In the Gospel of Saint John Jesus makes reference to the bronze serpent which Moses lifted up within the desert to bring healing.
The context behind this bronze serpent is that the Israelites were freed from their slavery under the Egyptians, they then passed through the Red Sea, and from here they entered into their forty year sojourn towards the promised land. Forty years was a long period of time to travel about lost and thus they began to complain about how hungry, tired, and thirsty that they were. They even went as far as to say that it would even be better if they returned to their slavery in Egypt. The context of what Christ is referring to is the rebellion of which the Israelites showed to God.
To punish this rebellion God allowed snakes to bite some of the Israelites who would then go onto to die. Finally, to spare them from this plague God says unto Moses: “Make a seraph and mount it on a pole and everyone who has been bitten will look at it and recover.”
This relation between what Christ says and what takes place within the Old Testament is the fact that the snake is a symbol of death. It is a foreshadowing that Christ will die upon the cross and from here it will be forever exalted and thus those who have been bit by the curse of sin will be freed from its grasp. As Moses lifted up the bronze serpent and those who looked upon it were healed, so to does Christ lift Himself up upon the wood of the cross in order that those who glance upon it may be healed of their burden.
We are so much like the Israelites. We have passed through the Red Sea which is the Sacrament of Baptism. From the life giving waters of this Sacrament we were set free from sin and incorporated into the life of Christ and His Church. From the waters of baptism we head into the sojourn of our everyday life. Our destination is that of the promised land of Heaven and yet we grumble and complain and allow ourself to turn away from God through sin. Some would rather return to their old way of life rather then continuing this journey towards Heaven because this journey can prove to be most difficult at times.
We are plagued by the snake of sin. This is the same tempter which came to Adam and Eve and led them into its grasp. Thankfully Christ surrenders Himself upon the cross and through this sacrificial offering we are set free. Let us always remember the cross of our Blessed Lord. In the midst of hardship may we look upon it in order that we may stay faithful to Christ.
