Preached by Rev. Erik Kindem.
Scripture: Numbers 21:4-9; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21
Summary
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? If you’re like me, much of the time, the person you see when you gaze in the mirror is a very ambiguous character. I wonder if this snake business in the story from Numbers isn’t so much about God taking vengeance on the complainers as it is about God holding up a mirror to them?
“The truth of the matter is,” says Paul, “when you looked into the mirror what stared back at you was death and condemnation.” But the story doesn't end here… Because God "so loved the world," the mirror on the wall no longer accuses us, no longer condemns us, no longer seeks to slay us. Instead, it has become our ally. The truth that used to bind us, has become, through God’s mercy in Jesus, the truth that sets us free.