1187 - Finding the Hidden Jesus in the Bible#
1187 - Finding the Hidden Jesus in the Bible
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
Numbers 21:4-9:
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, there is no water, and we detest this miserable food.” 6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole; then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. You are our Lord and our provider. No matter where we go, You will walk with us and guard our hearts and minds. Today, we come before You to receive Your word, and through Your word, let us gain revelation and wisdom. May the Holy Spirit guide us in the time ahead, so that we may all receive. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
Brothers and sisters, what is the core message of the Bible? It speaks of God's love; Jesus loves you! Whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, it is all about God's love. What is the specific manifestation of God's love? The Heavenly Father gave us His Son Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins. God's love is absolutely not a formula, nor a set of theories, and certainly not just a story, but it is life! The Bible speaks of the redemption of us by God's Son, Jesus Christ.
The Bible says: Jesus Christ came into the world not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love. Today, I will share how to read the Bible and find the hidden Jesus Christ within it. In the New Testament, Jesus has been revealed. But in the Old Testament, Christ is hidden.
Let me share the first point: The Symbols of Jesus in the Bible
The Old Testament has many symbols; symbols are not real, but they point to real people, ultimately pointing to Jesus Christ. For example, when Moses was in the wilderness, they encountered bitter water at a place called Marah, and the people could not drink the water. God instructed Moses to throw a tree into the water, and the water became sweet. Why did the water become sweet when the tree was thrown in? Because that tree symbolizes our Jesus Christ. Bitterness is a curse; when Jesus was placed in the curse, He bore the curse, so the water changed and ultimately became beneficial to us. Brothers and sisters, when you see the hidden Jesus Christ in the Bible, your whole heart will be ignited, and you will be filled with confidence in life. He is the beginning and the end of faith.
There are many such symbols, such as the mercy seat symbolizing Jesus Christ. The mercy seat was made of pure gold, representing God's righteousness and holiness. On the mercy seat, there are two cherubim. Every year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest has one opportunity to enter the Most Holy Place, where God speaks to the people between the two cherubim. Of course, the people cannot enter; God only speaks to the high priest. God does not tell them on the mercy seat, “You must keep the Ten Commandments…” The high priest who can come before the mercy seat is receiving God's blessing, and what comes out from there is grace and truth.
When Jesus came to preach, He personally told us: The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Moses merely received the law and conveyed it to the people, but Jesus Christ is grace and truth itself. The Old Testament mercy seat ultimately points to Jesus Christ. Under the grace of the New Testament, you can come to Jesus Christ anytime and anywhere, as you have come before the mercy seat, because the veil of the tabernacle has been torn open, and everyone can directly seek grace and mercy from Him, receiving help at all times. The Old Testament is a foreshadowing that ultimately points to our Jesus Christ.
When you find Jesus in the Bible, you will be excited. Many people do not understand this passage of scripture and ask me why the snake is Jesus Christ. Today, through this passage, I will share to clarify the doubts. The Israelites came out of Egypt because God led them out; they did nothing but obey God's guidance, entering the wilderness from Egypt. God provided for them every day in the wilderness. How great was this provision? Food, drink, and everything they needed were supplied by God. In the wilderness, God provided them with very important food. God knew everyone needed food and supplied it to the Israelites. This food was manna. Many of us want to eat manna; this food is so good. First, it is pure and green, without pollution. More importantly, although manna is just a small round food, like coriander seed, and is very simple, it is nutritionally comprehensive, and after you eat it, you will never become weak.
The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness for forty years, and they were all strong because it was food that God personally sent down. However, the Israelites complained against God and against Moses, saying, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food, no water.” These food and water had already been supplied by God, but they could not see it. In fact, we are all in grace, receiving God's grace every day, but many people do not see God's provision, which is a pity.
People complain because they see what they do not have; they should actually look at what they do have. The Israelites in the wilderness, although they did not have an environment as good as ours, had God's presence! God did not leave them for twenty-four hours; for forty years, their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell after walking such a long distance. Isn't this God's provision? But they did not see it and often complained against God. If our focus is not on God but on material things, we will never be satisfied.
Proverbs 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
God has placed wisdom, power, and blessings in this world. We discover God's goodness through our daily lives or when we encounter problems, using God's authority to see His glory.
John 6:50-51:
But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Jesus said that your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, but it was not Moses who gave it to you; it was your heavenly Father who gave it. Jesus is also given by our heavenly Father. If we eat the bread of life, we will receive life.
The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness for forty years without getting sick. This manna symbolizes our Lord Jesus. You can receive the words of Jesus Christ, which will make you strong. The message preached from the church pulpit is very important; if it brings you to Christ, you will receive the bread of life.
What you believe is what your life will be like. When I communicate with brothers and sisters, they say that after hearing about Christ's grace, they feel so released; when their faith is correct, their lives will naturally be correct.
Some say that accidents, diseases, and disasters do not come from God, but they are permitted by God! They are meant to test us and build us up. Is this statement correct? Let's take a look at whether God allowed the Israelites to be bitten by venomous snakes in the wilderness. Was it to build their lives?
Just now, we read verse 6: So the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
How do you feel when you read this verse? Did the Lord intentionally send venomous snakes among the people to kill many? Did God let His people die just because they complained a few times?
Some say this is not God's doing, but God allowed it. Why did God allow such things to happen?
Earlier, they complained about not having food to eat, and God gave them food, but they said they did not want to eat manna; they wanted quail, and God also provided quail for them. When they had no water to drink, God gave them water, but still could not satisfy the hearts of the people. How did they view the manna that God provided?
Verse 5: “We detest this miserable food.”
God gave the Israelites the best food, but they looked down on the manna, which was unacceptable to God because the manna symbolizes Jesus Christ.
Miserable food, in the original language, means very bad, worthless food. Manna is so precious, but among the Israelites, it was regarded as worthless food. Brothers and sisters, this is unacceptable to God. If someone regards Jesus as worthless, how will God treat that person? When a person sees Jesus as the greatest treasure in life, and when they exalt Jesus Christ, God's grace will immediately come upon them. Although manna is free, it is absolutely not worthless food.
If a person rejects Jesus, they are rejecting God's blessing and protection. If a person rejects Jesus, they are unwilling to receive God's grace. But without God, we can do nothing.
Mark 1:1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The beginning of the gospel starts with Jesus Christ. When a person accepts the Lord Jesus and the work He did on the cross, the power of the cross is manifested. The cross of Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God. If a person departs from Jesus when preaching the gospel, this gospel has no power.
The devil is very afraid of people understanding the truth; it does not want people to recognize the value of Jesus, so it tries every means to make people think Jesus is worthless. It leads people to pursue empty doctrines.
2 Timothy 4:3-5
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
In the last days, many people will be just like the Israelites in the wilderness, despising the best manna given by God and pursuing earthly food. Many believers are unwilling to listen to messages about Jesus and the cross of Jesus Christ; they prefer to hear some strange and bizarre doctrines, such as someone fasting for forty days and nights on a mountain, and when they come down, they lay hands on the sick, and the sick are immediately healed, or someone had some strange dream, etc.
Returning to our main text today, why did God allow venomous snakes to enter among the people in the wilderness? Because they despised the most precious heavenly food given by God. Rejecting this food means rejecting God's provision and protection.
In fact, there were always venomous snakes in the wilderness; it was not that God intentionally summoned them. Why did the snakes not bite them at other times? The snake in the Bible symbolizes Satan; in fact, the devil has always been around the people, waiting for an opportunity to strike. But because God's hand was always protecting the Israelites, there was no place for the devil to attack.
1 Peter 5:7-8
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
This proves that some people cannot be devoured by the devil; the devil can only look for the weak, those who have strayed from God's protection. When the Israelites despised the manna, it meant they did not want God's heavenly provision and did not want God's protection. God will not force people to accept Him. Even if a person believes in the Lord, if they insist on living their own way, God will not force us. He will only guide us until we repent and are willing to seek Him and rely on Him.
Since the people did not want God's protection, when God's hand was removed, the protection was gone, and the venomous snakes quickly entered among the people, biting many of them. When many people were bitten by snakes and died, they realized their problem and asked Moses to pray to God.
7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
When God saw the people repenting, His hand immediately reached out again to solve their problem and protect them. In the Old Testament, we can see that the Israelites repeatedly rebelled against God, but whenever they were willing to repent, God's hand would immediately come upon them, and blessings would come upon them! This is our God!
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole; then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
After the Israelites encountered problems, God immediately gave them a solution. That was to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who looked at the bronze snake would live. This bronze snake symbolizes our Lord Jesus.
John 3:14-15, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him.
Where did Moses lift up the snake? In the wilderness! The Son of Man is Jesus; Jesus was also lifted up in the same way. This is what Jesus Himself said. This proves that the bronze snake in the wilderness symbolizes Jesus Christ! Do not misunderstand; although the snake symbolizes the devil, here the bronze snake symbolizes Jesus Christ.
Is the bronze snake the same as the snake? Some say one is real and the other is fake; in fact, one is a real snake, and the other is a bronze snake that looks like a snake but has no venom; just as Jesus Christ has the appearance of sinful flesh but is without sin.
Romans 8:1-4
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Jesus Christ was hung on the cross in the likeness of sinful flesh for our sins. Although He had the appearance of sin, He never sinned. He became our sin offering, condemning sin in the flesh.
Why was a bronze snake hung up? In the courtyard of the tabernacle, there were three very important items: utensils made of gold, utensils made of silver, and those made of bronze. In the courtyard of the tabernacle, many utensils were made of bronze. Bronze symbolizes God's judgment in the Bible! Every time a person sinned, they would bring a lamb to the priest, who would examine whether the lamb was perfect. If the lamb met the sacrificial standard, the person would place their hands on the head of the lamb, saying that all their sins were transferred to this lamb. The lamb would be killed, its blood offered before God, and the sacrifice would be burned on the altar, symbolizing judgment. When a person sins, this lamb dies in their place, and that person is forgiven.
When you accept Jesus as your Savior, all your sins are transferred to Jesus Christ. When you believe that Jesus died for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later, the Heavenly Father accepts you. He sees you as righteous and holy.
The bronze snake in the wilderness symbolizes Jesus Christ. Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness, just as the bronze snake was lifted up on the cross, raised high above all the people, so that all the people would look at this bronze snake. Where was Jesus Christ lifted up?
Golgotha, what does it mean? Some say it means the place of the skull, but God gives me another revelation. Moses lifted up the bronze snake in a desolate wilderness, and Jesus was also lifted up in a desolate place because there were no living people around Him; it was a deserted area. On that hill of Golgotha, there were no people living there; it was a very remote place, but that place was very high. The cross was erected there, and people could see it from below. Our Jesus Christ was lifted up there.
When the bronze snake was lifted up, God made a promise to the people: no matter how severe your disease is, no matter how deep the poison is, as long as you look at the bronze snake on the pole, you will surely live. Under grace, as long as you look at Jesus Christ, you will live. This is a true symbol; when you look up to Jesus Christ, you will live.
God does not look at how bad your current situation is; God does not look at how bad your current behavior is. Maybe you complained once, or maybe you complained a hundred times, but God does not count these things. What matters is that you look up to the bronze snake on the cross. As long as you are willing to look up to Jesus and accept Him, God will heal you. This is God's promise of healing to us!
When we unlock the Bible, we will find that this is the grace God has given us, not based on how good a person's behavior is, not on a person's effort in prayer to earn God's healing. It is by believing that you can receive. In the church, I do one thing: to lift up Jesus Christ so that you can all see Him! When your eyes see Jesus, you will surely be healed, and your problems will surely be solved because Jesus has that ability.
Anyone bitten by a venomous snake will be poisoned, just as in your life in this world. Perhaps others attack you, slander you, or unjustly defame you, causing you to feel wronged. This is the poison you encounter in the world, and because of this, you become weak and discouraged. At this time, you need to expel the poison. When you listen to the words of Jesus Christ, God's grace flows down, continuously washing you, renewing your wrong thoughts. The world tells you that you cannot do it, but the Holy Spirit tells you that you can do all things through Him who strengthens you! When a person sees the grace of Jesus Christ on the cross, they receive it. The problem is solved, just as the Israelites looked at the bronze snake and lived.
Under the law, Moses said you must examine yourself, reflect on your sins, and see if you are qualified enough to love God. But under grace, God wants you to see how He loves you, to see how willing He is to heal you. This is the difference between grace and law. Do not focus on your own efforts. There is an invisible line in the Bible that we must see when we read it, which distinguishes the Old Testament from the New Testament. The standard is whether Jesus went to the cross and completed His work; this is the standard that distinguishes the Old and New Testaments.
The standard under the Old Testament is that you must behave well for God to bless you. Under the New Testament, God has already blessed you, so you can live out good behavior. Let me give two examples from the Bible, one before the cross and one after.
Matthew 6:15: But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
This is what Jesus said personally. Jesus said that if you do not forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive you. We must first forgive others, and then God will forgive us. Because when Jesus said this, He had not yet gone to the cross; He had not yet completed His work and was still under the Old Testament law.
But under the New Testament, it is still about forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
God says you should be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other. Why should you do this? Because God has already forgiven you in Christ. You must first understand God's love before you can love others; you must first receive Jesus' grace before you have the strength to forgive others.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ has already been lifted up on Golgotha. In life, we must look up to this Lord. Cast all your burdens on Him. When you look up, Jesus says: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
The second point I want to share is: Everything Must Be Seen Through Jesus.
The law makes you look at yourself, striving to live out good behavior, but under grace, everything is about seeing what Jesus has done for you. The Pharisees were very familiar with the law, but when the true Word became flesh, Jesus stood before them, yet they did not recognize Him. What they learned in the synagogue was merely knowledge, just rules, and there was no real life in it.
But Jesus said: He is the truth and the life. The Jesus you accept is not a doctrine, not knowledge; knowledge can make people proud. What you receive is the life of Jesus Christ. His life is humble and gentle, peaceful, just like the fruit of the Spirit we talked about earlier. When you receive the life of Jesus, you will naturally live out the life of Christ.
Reading the Bible is not for accumulating knowledge. It is to see more of Jesus in the Bible. Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? It is to remind us that God's blessings are always upon us. God's blessings are abundant, preparing everything you need, including grain, new wine, and oil. Every aspect of your life has provision. During Thanksgiving, we say: Lord, I give thanks for this. The first Thanksgiving of the Israelites was after they arrived in the land of Canaan, during the first autumn of that year when the land produced abundant crops. The people offered these to God as their thanksgiving. In this season of harvest, we also offer thanks to God, for the Lord's grace has always been upon me, and I have received the grace of Jesus Christ.
Some read the Bible for the stories within it, wondering if reading the Bible in Greek will help them understand Jesus better. Some say they need the original text, while others say they need commentaries. But I want to tell the brothers and sisters that what you really need is the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit will guide you to understand all the revelations about Jesus Christ in the Bible. Every provision comes from Jesus. As a teacher, I also need to look up to Jesus Christ every day, to look up to His words. In the book of Jeremiah, it says, “When I found Your words, I ate them, and they were a joy and my heart's delight.” When one day you read God's word and find it as sweet as honey, congratulations! You have been filled with God's grace.
When Peter looked up to Jesus, he could walk on water, but when he took his eyes off Jesus and thought about himself, he began to sink. No matter what immense pressure you face in life, you must know that when you look up to Jesus, you will be delivered from difficult circumstances because God is a saving God; God is your healer.
The devil wants us to look at ourselves, but God wants us to look at Jesus Christ. God can give us wisdom to understand more of the Bible, to see more of Jesus Christ in the Bible. Do not play with the devil; he will constantly condemn you. When you read ten chapters of the Bible, the devil will say others have read twenty chapters, and you have only read ten. What is there to be proud of? But when you look at Jesus, He will say, “You have read ten chapters; you have already understood much of My grace.” Through your reading of the Bible, I allow you to understand more grace. Jesus is always encouraging you, not condemning you. The devil is always accusing you, making you look at yourself, constantly condemning you, making you feel hopeless, making you feel there is no way out. But Jesus is your way.
Start looking up to Jesus Christ and living. There is no condemnation in Him because He has already borne our punishment. Just like the bronze snake in the wilderness still hangs there, if you are one of the people, God does not ask you to do anything else; just rest in Him and receive His healing. If you have any illness in your body, be still before God and receive His healing because the Holy Spirit is working here. He wants you to believe in God's power at this moment, to believe in God's healing. By the stripes of Jesus, you have already received healing. Healing is not difficult because it is not you doing it; it is our Jesus Christ doing it. You just need to set your eyes on Jesus Christ. Receive and you will obtain.
If you come to church with many grievances and sadness, I want to tell you to stop complaining and look up to Jesus Christ. Because when you look at Jesus, He will give you strength, and your situation will turn around. When a person focuses on themselves, they will see their problems becoming more and more serious, becoming more and more troubled. This will not solve the problem.
If the Israelites in the wilderness refused to look at the bronze snake on the pole, closing their eyes and not looking, constantly confessing their unworthiness, they would still die. God's method of healing is to let them look at the bronze snake on the pole; just one look and they would live. There is no other method. Even if you try other methods, being pious will not help. We need to receive according to God's way.
Jesus became a curse for us on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
As mentioned earlier, in the courtyard of the tabernacle, there were the bronze altar and the bronze basin, all made of bronze, representing judgment. The mercy seat was made of pure gold, representing God's righteousness and holiness. You can come before the mercy seat, proving that you are already righteous.
Those who have accepted Jesus do not need any conditions or qualifications to come before Jesus in prayer. Is it necessary to kneel at the foot of the cross in church for it to be effective? No, at any time, in any place, as long as you open your mouth to pray and look up to Jesus Christ, His provision will be given immediately, and His healing will be given immediately. This is our God; His provision is everywhere.
You can come before the mercy seat at any time. No matter where you go, Jesus Christ is with you. Grace is Jesus Christ; the gospel is Jesus Christ. When you look up to Him, everything is resolved. Thank and praise the Lord.
Perhaps you come seeking Jesus with a heavy burden. Jesus is your rest. Perhaps you have an illness; Jesus is your healing. No matter what your burden is, look up to Jesus Christ, worship Him with your heart, and give thanks to Him, believing that He is willing to heal you.
Lift your hands to Him, acknowledge Him as your God, acknowledge Him as your healer, and cast all your burdens onto the Lord Jesus. Do not bear them yourself anymore. He has already accomplished everything on the cross. Jesus loves you!
No matter what your situation is, Jesus is willing to heal you. Look up to His grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, your eyes are now to be healed, your leg pain is to be healed, your heart is to be healed. Jesus will restore what you have lost. Every cell in your body is being renewed. God is doing wonderful work. Open your hands to receive grace, to receive healing. He is your God, willing to protect you and supply you.
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise Your grace. We thank You for giving us such abundant grace. You are the God worthy of worship. Your grace is upon me every day. Please grant us wisdom to see You in the Bible, to be filled with Your grace and truth, to be filled with Your power.
You are the God who heals. Thank and praise the Lord! All glory be to You! In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!