LOOK AND LIVE

The Lifted Savior

Text: John 3:14

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”

Sermon Title:

“Look and Live”

Introduction

In this profound statement, Jesus draws a powerful parallel between an Old Testament event and His redemptive mission. He points back to Numbers 21, when the Israelites were dying from fiery serpent bites. God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze serpent, and whoever looked lived.

Now Jesus says, “Even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”

This was not optional—it was divine necessity. Humanity was dying from the poison of sin, and heaven’s remedy would be the lifting up of Christ on the cross.

The message is simple, yet eternal: Look and live.

1. Sin requires a Sacrifice

The Israelites were bitten because of their sin—complaining against God. Likewise, humanity is under the deadly sting of sin.

Sin is not just a mistake; it is a fatal condition.

Its consequence is death—spiritual and eternal (Romans 6:23).

In the wilderness, God did not remove the serpents immediately—He provided a remedy.

In the same way, God did not ignore sin—He addressed it through sacrifice.

Jesus being “lifted up” speaks of the cross—where He became the sacrifice for sin.

*Not silver or gold

*Not human effort

But the precious blood of Christ

👉 Without sacrifice, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22).

2. Healing Comes by Looking in Faith

God’s instruction in the wilderness was unusual: “Look and live.”

Not fight the serpent

Not treat the wound

Not earn healing

Just look.

This required faith. Imagine someone saying, “How can looking at a bronze serpent heal me?” Yet those who looked lived, and those who refused died.

So it is with Christ:

*Salvation is not by works

*Not by religion

*Not by self-effort

It is by looking in faith to the crucified Savior.

Isaiah declared: “Look unto me, and be ye saved…” (Isaiah 45:22)

To “look” means:

*To trust completely

*To depend wholly

*To fix your gaze on Christ alone

👉 You don’t analyze your healing—you receive it by faith.

3. The Cross Is God’s Answer to Death

The lifting up of Jesus points directly to the cross.

The cross is not an accident—it is God’s eternal plan.

At the cross:

*Sin was judged

*Justice was satisfied

*Mercy was released

What the serpent represented (death), Christ conquered (life).

Where death once reigned, grace now reigns.

Jesus said in John 12:32:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

The cross stands as:

*God’s answer to sin

*God’s cure for death

*God’s invitation to all humanity

👉 Death does not have the final word—the cross does.

Illustration

In the wilderness, looking healed the bitten.

At the cross, believing saves the broken.

One look brought life then.

One look of faith still brings life today.

Key Truth

👉 Faith looks; grace saves.

Conclusion

The message of the gospel is not complicated—it is clear:

You have been bitten by sin.

Christ has been lifted for your salvation.

The question is not whether the provision is available—

The question is: Will you look?

Altar Call

Today, you may be wounded by sin, burdened by guilt, or facing spiritual death. You don’t need to fix yourself—you need to look to Jesus.

*Look away from your works

*Look away from your past

*Look unto the Savior who was lifted up for you

As the Israelites looked and lived, so you too can look and live—right now.

Say this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I believe You were lifted up for my sins. I look to You today. Forgive me, cleanse me, and give me new life. I receive Your salvation by faith. Amen.”

If you have prayed this prayer, you have looked—and by His grace, you now live.

-Kunle Rennaiye

SheepGate Evangelical Ministry

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