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Jesus as a Serpent? How to Find Jesus in the Old Testament part 3 | Mike Winger | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Jesus as a Serpent? How to Find Jesus in the Old Testament part 3
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Core Theme
This content explores the Old Testament typology of the bronze serpent lifted by Moses, as identified by Jesus himself, as a representation of his crucifixion and its salvific power. It emphasizes how this and other Old Testament narratives foreshadow Christ, deepening our understanding of existing theology rather than creating new doctrines.
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in our continued study of Jesus in the
Old Testament tonight we're going to be
looking at one of the strangest types or
representations I think of Jesus Christ
is a bronze serpent a serpent on a pole
that was identified by Jesus himself as
being related to Jesus and his work on
the cross this raises a lot of questions
and we're gonna try and answer those
questions because in those questions and
the answers to those questions I think
we learned a lot about typology and how
to see Jesus in the Old Testament I'm
very excited getting into the series
because what's gonna happen over the
course of many weeks is we're gonna
stockpile all of these examples of types
and it's gonna I think make us pretty
good at finding these types of Christ on
our own throughout the Old Testament so
so here we go I've titled this study in
my own notes nahusha 10 so if you wanted
to I'll explain that later but now who
should Dan it's a fun fun Hebrew word so
in John chapter 3 we actually see Jesus
bringing this up so here's a little
intro to this from the words of Jesus in
John three verses 14 and 15 he's
speaking to Nicodemus here and he says
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 and so he that's
that's where Jesus relates this so
everything I'm about to share with you
is based on the fact that our Lord
Himself said that this was related to
him somehow
and this is built of course on the
foundation that Jesus also said that
this was what was meant by the Old
Testament right this isn't just him
grabbing an example saying hey here's an
analogy of me but we also have Jesus
telling people that all of the Old
Testaments about him that that was the
original design so we're looking at it
from that perspective so here's some of
the questions I'll try to answer today
is Jesus comparing himself to a serpent
because that's what really strikes
people is odd is Jesus comparing himself
to a serpent which would normally we
would think of as a satanic type thing
and if so why what is the point there
also what specific points does the New
Testament say correspond to Christ in
some way like we'll just
start by saying what are the things
Jesus says this piece of the story
relates to this thing that I'm doing
like what are the exact connections the
parallels and then we'll ask this are
there additional points that aren't laid
out in the text but by studying the two
passages we can find them on our own so
that's kind of like where we get a
little bit of creativity going on
hopefully we're not fabricating things
but we're we're discovering them for
ourselves and then are there principles
that I can learn from the way that this
is a type of Christ so there's a bronze
serpent this is a somehow type of Christ
can I learn some principles from this
that will help me find my own types and
then finally because I want to
incorporate the theology of typology
after we do all that we're gonna add
answer the question of can we learn new
theology from types can we learn new
theology from types so this is a
question about how we approach typology
in the first place so that that will
come after we do the type itself so here
we go um the two passages we're gonna be
in is numbers 21 and John 3 those are
our two chief passages tonight so let's
start in verse 21 we're gonna look at
verses 4 through 9 this is this is the
scenario they very short short story
where this bronze serpent comes up
pretty much without explanation it's
like this is what happened and then many
years later Jesus relates it to himself
so here's the story numbers 21 verse 4
it's speaking of the wanderings of
Israel after they left Egypt and now
they're in the wilderness on their way
toward the promised land and in numbers
21 4 it says from mount hor they set out
by way of the Red Sea to go around the
land of Edom and the people became
impatient on the way it's a it was a
journey that was made unnecessarily long
because they couldn't go through Edom
they had to go around eat them because
of conflict that would arise if they
tried to go through so the people become
impatient and the people verse 5 spoke
against God and against Moses and they
said why have you brought us up out of
Egypt to die in the wilderness for
there's no food and no water and we
loathe this worthless food and let me
just point out they're talking about the
manna the manna right the manna bread
and the manicotti
and they whatever you know fill in the
fill in the the blank there or whatever
manda burgers whatever you want to call
it manna tacos so they they're
complaining about even the which just
shows you the level of complaint because
God is providing them with the bread
from heaven so to speak a different type
of Christ which we'll get into in a
future time and they're complaining and
griping about it they're complaining it
says against God and Moses now it sounds
like they're just complaining against
Moses but the text tells us that their
complaining was really also against God
and then in verse 6 the Lord sent fiery
serpents among the people and they bit
the people so that many many people of
Israel died so God's not not cool with that
that
he sends fiery serpents that word fiery
is actually a bit of a challenge when
they're translating it it could mean the
word fiery actually you could translate
it serif does that sound familiar serif
I wouldn't I could say you could not
translate it and say it's serif because
that's the Hebrew word for a type of
angelic being but it's also clearly a
word used to determine to represent a
serpent so it's called a fiery serpent
some translations would say flying
serpent it probably in this context it's
definitely not talking about spiritual
creatures it's it's talking I won't go
through the whole study I came through
to get to this conclusion but it's
talking clearly about the actual snakes
or serpents themselves there this word
is probably being used about them
because of either their color they had a
particular bright coloring so they're
called these fiery shining type things
or because of the sting of their bite
when they bit you the poison burned and
you felt it like it was burning you so
their fiery so then this goes on the
Lord sent fiery serpents among the
people and they bit the people so that
many of the 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 Serpent's
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 was bitten when he sees it
shall live so Moses made a bronze
Serpent and set it on a pole and if a
servant bit anyone he would look at
a bronze serpent and live now this isn't
related to the type but it's in the
passage - let me just draw our attention
to it the judgment that that's coming
upon them is because of their rebellion
in their unbelief and there's a lesson
for us in this the rebellion was
manifested specifically by them
complaining and having a doom and gloom
attitude about their lives and I think
that we should take note of this because
sometimes we we over spiritual eyes some
things and we under special eyes others
and maybe we under spiritual eyes our
griping and complaining and it's
possible that our complaining is not
just our I'm just getting it off my
chest or I'm just venting I mean
couldn't the Israelites have just said
Oh Moses were just venting as they get
bitten and died I guess because it shows
how God felt about this so we have to be
cautious and guard our hearts it's not
as though you can never bring your
complaint to the Lord because you can so
I don't think we should to go too far
with this truth but at least absorb it
into our lives that there's a type of
complaining that says God I'm not
trusting your plan for my life I'm not
trusting your provision for my future
and I'm dis disregarding or even
disdaining what you have provided for me
today this worthless bread I'm just
spitting in the face of what God has
given me so guard your heart cuz
complaining can reveal it a very
spiritual a very genuine spiritual issue
but what happens next is the people
repent after they're bitten and many of
them die they start repenting that's in
verse 7 and they admit it we've we
sinned against God we've sinned against
Moses they fully admit what they did and
they asked Moses to do what to pray for
them Moses this is a side this is just a
bonus for you we're not doing Moses
today but Moses is a type of Christ and
one of the ways he is is that he
intercedes for the people on behalf of
the people he goes to God interceding
for them so he goes and he prays for
them and then the scenario is the people
are doomed and the bronze serpent is
made the bronze serpent is set on a pole
these are just the data points we're
gonna then apply to Jesus the bronze
serpent said on a pole and the solution
is look at it and you'll be okay just
look at it
so let me answer a quick question before
we move on to the words of Jesus is this
idolatry is Moses building an idol
because this is what honestly this is
what often times liberal scholars do
they'll grab a passage like this and
they'll go you can see that idolatry was
still happening within the people this
is a little bit laughable because this
sort of scholarship only works on people
who don't actually read the Bible right
because you know if you read the text of
Scripture that the Bible is very clearly
against idolatry from page one from in
the beginning God created heavens in the
earth when you compare that to the other
creation accounts of other peoples at
that time so no it's not idolatry on
some people that want to take one
passage pull it out of context use it to
attack the Bible with it but it's just
this is just the twisting of the Bible
the same way cults do it where you grab
a passage use it to say what you want
except in this case they want to say
unbelief and so they they use the Bible
like that second kings 18:4
this same bronze serpent pops up again
in the scripture and the problem is now
it actually has become an idol you see
they're not worshiping it and Moses this
time there's you're just you look at it
you live that's it end of story
it wasn't wrong to just make artistic
works there was nothing wrong with that
the temple was full of artistic works
representations of angels and different
pomegranates and things like that
mmm pomegranates I like pomegranates but
second kings 18:4 what happens is
they've begun to worship this thing as
an idol and so one of the kings of
Israel comes up and they're having a
revival and he clears out the land of a
shuras and he destroys the high places
and he takes the bronze serpent which
they've turned into an idol and he
breaks it into pieces and they call it
nahusha tan which means a thing of brass
now this is the biblical worldview see
the unbelievers of the time would have
seen an idol and they thought oh there's
some sort of spiritual significance to
this this image and this there's like a
there's like a spirit in it or upon it
but the king of Israel that king of
Israel knows the Word of God and he says
it's a thing of brass you dummies it's a
piece of brass like when Isaiah mocks
the idols and he goes with with some of
the tree you make anion with the other
you burn it hello McFly like gods like
try to get their attention
the folly of idolatry and so that's very
consistent in the scriptures and and the
second Kings eighteen passage kind of
supports that so now let's look at Jesus
in John John chapter three and we'll
look at the specific context of his
conversation with Nicodemus and how this
thing relates to him and it will ask
some tough questions that should give us
good insights so John chapter 3 verse 13
it says no one has ascended into heaven
except he who descended from heaven the
Son of man 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
for God so loved the world that He gave
His only Son that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have eternal
life so the context is where he's
telling Nicodemus you've got to be born
again if you're gonna enter into the
kingdom of heaven
you got to be born again if you're gonna
see it and then he's explaining to him
how this is gonna happen and he talks
about his mission right he talks in
verse 13 how he's from heaven and he
said no one's able to go to heaven to
access God but he's come from heaven and
how will he achieve our salvation he'll
be lifted up you guys already know what
this is talking about this is talking
about the cross this is talking about
his death on the cross but what you
might not know is how much John in the
Gospel of John actually talks about that
with the phrase lifted up so that that
phrase lifted up is the Greek Hoopa Oh
kupah oh that's a it's a good name for a
kid if you want just throwing it out
there but it means to lift up or like
physically or metaphorically to exalt
and so sometimes it's actually used in a
very positive sense like you're being
exalted like when I say i exalt you
lords like i Hoopa or just koopa oh
because it means i exalt it's it's a
Greek thing or I am exhausting
technically so it means to lift up or it
means to exalt and there's these two
different senses now normally in the
scripture there's 12 uses of exalt like
this kupah Oh in Matthew Luke acts
second Corinthians James and first Peter
and every time it's used in the
metaphorical sense to lift up is like to
exalt but in John there's four uses of
the word
and every time it's a reference in a
physical sense in a physical literal
sense and it specifically always relates
to the cross so John is clearly talking
about the cross Jesus is in this passage
so let me give you the examples of the
same word lifted up because lifted up
seems like a generic phrase right
why should I really assume this is about
the cross well John 8:28 and says and
Jesus said to them when you have lifted
up the Son of man same word then you
will know that I am he and that I do
nothing on my own authority but speak
just as the father taught me so he goes
when you've lifted me up how would they
how would they know who he is
like they'd know his identity they get
who he was when they lifted him up and
there's a couple ways this happens I
think the you don't separate the
crucifixion from the resurrection and so
that the death and resurrection stands
like as a testimony to who Jesus really
was like that's when the light bulb went
on for people for most people but some
the light bulb went on when he was
crucified and Jesus did something he did
this cool rabbi thing when he was on the
cross a rabbi would traditionally quote
the beginning of a passage to load the
passage in the mind of his students
right so I could do this I could say I'm
gonna talk about Genesis 1 well I didn't
call it by chapters back then I would
just say in the passage in the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth
and you start going oh yeah yeah this
was out from a void okay day 1 he
creates light then it's like okay and
you start kind of loading the passage in
your mind well that's how they would do
it back then and Jesus on the cross
cries out my God my God why have you
forsaken me and he quotes Psalm 22 verse
1 this messianic crucifixion chapter
written before crucifixion was invented
and it's like they're on the cross for
the student of scripture who sees him
and they go pierced my hands and feet
like dogs they've surrounded me the
congregation of the wicked has enclosed
me oh well and they start thinking of
the passage itself like they're gambling
from like clothing and casting Lots from
so the light bulb was going on beginning
at the moment of his crucifixion I think
that's kind of I don't know kind of
exciting I think it's just cool you know
it's neat
God just like pulls the veil off you
know goes ha ha like that's what I was
doing that whole time
and so the next passage is John 12
verses 31 through 34 we get the word
lifted up twice used twice in this
passage so John 12:31 it says here Jesus
speaking he says now is the judgment of
this world and now the ruler of this
world will be cast out speaking of Satan
and went and I when I am lifted up from
the earth there's that word lifted up
will draw all people to myself he said
this to show by what kind of death he
was going to die so clearly this is a
crucifixion he's talking about lifted up
and in the crowd they get it they so the
crowd answered him we've heard from the
law that the Christ remains forever how
can you say that the Son of Man must be
lifted up who is this son of man so from
their Jewish perspective they're
thinking we expect Messiah when he
arrives to just stay and reign forever
right this is he's gonna reign forever
so maybe Jesus is saying that the Son of
Man is different than the Messiah and
the Son of Man is this character that
will die but the Christ he's gonna
remain forever so they're confused they
don't understand that there's two
comings of Christ he dies and he reigns
forever both are true but clearly the
point is clearly they knew what Jesus
meant when he said when I lifted up they
understood the context of this this was
about him
being crucified hmm finally there's John
1832 that supports this it says this was
to fulfill the word that Jesus had
spoken to show by what kind of death he
was going to die so throughout John we
have these multiple places where Jesus
were first himself being lifted up this
refers to the crucifixion and so it does
in John 3 so in John 3 when Jesus says
as the serpent was lifted up so the Son
of Man must be lifted up so as the
servant was put on a pole the Son of man
must be placed on the cross so lifted up
is clearly about the cross and can I
draw us to one other interesting passage
I'll give you a moment to turn there
because it's too cool so Isaiah 52 verse
13 we all know Isaiah 53 is the
messianic passage right or it's the
suffering servant passage but some
people don't realize it actually starts
in 52 isaiah 52:13 is the first verse of
that section
of that section of Isaiah this is a this
is a really neat passage totally relates
to what we're talking about today and it
says behold my servant shall act wisely
he shall be high and lifted up and shall
be exalted
the interesting thing is you would think
in isolation isaiah 52:13 is saying that
jesus will be exalted like purely in the
metaphorical sense but it says he'll be
high he'll be lifted up and he'll be
exalted and Jesus is both in the
physical and the literal sense but as
isaiah 52:13 as you continue reading it
says behold look my servant he'll be
high lifted up and exalted and then it
describes all the shame and pain and
suffering he goes through for the rest
of the chapter and on all the way
through the next chapter of Isaiah he'll
be lifted up and what does that mean how
will the how will the servant of God be
lifted up oh well he'll be bruised for
our transgressions wounded because of
our sins he's gonna bear the
chastisement of our peace right well all
we like sheep have gone astray but he'll
he'll bear the sin and the consequence
of all the sins of mankind of all of us
so what we're looking at here as we do
it especially to do Jesus in the Old
Testament is just the consistency of the
scriptures in talking about this theme
of Christ and who he is and what he
would do so it's kind of a poetic irony
that the term lifted up is used to
represent the most shameful moment but
at the same time the moment in all of
history where God's love and grace was
most exalted that we look I mean
Christians literally take a torturing
murder device and put it on the walls of
their churches because we see it as the
moment where Jesus was lifted up both
physically and exalted we see it as
God's left so it's a beautiful thing so
lifted up clearly about the cross now
let's talk about this serpent how
relates to the serpent the serpent was
lifted up on a wooden pole Jesus was
lifted up on a wooden cross on a wooden cross
cross
I think galatians 3:13 brings a little
bit information to this as well it says
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the
law by becoming a curse for us for it is
written cursed is everyone who is
hanging on a tree
here's another you might say type of
Christ but I think this is a different
kind of type a little bonus one for you
tonight I can't help it but they kind of
come in here as we're studying when we
get more but turn to Deuteronomy 21 as
we're putting this all together we're
seeing the significance of the Cross
itself as it was it was called a tree
and it was fair to call things a tree
this is not this isn't cheating it was
fair to call things a tree that were not
living trees it was but it was wood it
was the wood from a tree so Galatians
3:13 you're on your way to Deuteronomy
21 violations 3:13 right it says Christ
became a curse for us and then it says
it's written cursed is everyone who
hangs on a tree well here is the passage
in the law that says that cursed is
anyone who hangs on a tree and I think a
lot of times people don't understand
this passage Deuteronomy 21 verse 22 it
says and if a man has committed a crime
punishable by death and he's put to
death and you hang him on a tree his
body shall not remain all night on the
tree but you shall bury him the same day
for a hanged man is cursed by God you
shall not defile your land that the Lord
your God has given you for an
inheritance no man I'm gonna explain why
this is a type of Christ in some sense
but first when you see hanged you tend
to think a noose but that's not what
they mean they mean hanged like I hung a
picture on the wall I just I fixed
something to something else it was
hanged it was supported not from being
standing but being from being attached
to something else that's the idea of
being hanged on a tree but in
Deuteronomy 21 this is not where the law
is prescribing killing somebody by
hanging them rather what was the Old
Testament way of carrying the capital
punishment stoning so in Deuteronomy 21
it's saying if you kill them as in
they've been stoned and then you hang
them on a tree as a way of displaying
the person who is stoned and
was brought under the curse of the law
the Curt what's the curse of the law
you sin you die that's the curse of the
law and so then they they they send to
the point of death to the point of the
death penalty they experience the death
penalty they're placed on a tree but
gods like I don't want in Israel the
person to sit on the tree or on the
pieces of wood or whatever for days and
weeks and months which is something that
was not uncommon in those other cultures
to display the the people who had
rebelled against the culture or I bailed
against the government to display their
bodies for long periods of time God goes
I don't want that that person has been
cursed I don't want it to be displaying
that take them down after a day seems
innocuous right until you realize it's
all about Jesus and you go Jesus this
whole cursed hanged on a tree cursed by
God it relates to the fact that Jesus
takes the curse of all of mankind upon
himself and there he is hanging on a
tree and there's this text in the Old
Testament to help us understand the
theological implications Jesus became a
curse for us he became a curse it says
in Galatians curse it is everyone who's
hanging on a tree now that that's a
whole different kind of typology right
that's like this is conceptual typology
I don't know what else to call it where
you read the Old Testament law and you
realize that some of the laws that make
you go oh I wonder what that's about
they sometimes relate to Christ and
connect to this New Testament reality so
um I can't help but think and I need a
better analogy than this I know I do but
you guys remember the old Karate Kid
movie back in the day when daniel-san
was being trained by mr. Miyagi and mr.
Miyagi he's supposed to be training him
in karate but instead he tells him you
know wax the car wax on wax off right
and paint the fence and he's really like
strict about it you can't just like
paint the fit no no paint defense oh you
got a pink defense like this and then
just some other job he does where he's
did something like I don't know what he
was doing with that but he's there's
some reason why he was doing this and
mr. Miyagi at one point when Danielson
is really mad why don't you teach him a
karate mr. Danielson or mr. Johnson mr.
Miyagi attacks Daniel and he tells them
to paint the fence and to wax the car as
self-defense from the
whoa I know karate right was like.he
honor he's gonna I know kung-fu like he
suddenly is aware that he's got these
skills and the thing is mr. Miyagi gave
him these like repetitive things that
would then relate to real-life karate
although I'm not saying that you can
really learn karate but painting fences
it's a story but the analogy to
Scripture is there God gives them these
rules and these policies and these
pictures and these type ologies so that
when it comes to Jesus it's not totally
new information instead it's like oh oh
I get it
oh I understand the light bulb goes on
so that's kind of like the conceptual
typology um so the Serpent's lifted up
on a pole back to the serpent passage
right it's lifted up on a pole it's
placed on the pole Jesus was lifted up
on the cross he's placed on the cross
you would look to the serpent and you
wouldn't die of your poison you look to
Jesus and you will not die of your curse
it seems pretty simple and really
beautiful and that's the point that's
the beauty of this particular type as
it's so simple it's it just relates to
just it not works no no your works got
you here on the ground writhing in pain
and Jesus he comes he does the job you
just look to him but there's more in it
he says in John 3:14
so must the Son of Man be lifted up as
the servant was lifted up so must the
son of man this is think about this the
serpent there was no option like you
were bit you were going to die unless
you looked at the serpent it was a
simple thing but it was the only way and
isn't that Jesus
it's absolutely simple beyond simple but
it's the only way it's the only solution
to the curse of our sin it was a
life-threatening crisis with a simple
solution and I think it has a special
message to Nicodemus the Pharisee
because here's the Pharisee right the
people are standing under Moses under
the law and they're condemned in their
sin and there's something else that
Moses points them to the serpent he
can't do it but he could point them to
it and they can look at that and they
can be saved and so Moses he points to
Christ Jesus said you you study the
Scriptures for in them you think you
have eternal life but it is them that
testify of me
he's the truth and the life so beautiful
but but then there's the issue of the
serpent itself is Jesus the Son of Man
being compared to a serpent some people
say no some people say that he's not but
I think he is I think if you just read
the words it seems like he's comparing
himself to this as the serpent as Moses
lifted up the serpent so the Son of Man
must be lifted up in the parallel Jesus
isn't the pole the poles related to the
cross but Jesus is related to the
serpent so how is this is is this
relating Jesus to Satan is this the
parallel here I think not exactly
because in the context of the passage
they weren't being attacked by Satan
they were being attacked by serpents
plural not one serpent and serpents
don't all represent Satan that's
certainly not the case this is good news
if you own a snake don't worry this is
that satanic it's just a snake so there
was lots of serpents the serpents though
what did they represent to the
Israelites they represented their their
consequences of their sin the rebellion
against God was answered by judgment
that came in the form of serpents so if
anything they don't represent messengers
of Satan but messengers of God coming to
destroy them because of their sin so
what represents their sin and the
judgment for their sin and in a sense
God takes our sin and the judgment for
our sin and lifts them up puts them into
Christ on the cross there's a powerful
statement that it's difficult to
understand in 2nd Corinthians 5:21 it
says for our sake he made him to be sin
who knew no sin that in him we might
become the righteousness of God that's
2nd Corinthians 5:21 it says that Jesus
was made to be sin now it's careful to
say who knew no sin like this is not
like him sinning but he became sin on
the cross and so in a sense the serpent
representing Jesus is kind of drawing or
contrast our awareness to what did Jesus
do on the cross
what sort of shame what sort of
experience was this what was what was
Jesus well he made him who knew no sin to
to
be sin for us he was not a sinner on the
cross he became sin on the cross Wow
he became the offence the wickedness and
the judgment all of it centered right on
the cross but that being said it's hard
not to see Satan in some way represented
I mean you know the first time you see a
serpent in Scripture it's it's Satan
when you see a serpent the last time in
scripture that Satan the great serpent
you know we see this that serpent of old
he is called in Scripture so how could
the serpent relate to the cross in some
sense or Satan in some sense
well John 12:31 I read this earlier but
Jesus says now is the judgment of this
world now the ruler of this world will
be cast out and this is where the
serpent takes on almost a different
picture because you realize it wasn't
actually a serpent on the cross it
wasn't a real serpent it was a bronze
cast serpent was something to represent
the other thing and then you'd look to
this thing to have power over that thing
and so we see Jesus becomes sin and
become all of the atrocities in some
sense that we've committed against God
so that we might have victory over not
only the judgment of God but over Satan
himself so we see so much come together
on the cross the cross is like the the
fulcrum you hear the story who was it
that said if he had a fulcrum and a
lever long enough he can move the world
he doesn't know who that was Pythagoras
or one of those guys I don't know who it
was him someone like that Bart Simpson
one of those guys said that and but the
fulcrum is that that thing where you put
the lever on top of it and you can you
can pivot and move everything else
because of that and then since the cross
is like the fulcrum everything else
comes together and is impacted and
changed the direction if it all has
changed so the sin of man comes together
on the cross the law the law of God
comes together on the cross as Christ
fulfills it mankind is represented by
Jesus on the cross God is represented by
Jesus on the cross oh man and God come
together the trees both of knowledge the
knowledge of good and evil and the the
tree of eternal life all come together
at the cross because here's the
knowledge of good and evil being brought
brought to bear and the payment being
made for it
but also eternal life is being purchased
on that tree mercy and justice both the
forgiveness and punishment they come
together at the cross wrath and grace
come together at the cross the fall and
redemption come together at the cross
judgment and forgiveness come together
at the cross life and death come
together at the cross and so we have not
only human things but supernatural
things that come together in some sense
conceptually at the cross so in that
sense I think the cross is the fulcrum
and Satan is overcome at the cross and
and in this I'll share something that
would be actually be probably
controversial to some people but the
some people have made a big deal about
the fact that back in the day not
necessarily with the Israelites or
biblically but in the same time period
as them amongst other peoples they had
something they called well it was some
some form of magic I think they called
it not replacement magic something else
like that there's some other term for it
but what they would do is they would
they would say oh we want to have power
over whatever this negative thing is in
our life we'll make an image that
represents it and then that will give us
power over that other thing and you see
how this relates to the bronze serpent
except the bronze serpent isn't said to
have any powers God does the healing he
tells them just look at it so we don't
see this in the text but if you
understand that that might have been in
the mind of some of the people and you
can see how this relates to we'll have
power over Satan as we look to the one
who overcomes him on the cross and so
there is maybe maybe some correspondence
there so that that's for the people who
some here's like what are you talking
about my but for those who've heard this
before I feel like this might help you
understand how it relates to a good
theology and not using it to to rob
people of a good theology the cross is
actually compared to a tree in the
scriptures and it's the tree where Satan
originally tempts Eve right and then the
cross is compared to a tree curses a is
everyone who hangs on a tree and then we
have the tree again in Revelation and the
the
or the in the new paradise the new new
new heaven and we're partaking of this
tree Colossians 2:14 it says by
canceling the record of the debt that
stood against us with its legal demands
this he set aside nailing it to the
cross so in this passage that the record
of our sins and debt are nailed to the
cross he disarmed the rulers and
authorities and put them to open shame
by triumphing over them in it and in the
next verse there Colossians 2:15 God's
triumphing over the rulers this talk
about spiritual beings so much Satan and
his Dominion so he triumphs or triumphed
over our sin tramped over the enemy it
all comes together on the cross so
here's here's a principle I think we can
learn from this as we studied I think
we've we haven't exhausted every aspect
of it but nor do I want to do that until
you're just bored to death with me
talking about it so here's a principle
we can learn from the bronze serpent
analogy or picture is that when there
are things that have that aren't the
same as the cross or the same as what
Jesus did but there's a pattern that's
similar we can see this as a type so the
serpent on a cross you might now if I
come up this myself
you'd be like Mike that's not a type
you're just making stuff up wouldn't you
be thinking that about me like come on a
serpent don't compare that to Jesus how
is that related to Jesus the serpent and
they looked through it that just seems
kind of pagan to me but instead it was
actually meant to meet them right where
they're at and give him a picture that
one day you know he'd be like wax on wax
off oh I think the light would go on so
I think we can look for things in the
Old Testament that have similarities to
Jesus that are not direct parallels but
when you grab them you go
you know there's several points where it
really does line up this may well be
something God intended us to find it may
well be that so let me read to you in
John 3:14 Jesus says as Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness so must
the Son of Man be lifted up this phrase
as as the son of man Jesus uses this
phrase a few times he goes as and uses
an Old Testament story and then go
the son of man and uses a New Testament
reality so another example is this is
Jonah in Matthew 23:39 he says just
actually Matthew 20 Matthew verse 40
chapter 12 sorry I'm getting all tongue
twister for just as Jonah was three days
and three nights in the belly of the
great fish so will the Son of Man be
three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth as Old Testament so will
son of man new testament in this case
it's just a piece of the Jonah's story
three days and three nights down in the
belly of a great fish so the Son of Man
three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth in Luke 11:30 Jesus draws
more on the Jonah analogy and says for
as Jonah became a sign to the people of
Nineveh so will the Son of Man be to
this generation this is a different side
of Jonah - right Jonah he he doesn't
want a quitter Nineveh right and how
does how does he arrive at Nineveh he's
barked up by this fish by the sea
creature throws him up and he may or may
not have died as you read the text he
may have actually died there's actually
detected you know is he being symbolic
here did he actually die anyway and then
he gets barbed up after three days and
they see him and they're taking him more
seriously now right like some stranger
just came and he's telling us random
things okay dude this guy just got
thrown up by a fish and he says he has a
message from God I be like what like
everybody's at least listening now and
so as it was assigned to them something
that drew their attention like
something's going on here that's more
than just this guy so Jesus his
resurrection is a sign that something's
going something is going on so there's a
prophetic comparison Old Testament
pieces of the story relate to pieces of
Jesus's story that's a fair comparison
we're legit and looking in the Old
Testament for that kind of parallel
because Jesus himself did it there's
another principle I think we learned as
we go through these stories if you
haven't noticed it already you probably
have in your own studies but it's the
huh factor when you're reading an Old
Testament passage in you go that's
awfully strange and so often that's the
very story that represents Jesus one of
the most shocking first stories you read
in the new in the Old Testament
is that where Abraham is told to kill
his own son and people are like what is
going on here I can't get over this
passage and I'll be I'll be like me
either man I can't get over it either
but for a completely different reason
than you like this is about Jesus you
know this is a parallel of Christ
there's so many passages where you go
what is this talking about why is this
even here and those passages often are
the very ones that represent Jesus so we
have the bronze serpent we have Jonah
being thrown out by a fish we have
Abraham offering his own son we've got
the rock that Moses struck twice once
God got mad at him for it right then we
have Abraham or severity said that we
have Melchizedek and the story milk
Abraham eats this guy Melchizedek and
he's tied what is going on here right
these passages are all about Jesus and
then the New Testament identifies all of
them as being referencing crisis
beautiful stuff so the principal I learn
is when I go what on earth is going on
look for Jesus don't make stuff up but
just begin your search you know look for
Christ in that passage there's another
principle we learn when looking for
types and that is they all fall short
every example we've gone through so far
they in some way fall short right Jonah
he he was in a fish and then thrown upon
us in Jesus he died and he was
resurrected right the serpent the bronze
serpent was lifted up and it just
brought them physical life Jesus he was
crucified and brought us eternal life
this is a very different thing they all
fall short just like a shadow falls
short of being the thing that casts the
shadow right the shadow you can identify
some people by their shadow
have you done this your friend walking
up and you see they're telling you I
know who that is and the same thing is
true we see his shadow in the Old
Testament but of course it falls short
of the type so what does this mean where
the thing falls short I don't go oh
therefore it's not a type instead I just
go this is to create a need for Jesus in
the heart and mind of the people Hebrews
does this in the book of Hebrews it
talks about how the blood of bulls and
goats would never satisfy to take away
sin it fell short but it did represent
Christ and so these types they represent Jesus
Jesus
they often fall short I think that's a
very interesting thing to know find
where that where they fall short because
there may well be a message for us in
the very fact that they fall short there
may be a message in that because the
message as we read through Hebrews
especially and which is a great thing to
study as we're looking at types I
encourage you on your own just read the
book Hebrews look how Hebrews just keeps
focusing on the fact that Jesus yeah
he's like that but better he's like that
he's like the priest but better he's
like these angels but better he's like
you know you name it the the prophets
but better Jesus is better okay now and
ask my final question that we'll get
into tonight which is can we learn new
theology from typology so let's suppose
that I'm reading the Old Testament and I
come across something I get real excited
about it I go hey all that no one's ever
seen this before which that never
happens by the way but let's say you
know it's ever seen this before this
Psalm is definitely messianic this about
Jesus or or this this this guy right
here Peleg in the days of Peleg when the
earth was divided like that's about
Jesus and he came to divide how this has
been a wife and father and children and
and this is talking about and so you
find something and you think this
relates to Christ somehow but in your
discovery of that you you along with
that you come up with some new theology
is that legitimate can you do that I
think the answer is gonna be no I think
one of our rules for typology is you
can't come up with a new theology
because types are representing who Jesus
he's the reality that's the shadow he's
the reality if I look at the reality and
then I look at the shadow and I go you
know I think the shadow teaches me more
about you than the reality then
something's wrong like say I look at
your shadow and your shadow looks like
you have a gun sticking out of your hip
and I go ha they have a gun look what I
discovered in the shadow but then I look
at you it's a banana right then I go you
drew too much knowledge from the shadow
and the same parallel is true here don't
draw new brand new teaching and theology
out of the shadows of Christ so we just
look to the this is a safe way to do
typology you've got to stick with the
current existing theology of the
Scriptures the clear teaching and not
come up with new stuff the Bible says
that the faith was
once and for all delivered past tents to
the Saints we're not gonna learn new
stuff now the mystery has already been
revealed Christ is the revelation and so
we've already received it so then you
might go well Mike if I can't learn new
theology and all I can find is
representations of Jesus then what's the
point somebody's gonna have this
question right and and part of me I just
want to go what's the point like what's
wrong with you all I'm gonna do is
discover new ways in which the scripture
scripture represents Jesus like yep
what's wrong with that like if that
doesn't delight your soul then I don't
understand I don't get it but may I say
this you won't learn new theology but
you might get a better understanding of
the theology you already have you might
learn to get it deeper
you might learn a practical symbol that
represents a solid teaching a new
testament but the representation of it
the symbol of it man when I saw Abraham
offering his son he just brought me to
new depths of what God did for me it's
not new theology but it's new depths in
your theology there's a lot for us to
learn it drives the truths I've got
deeper into our hearts and minds as we
see it through the scripture and you
realize more and more how stinking
amazing the Bible is I am blown away I
don't have enough words to describe the
amazing genius that has gone into the
text of scripture for us I'm just in
shock and awe and as we as we study
these things just like this was written
by you know multiple authors over
thousands of years
different generations different people
different languages and here's here's
Jesus and here's Jesus and here's Jesus
and here's and he's my Lord and my
Savior and it just it blows me away so
neat stuff needs stuff and next time
next time which will be three weeks from
today because for two weeks we're not
meeting because we have things going on
with the church on Sunday nights and
Father's Day and then we have that the
talent show cone up so so here's what
we're gonna do preview for next time
we're gonna look at theophanies in the
Old Testament so we'll look at the often
ease and Christ often ease
what's the difference and and we'll
answer some tough questions about those
things so I'm very much looking forward
to getting into that stuff so let's pray
father God we thank you so much for your
holy word we definitely take it for
granted but we pray that you'd open our
eyes more and more so we learn to take
the Bible less for granted than we did
yesterday that we'd see this this
treasure this most amazing thing the
scripture is the Word of God Lord it has
never stopped being absolutely amazing
but sometimes we don't appreciate it for
what it is so we pray we wouldn't miss
we wouldn't miss it we wouldn't miss out
we know that we don't receive eternal
life from the from the Word of God the
Bible but these are the things that
testify of Jesus and so we want to learn
we want to grow we want to receive and
so we pray for wisdom insight and that
you just keep taking this deeper in
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