At the heart of this Gospel is the mission of Jesus. We hear the words: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” At first, this might sound shocking. How can Jesus be compared to a serpent?

To understand, we need to return to the story from the Book of Numbers. The people of Israel had been freed from the misery and oppression of slavery in Egypt. A place where their lives held no value. God sent Moses to lead them into freedom. He parted the sea for them and then closed it over their enemies. They had seen the power of God and experienced His desire to rescue them.

But freedom was not immediate comfort. God led them through the desert, a barren and unforgiving place, for forty years. In this harsh environment, He revealed Himself and His love for them through concrete acts of care. When they were hungry, He gave them manna. When they grew tired of it, He sent quail. When they were thirsty, He drew water from a rock. All along the way, God provided—faithfully, patiently, lovingly. This journey was meant to lead them not just to a promised land, but to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

And yet, the people complained. They doubted God’s plan. They thought they knew better. They rebelled. Not only against Moses, but against the God who had delivered them. In response, God sent tiny serpents among them. They couldn’t avoid the consequences; those bitten began to die.

In their suffering, the people turned back to Moses and asked for help. God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole. Anyone who looked upon it would live.

This moment in Israel’s history reveals something essential: healing and life come from looking at the very thing that represented their sin and failure. Now transformed by God into a sign of His mercy.

Jesus draws from this image to explain His mission. Like the serpent lifted up in the desert, He too must be lifted up, on the cross, so that all who look upon Him with faith may be healed and saved. This is not a message of condemnation. Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it.

Our journey mirrors that of the Israelites. God leads us, often through dry and difficult places, so that we might discover His faithful love. Yet we too complain. We turn away. We reject His plan, thinking ours is better. And still, God does not abandon us. He gives us His Son, lifted up on the cross, to show us what love looks like.

All we are asked to do is look. To fix our eyes on Jesus and believe that His love is real.

Let us ask for the grace to recognise the times we have doubted that love and to open our hearts to God’s mercy and forgiveness.