Like most of you, I’ve been watching WAY too much news lately. One of our local Atlanta news channels has a graphic which says “Facts Not Fear” whenever they are sharing daily updates about the Coronavirus. However, if I’m being totally honest, the news they are sharing does bring about fear at times. But if you notice the picture behind the words you will see a recognizable medical symbol of a staff with a snake and it is that picture that reminds me to have FAITH and not fear.
Hang with me for a minute while I dive into a little history. This staff is often referred to as the “Rod of Asclepius” named for the Greek god of healing. However, many believe the Greeks borrowed this idea from the story of Moses and the Israelites. If you read in Numbers 21:4-9, you will find an unusual story that involves complaining, venomous snakes and a bronze serpent on a pole. As Moses was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness, they began to complain and question why he (and ultimately God) had brought them out of slavery in Egypt just to die in the wilderness. How quickly they had forgotten about God’s deliverance from the plagues and how he had parted the Red Sea for them to cross on dry ground. As a result of their complaints, the Lord sent venomous serpents that began to bite many of the people. Yet even in this punishment, we see God’s grace through the instructions he gives Moses. As Moses prayed on behalf of the people for their healing, the Lord told Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Anyone who had been infected with venom could look to the bronze serpent as it was lifted high on the pole and they would live.
Upon first glance this can feel like a pretty random story, but we see it show up in the New Testament when Jesus himself refers to “the serpent in the wilderness”. If I asked you the most memorized passage of Scripture from the Bible you would likely say John 3:16 (and could probably quote it yourself). Yet, if we look at this verse in its context, which is so vital, we see that Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had come to Jesus at night as not to be seen. If we back up and look at verses 14 and 15 as well, we read Jesus’ words to Nicodemus that were ultimately words of prophecy about his own life:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him many 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.“
Just a short while later those prophetic words would come true as Jesus would take on the curse of our sin through his death on the cross. In essence, he would be like the serpent lifted up on the pole and all who look to him can be healed from sin, the venom that infects our hearts. Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:13 that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” By looking to Jesus, we can be saved.
When we see this symbol that we have come to associate with the medical community, we can be reminded of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins. While I believe Jesus does bring physical healing (I’m a walking billboard for that!), it is more important that we focus on the spiritual healing that Jesus brings. It is because of Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection that we can have hope in the midst of these crazy times we are living through. It is easy to watch the news and be filled with anxiety, uncertainty and fear as they share the facts about this virus. Fears about our health and the health of our loved ones, worry for those who are on the front lines responding to this crisis and anxiety about what’s next for those who have lost their jobs can consume our thoughts. As we see these facts before us each day we must instead fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) who gives peace in the midst of the storm. The next time you see the symbol of the serpent and the staff, I hope it will remind you to look to Jesus and to be filled with faith and hope instead of fear.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the light of his glory and grace.”
Traveling Light 