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Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - John 3:14

The history of the lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness we have, Numbers 21:8,Numbers 21:9. The people being stung with fiery serpents, as a righteous judgment of God for their sins, as a merciful remedy God commanded Moses, Numbers 21:8, Make thee a fiery serpent, ( that is, the image or representation of one of those fiery serpents), and put it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. This brazen serpent in the... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - John 3:15

Here our Lord openeth the instrumental cause of justification and salvation, that is, believing εις αυτον, in him. It is one thing to believe in him as a teacher, another thing to believe in him as a Saviour. The object of the first is a proposition; we believe a person when we assent and give credit to what he saith, because he saith it. The object of the latter is the person and merits of the Mediator. As the looking up to the brazen serpent healed the person, not by any physical operation,... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - John 3:1-15

EXPLANATORY AND CRITICAL NOTESJohn 3:1. In John 2:23-24, we read of many who believed in Jesus because of the miracles He wrought. But their belief was so imperfect that Jesus had “no faith” in it. Here, however, we have a man of a different stamp. He was, it is true, influenced to some extent by Jesus’ miracles, but he came to the Lord as a genuine inquirer and seeker after truth. Nicodemus.—A Greek name, but known among the Jews. “The Talmud mentions again and again a person of this name... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - John 3:14-15

John 3:14-15 Consider some of the lessons of Gospel truth which seem to be foreshadowed in the story of the brazen serpent. I. There was contained in it a significant intimation that Christ would die. I say significant, because to these Israelites it could hardly be a direct and positive intimation. They must connect it with other types and prophecies, intimating that it would be by His own death that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and then the death of Him who was to... read more

Charles Simeon

Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae - John 3:14-15

DISCOURSE: 1609THE BRAZEN SERPENT A TYPE OF CHRISTJohn 3:14-15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.A MORE instructive portion of Scripture than this before us we cannot easily find. The conversation of our Lord with Nicodemus was intended to lead him to the knowledge of salvation: and, being directed to a person of his rank, and high attainments in morality, it will... read more

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible - John 3:14-15

The Mysteries of the Brazen Serpent September 27, 1857 by C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14 . We are told by wise men that all languages are based upon figures, that the speech of men who are uncivilized is mainly composed of figures; and that indeed the language of the most civilized, when cleaved so as to bring it to... read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - John 3:1-36

Have we got a message for you tonight from the Word of God! John chapter 3 and 4, oh my, how rich! How blessed!There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews ( John 3:1 ).We know a few things about him; we know that he must have been very wealthy, for he came with Joseph of Arimathea to embalm the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. And he brought these costly spices, about a hundred pounds, that only a very wealthy person could afford. A ruler of the Jews means that he... read more

Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - John 3:1-36

John 3:1 . Nicodemus, a ruler of the jews. This rabbi is named by John as defending our Saviour in the council, and as attending the crucifixion. A gospel of the passion and the resurrection of Christ was published under his name; and though generally reputed spurious, yet it is mentioned by Bede, and by other good authors. He is understood to have left Judea when Stephen was martyred. John 3:3 . Except a man be born again. The jews thought, that to be of Abraham’s seed and to keep the... read more

Joseph Exell

The Biblical Illustrator - John 3:14-15

John 3:14-15As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernessThe brazen serpentNicodemus’s confession of faith was substantially that of many amongst us, only he went a bit further.Because he was honest he deserved, and because he was half blind he needed, Christ’s instruction for the expanding of his creed. Complete Christianity, according to Christ, involves (1) A radical change comparable to birth. When Nicodemus staggers at this, our Lord (2) unveils what makes it possible--the Incarnation... read more

John Trapp

John Trapp Complete Commentary - John 3:14

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: Ver. 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent ] There it was, Vide et vive; See and live, here, Crede et vive. Believe and live, And as there, he that beheld the serpent, though but with a weak squint eye, yea, but with half an eye, was cured. So here, if we look upon Christ with the eye, though but of a weak faith, we shall be saved. Doctor Cruciger, when he lay a dying, cried out, Credo... read more

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