Command 43: Be Born Again
Study Question
Q: Why did Jesus tell Nicodemus a story from the life of Moses rather than using the prophecies of Isaiah to explain the new birth? (See John 3:14 and Isaiah 53.)
A: Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews. No doubt he was concerned, as other leaders were, about the harsh conditions of being under Roman rule. He had probably murmured about the Jews’ circumstances, just like the nation of Israel had murmured about the harsh conditions they faced in the wilderness.
While Moses was leading the children of Israel, they forgot the mighty works of God and were overwhelmed by their present circumstances. Their murmuring caused God to send poisonous snakes among the people. Those who were bitten died until the people finally recognized the judgment of God upon them and cried out to Moses to pray for deliverance. God answered Moses’s prayer with instructions to “make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole” (Numbers 21:8). However, in order for it to be an effective cure, the person who was bitten had to look at the serpent made of brass.
No doubt, in the mixed multitude of Moses’s day, there were those who mocked and ridiculed the ones who looked at the snake. It is likely that Nicodemus had similar pressures upon him from other religious rulers who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Scripture notes that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, possibly to avoid persecution for seeking Him out. (See John 3:2.)
Jesus used an illustration from the Old Testament that would be familiar to a devout Jew like Nicodemus. The brass serpent that was placed upon the pole represented the Israelites’ sin. Similarly, when Jesus was nailed to the cross, He became sin for us by taking our sin upon Himself. Therefore, just as the Israelites in the wilderness had to look to the brass serpent in order to live, so also Nicodemus would have to look to the Lord Jesus Christ to have eternal life. (See John 3:14–15.)
This study question and answer is adapted from the Commands of Christ, Series 7, book. For further study, this book may be purchased from our Online Store.