And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:8,9). Unbelievable? Yes, if you don’t believe in the power of the Old Rugged Cross. But if you do believe in that amazing Cross, the Cross on a hill called Calvary where Jesus died almost two thousand years ago, then you know this serpent of brass represents the crucified, despised Savior.

The Israelites had sinned against God; they had lost their way, going into total darkness. Allowing their hands to slip out of God’s, they quickly fell into disobedience and sin. Because of it, the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. Multitudes of Israelites were bitten. Now many are dead, others dying. Look for a moment at their swollen limbs, their distorted faces, their frantic, darting eyes. Stabbing pains shoot through their bodies. They know they are dying. What is the remedy? Who can help? No one in the camp knows how to nurse the dying back to health. Cries of death moan from all directions. For the moment Moses is in a state of confusion. What can he do? Then he hears the voice of the Lord.

No matter how confused your mind might be, it’s wonderful to hear the voice of the Lord; serenity, peace fill your mind, and you know everything will be all right. You’re ready to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

The Lord told Moses an unusual thing: Moses, make a serpent of brass. Put it upon a pole, and everyone who looks to it will live. A life for a look. The Lord was showing us that one day we would have the Old Rugged Cross for our look of life. It wouldn’t be a serpent of brass. A serpent is a creature despised, and the man called Jesus who would hang between Heaven and Earth for the sins of all mankind would be to many the most despised person who had ever walked the earth. In spite of the hatred of man, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (Galatians 3:13). Although He would be unbelievably kind—healing and performing miracles—although He would offer redemption to all, showing all who wanted to know the way to Heaven, a raging mob sought to crucify Him. Only those who looked to Him would be free.

The Poison Serpent of Sin

Do you remember when you were bitten by the serpent of sin? The Bible tells us that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The poison of sin was throughout your soul, your life. Your life wrecked and ruined by sin, you were dying spiritually and didn’t know it. Some of you dreaded to wake each morning to face another day. Stumbling through the night you had lost your way. Then you glimpsed a light, heard a voice: “I am Jesus! I died for you. Look and live! Look, look and live!”

“Can this be?” you thought. “I’m just a sinner!” Through the power of the Cross, Jesus came to rescue sinners, to help the ungodly, those who couldn’t help themselves—and, oh, mankind needed such great help! Because of that need, the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus, in speaking of His crucifixion, said, I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (John 12:32).

When man turned his back on God in the Garden of Eden, he had to strike out on his own. In the Garden of Eden before sin entered, man knew no disease, no cancer eating out his life, no arthritis crippling him, no heart trouble, no blood disorders. Man was a perfect, healthy, happy specimen whom God had created in His own likeness. God had made man to fellowship with, given him a brilliant mind and placed within his heart a great love for his Maker. In the cool of the day God would come down to walk and talk with man. What a marvelous hour! Only one thing was forbidden him: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But that very forbidden thing was what he wanted.

The devil serves the forbidden night and day to tempt, to lead astray. He hates God, and he hates man. When the devil looks at you he thinks of God because you are created in the image of God. He knows he can get at God through you. The only way the devil can get to God is through the man and woman that God made, and so he seeks to torture you with temptation if he can’t make you yield to sin. Many, many souls the devil has managed to convince to yield to sin. Adam and Eve did yield, and they were driven from the Garden.

The Shadow of the Cross

The Lord tried everything to save man; He used the blood of animals…it didn’t work. There would have to be an Old Rugged Cross. Throughout the Old Testament we see the types and shadows of the Cross to come. Every book of the Old Testament has a shadow over it, the shadow of the Cross, the shadow of suffering of the Son of God, the crucified Lamb, the crucified Savior, the slain Son of God.

Yes, we see that Lamb in Abraham’s day on Mount Moriah. We see the Lamb in Moses’ day as blood is placed on the doorposts so that death will pass over the Israelites, symbolizing the power of the Cross to come and the blood of Jesus we will apply to our hearts so that the eternal death angel will pass over us. We will live forever, but oh, not in this body!

The plan of redemption is the greatest plan that has ever been given by God—the greatest plan that has ever been given anywhere! No plan conceived by man could equal the plan of God’s salvation. It’s a plan so simple that even a child can receive salvation and redemption through the shed blood of the Son of God. But Christ being come an high priest…Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:11,12). You may not be able to read your own name, but you can have Jesus dwelling within. The Lord made Him that available. Your sins can be washed away; you can be made a new creature in Christ Jesus, the One who died for us so that we could be more than conquerors through Him. He is great indeed!

Healing for the Bitter Waters

We see the Israelites again. In the wilderness they found the waters to be bitter. What were they going to do? And he [Moses] cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet (Exodus 15:25). The type of the Cross took out all bitterness. The Cross has removed the bitterness from so much of life for so many. The Cross took that gnawing bitterness out of me and you, didn’t it? We were poisoned with sin and resentment in our hearts. Love our enemies? We weren’t even able to love our friends or our brothers and sisters all the time. But the call of God rang out: “Come and follow after me! Love your enemies; pray for those who despitefully use you.” Had the Lord told us to thrust in our swords like Simon, we would have been all right; but the Master said to love, to love.

How many of us would have followed Jesus earlier had He told us we could use the sword to cut off ears? “Love your enemies,” He said. It takes the Cross to erase the bitterness.

Moses cut down a tree, threw it into bitter waters and they became sweet. Remember when that tree called the Old Rugged Cross touched your bitter waters? Remember when the crucified Christ came into your heart, into your life? With nail-riven hands and feet, a spear-pierced side, Jesus changed your heart, and you took Him home with you.

I shall remember forever that night in my teens when I took Jesus home with me. Never have I let Him go. It was the greatest night of my life! I wanted to tell the whole world: “I met the Master! I’m cleansed, saved, born again! I’ve been to Calvary!”

I didn’t get salvation by shaking the preacher’s hand; what was in his hand I didn’t need. I needed the power of the Old Rugged Cross. The hand of man couldn’t take bitterness, hatred and sin out of me; these things had to go before I could be a new creation in Christ Jesus. The Old Rugged Cross made a new me. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17).

I didn’t know the old me could be changed so much; I didn’t realize that the old me would have to die so the new me could come forth. There would be a real death, real resurrection as the sinful nature died and the God-nature took over. It has happened to all of you who have found Jesus and taken Him into your hearts.

Salvation Once a Year

For so many years people had no direct remedy for sin. Then a little tabernacle was built according to the plan of God. The high priest entered the most holy place once a year. The Israelites all stood around…mothers clutching crying babies, holding the hands of little children, saying “God is right beyond the drapery, so close. Think of it! The great God that created you is in there only a few yards away!”

“Mommy, why can’t we go in?”

“Honey, I don’t understand all about it either; I can’t explain it to you. All I can tell you is that it means death if we enter the Holy of Holies. Didn’t you see the high priest? He had to be all perfumed up with a fragrance reaching Heaven. Didn’t you see the bells on his garment, the rope around him? When he moves about we can hear the jingle. That means he is alive. If he fell over dead no one could go in to attend him—they would die if they entered the Holy of Holies. The rope around him is so they could pull him out. Honey, God is in there!”

And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it [the altar] once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations (Exodus 30:10). One day a year God was so nigh unto them—what a great day for Israel! But think of God being so close and yet out of direct reach. Think of not being able to touch your dearest loved one here on Earth. You want to take that one in your arms, but you don’t dare. It means death. What a sad hour for the Israelites when that one day a year came to an end. So many tears had been shed, so much sorrow for their disobedient ways—but when that day was over Israel would go back into sin.

Guilty of Giving Life

Then a Babe was born in Bethlehem, laid in a manger, an ox stall. The Israelites refuse to understand—many of them, anyway—that this Babe is the remedy for sin, God’s perfect remedy. And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). At last God had brought the cure. This is it! The Babe grew up among them. He healed their sick, He cast out devils, raised the dead. Such a few loved Him for it, and so many persecuted Him. Finally they arrested Him, the Son of God. He was tried. The verdict? Guilty. Guilty of what? Guilty of coming from Heaven to show man the way from Earth to Glory. Guilty of providing the cure for all man’s troubles. Guilty for bringing the means to make all mankind new creatures if they wanted. Guilty for giving life to those who had no life, for taking despair away from the captives in the pits of darkness. The people of His day judged Him guilty and they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed (Luke 23:23).

Yes, they crowned Him with thorns. They bowed the knee to Him, blindfolded Him, mocked Him. “Prophesy,” they sneered. “Tell us who struck you.” Then at last the final walk.

We’re All Barabbases

While the heartbreaking torture was being carried out, away down in a dungeon was a man scheduled to die on the middle Cross. His name…Barabbas. A robber, a murderer, he was deserving of death. That middle Cross didn’t belong to Jesus, it belonged to you and me—and to Barabbas, to all the Barabbases of this world. We once were all sinners, lost and undone without Jesus. Remember, all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. All at one time were headed for eternal damnation, eternal hell. Think about it! Then Barabbas heard footsteps coming down toward him through the darkness. He’s chained like some wild beast. “This is the end,” he thinks, his heart pounding, his face drained of color. He knows he is going to die. He was found guilty—he is guilty. There is no escape. The cell door opens. Numbly he waits for the words: “Barabbas, come. It’s time for you to die.” Then suddenly his mind is thrown into complete confusion, for he hears instead: “Barabbas you’re free.” His eyes widen with astonishment mingled with unbelief. His tongue feels so thick that he can hardly speak. “Ah, man, don’t lie to me! Don’t torment me with false hope! I have to die today!” This is his day to die. Death—the one thing he feared—now he has to face. Why, he’s the same as dead, right now!

“Barabbas, come on out! I’ve taken the chains off.” Barabbas was so paralyzed with shock he hadn’t even realized his chains had been removed.

“Barabbas, are you coming or not?” The guards are walking out now, toward the light. The doorway yawns ahead like some monstrous mouth—or could it actually be a gateway to freedom? “Is it death up there for me, or am I really free?” Barabbas stumbles after the guards, rubbing his wrists and hands to bring back the circulation that the chains had cut off. His feet have the mobility of logs and throb with the pain of a thousand stings as the blood begins to flow. Finally he passes through the doorway to life. Standing there, blinking, looking around, Barabbas cannot believe no guards are holding him. Slowly he becomes aware of a great commotion. “They’re going to crucify Jesus of Nazareth with two thieves! Jesus of Nazareth is taking Barabbas’s place,” he hears a voice cry.

“Jesus? Who is Jesus?” A man looks contemptuously at Barabbas, saying, “You’re not worth it, but they’re going to hang Jesus on a tree in your place. All because of you, Barabbas.”

“No one would die for me!” Barabbas was sure of that.

“Oh, yes! The man called Jesus who healed the sick, opened blinded eyes and even raised the dead—He’s going to die for you, Barabbas, in your place.”

Barabbas stood afar off, but he saw it all done. He watched while Jesus was being crucified.

“Barabbas,” Jesus seemed to be saying, “Barabbas, it’s true, I’m dying for you. I know you’re a robber, a murderer. I know all about your sins, Barabbas; but I’m dying that you can be free. I’m dying so that you don’t have to die, Barabbas.” The power of the Cross.

Oh, the Bible doesn’t tell us much about Barabbas, but I like to use my imagination. I like to think that after he heard Jesus cry, “It is finished!” Barabbas fell down at the foot of that Cross, that some of the blood of Jesus spilled on him and for the first time in his life he felt clean all over. Because the blood of Jesus had made him a new creature, he was no longer a murderer, he was no longer a robber, for he would no longer murder, he would no longer steal. I like to think that he rushed to his house, pounded on the locked door. “Wife, wife!” he called. Inside wife and little children were cowering in fright because they had heard that Barabbas had escaped. They knew how mean he was, how he had made their lives a living hell. Trembling, they opened the door. “Wife, children,” he calls, “you have a new husband, a new daddy. Jesus died for me today, and I’m a changed man. I’m going to always be different. No more stealing, no more killing. I love everybody.” Tears rolling down her cheeks, his wife doesn’t know what to believe, but Barabbas’s eyes are shining like stars.

“He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions…”

Remember the night you found the Old Rugged Cross? You said, “Lord, Lord, another Barabbas has come home! Lord, will you forgive me? I’ve been such a sinner! I’m so unworthy to be calling upon thy name!” But then you felt His blood flowing over you, and you discovered you were free. Don’t you remember? You felt as though your feet had wings; you almost flew home to tell the household. Another Barabbas had found the Master.

Think about the power of the Cross. The blood that stained the Old Rugged Cross almost two thousand years ago will save every sinner on the face of the earth who wants to be saved. Everyone can come—just like in Moses’ day when all came to the type on the tree. Everyone who looketh to the Cross and will dare to believe can have life, life eternal.

Before Jesus went to that Cross, Isaiah, through the telescope of time, had prophesied, But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Salvation and physical healing, a twofold atonement. With His stripes we have deliverance. Thank God forever! Because of the Old Rugged Cross, because of a man called Jesus, we can reach God directly today for salvation, for healing. We don’t have to wait for the high priest to make atonement once a year. Jesus, our High Priest, has made atonement for all who come to the Old Rugged Cross at any time.

Jesus…the world has never seen anyone like Him. Even His disciples wondered, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him (Matthew 8:27)! “What man is this?” they wondered. He spoke to the angry waves and they obeyed. What man is this who can give a human being power to walk the waters like He was walking? Yes, through the power in the Cross He has given us power to walk the waters of life. With Him we are not afraid of the angry sea any longer. On our angry sea of life He is always closer to us than our breathing. He comes to our boat and gives us strength to sail or walk the waters. Whatever we need He supplies.

Through the power of the Cross, your God will move. He loves you; He cares for you. He’ll hold you close, breathe upon you and give you strength. Trust God completely. Didn’t He prove His love for you when He let His Son make atonement on the Cross? Look to the Cross without doubting, without fear, and then He can do for you what He longs to do. Look to Jesus and keep looking. Behold Him and the power of the Cross, and doubt and fear will leave. He will do for you that which you cannot do for yourself. As you look steadfastly to Him, nothing doubting, He will be able to let you know what the power of the Cross means in your life: deliverance for soul, mind and body. Reach out now and receive your deliverance made available to you through the power of the Cross.