Albert Barnes Commentary John 3:14

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up;" — John 3:14 (ASV)

And as Moses. Jesus proceeds in this and the following verses to state the reason why he came into the world. To do this, he illustrates his design, and the efficacy of his coming, by referring to the case of the brazen serpent, recorded in Numbers 21:8-9.

The people were bitten by flying fiery serpents. There was no cure for the bite. Moses was directed to make an image of the serpent and place it in sight of the people, so that they might look at it and be healed. There is no evidence that this was intended to be a type of the Messiah, but it is used by Jesus as strikingly illustrating his work.

Men are sinners. There is no cure by human means for the maladies of the soul. Just as the people who were bitten might look at the image of the serpent and be healed, so sinners may look to the Saviour and be cured of the moral maladies of our nature.

Lifted up. Erected on a pole. Placed on high, so that it might be seen by the people.

The serpent. The image of a serpent made of brass.

In the wilderness. Near the land of Edom; in the desert and desolate country to the south of Mount Hor, Numbers 21:4.

Even so. In a similar manner and with a similar design. He here refers, doubtless, to his own death (Compare to John 12:32 and John 8:28). The points of resemblance between his being lifted up and that of the brazen serpent seem to be these:

1. In each case, those who are to be benefited can be aided in no other way. The bite of the serpent was deadly and could be healed only by looking on the brazen serpent; and sin is deadly in its nature and can be removed only by looking on the cross.
2. The mode of their being lifted up. The brazen serpent was in the sight of the people. So, Jesus was exalted from the earth—raised on a tree or cross.
3. The design was similar. The one was to save the life, the other the soul; the one to save from temporal, the other from eternal death.
4. The manner of the cure was similar. The people of Israel were to look on the serpent and be healed, and so sinners are to look on the Lord Jesus that they may be saved.

Must. It is proper; necessary; indispensable, if men are to be saved (Compare to Luke 24:26 and 22:42).

The Son of man. The Messiah.