could look at it and live.
Isaiah 45:22This prophetic passage speaks of turning to God for salvation, echoing the act of looking to the lifted serpent for healing and finding life in God.
Philippians 2:9This New Testament passage describes God exalting Christ, which parallels the 'lifting up' imagery used for both the bronze serpent and the Son of Man, signifying His sacrificial death and subsequent glory.
1 Corinthians 1:18This verse highlights the 'message of the cross' as foolishness to those perishing but the power of God to believers, mirroring how looking at the seemingly simple bronze serpent brought life, a concept Jesus is illustrating.
John 12:32Jesus himself reiterates the concept of being 'lifted up' and drawing all people to himself, directly linking his future crucifixion and exaltation to the imagery used here with Nicodemus.
ellicottJohn 3:14: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:"
(14) And as Moses lifted up. —This verse is closely connected by the conjunction “and” with what has gone before. Jesus has taught that in Himself heaven and earth meet; so that, while subject to the conditions of human life, He, the Son of Man, the representative of humanity, is in heaven. He goes on to show that what is true of the representative is, through Him, true of the whole race…
barnesJohn 3:14: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:"
And as Moses - Jesus proceeds in this and the following verses to state the reason why he came into the world and, in order to this, he illustrates His design, and the efficacy of his coming, by a reference to the case of the brass serpent, recorded in Numbers 21:8-9 . The people were bitten by flying fiery serpents. There was no cure for the bite. Moses was directed to make an image of…
Jesus draws a profound parallel: just as a serpent made of bronze had to be lifted up for the Israelites to be healed, he himself "must" be lifted up. This isn't just about his crucifixion, but about his elevation as the ultimate remedy, making salvation accessible to all who look to him.
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that his mission involves a necessary suffering and exaltation, drawing a parallel to a specific Old Testament event where Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to heal Israelites bitten by poisonous snakes. This imagery highlights that just as people had to look at the serpent to be saved from physical death, humanity must look to the Son of Man, lifted up on the cross, to be saved from spiritual death.
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that his mission involves a necessary suffering and exaltation, drawing a parallel to a specific Old Testament event where Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to heal Israelites bitten by poisonous snakes. This imagery highlights that just as people had to look at the serpent to be saved from physical death, humanity must look to the Son of Man, lifted up on the cross, to be saved from spiritual death.
"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." — Jesus draws a profound parallel: just as a serpent made of bronze had to be lifted up for the Israelites to be healed, he himself "must" be lifted up. This isn't just about his crucifixion, but about…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026