14 September 2026 Concordia University
Holy Cross Day Mequon, WI
Jesu Juva
The Holy Pole, the Holy Cross
Text: Numbers 21:4-9
In the Name of (+)
Jesus. Amen.
The Lord did not
send serpents to punish His people but to save them. For long before these
fiery serpents came into their camp, they had been bitten by another one - that
serpent you know as satan, who injected the poison of
unbelief into them. And that poison was killing them - not physically, but
worse! Spiritually. Faith was replaced with doubt, contentment with grumbling,
and love with bitterness. So they grumbled and spoke against God and
against Moses, and they were in danger. Of a death worse than physical
death; eternal death.
So the Lord, in
love, sent fiery serpents among them, to save them. He didnt have to. He could have let them continue to grumble, continue to die,
and go back to Egypt and slavery there. But God had made a promise - right
after the first time the satanic serpent struck and injected the poison of
unbelief into our first parents. The promise of a Saviour. A Saviour who would
come from these very people who were now speaking against Him. So He would
not let them go. He could not let them go. He would save them. Not
because they were worthy, but because of His Word.
So He sent the fiery
serpents, to save them. So that having no where else
to turn, they would turn - or re-turn - to Him, and live. With serpents on the
left and serpents on the right, with serpents in front of them and behind them,
they pleaded with Moses, Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents
from us. He did. But the funny thing is, we never hear if the Lord did
that or not. Whether He took away the serpents or not. Instead, He saved
another way. What some might consider a most unusual way. But not for God.
Because it was with His promise in mind, His promise of a Saviour, and how He
was going to fulfill that promise, that the Lord told Moses to make a
fiery serpent and set it on a pole. So that everyone who was bitten,
but who then looked upon that serpent on a pole, would live. Not because it
would magically do so, but because the Word and promise of God was there.
And it worked. Gods Word and promise gave life to His people. From both kinds of
serpents - the physical ones and the spiritual one. Saving them from both
physical death and spiritual death.
It was not until
some 1500 years later that God made plain why He had chosen such a salvation
for His people. Such a strange way of saving them. That it was a picture, a
foreshadowing of His even greater saving. For as Jesus would tell Nicodemus, 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 (John 3:14-15). Not that lifting up Jesus on a cross
was in imitation of the bronze serpent - the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole
was in imitation of Him. So that all of us who have been bitten by the satanic
serpent, might have eternal life. Both physically and spiritually. In both body
and soul. Not because just looking at a dying man on a cross can do that. The
Romans crucified thousands like that, and none of them could give life! But
because this one had Gods Word and promise. Because this one WAS
Gods Word and promise in human flesh! The promised Saviour, the Son of God,
come to save. So that looking to Him in faith, faith in Gods Word and promise, faith that His bearing our sins and dying for them
gives us life, we receive that very life we need. From the only one who can
give it.
Which I think we
sometimes take for granted - life. Our physical life and maybe also our
spiritual life. Until we cant. Until something
happens in your life. Until a loved one dies or is diagnosed with a terminal
disease. Until a couple who assumed they would have children, cant. Until youre faced with a crisis and dont know where to turn. And we realize how precious - and fragile - life
is.
In the Scripture we
heard today, we heard how God worked through Moses to give life to His people.
He could have just miraculously made the serpents go away, but He chose to use
His servant. Today is the same. God can - and does - work miracles. But He works
through others as well, in all sorts of vocations - professors to teach, food
service to provide our daily bread, using pastors for our spiritual needs, and
for our physical needs using the medical professions.
The medical
professions, which interestingly, has a symbol called a caduceus - which is two serpents wrapped around a pole. Though sometimes it is a
single serpent. If you ask AI, it will tell you the Scripture heard today has
nothing to do with that. Nothing! That symbol came about in a whole
separate way and any similarity is pure coincidence. Really? I find that
wishful thinking by those who dont want this
story to have anything to do with it! But either way, whatever the official
evolution of that symbol, it still can remind us today of this
story and that our healing and life come from the Lord. And the one with the two
serpents is even better - reminding us of both the serpents that
had bitten the people of Israel - the physical ones and the spiritual one - and
that our physical life and spiritual life both come from God.
Im told that this is Mental Health Awareness Week here on campus, and there are lots of
activities to go with that. Thats good. You have a
lot going on in your lives and might find yourself struggling. The serpents of
stress, anxiety, despair, doubt, even suicidal thoughts might be squirming all
around you. Dont ignore them. As Israel cried out to Moses for
help, call out to those God has given you to help. Your RA, Student Health
Services, Professors, even the 988 suicide hotline. There is no shame in that.
But also remember this: those TWO serpents on the caduceus, which I say
represent the physical and the spiritual aspects of healing and life. So
when you are struggling, dont just
seek physical help - seek also the spiritual help you need. The two go
together. Call out to your pastor, or your campus pastor, for help. God gave
them to you for just this reason. And I can tell you (if you dont know it yet), you have a awesome campus
pastor who will be there for you.
And He will do what
Moses did for the people - He will hold up for you the source of your life in
the midst of the serpents plaguing you. He will proclaim the words and promises
God put there for you, and the words and promises of the cross He put here
for you. He will feed you with the Bread of Life. He will forgive you in the
stead and by the command of Christ. The serpents may not go away. You may still
struggle for a while. But you will not be alone. The God who created you, who
redeemed you, who sanctifies you, and who gives you
life, will be with you through His servants. And He will bless you and keep you
until you enter your Promised Land and life with Him that has no end.
And . . . with no serpents!
In the Name of (+) Jesus. Amen.