The Bronze Serpent (Numbers 21:4-9) and John 3

Does John continue to draw on the OT "signs and faith" theme in John 3? I think so. So does Dr. John Sailhamer. Read through his comments below for help in better understanding the this connection.

“Here again the narratives of the Pentateuch appear to follow a larger pattern by which events at the beginning of Israel’s sojourn are repeated at the close. Earlier, in the book of Exodus, when Moses went before Israel to announce that God was about to deliver them out of Egypt, Moses was given a sign to test and strengthen the people’s faith. The sign was the snake that came from his staff (Ex 4:3, 30). In the present narrative, now at the end of their sojourn in the wilderness, Israel again complained against God and Moses for bringing them out of Egypt. As at the beginning in Exodus 4, God gave Israel a similar sign, a snake on a staff. The purpose of such parallels is to underscore the basic themes of the book. In both narratives, the writer emphasizes the necessity of the people’s response of faith in the sign. They must look to the sign in faith before they can be delivered (Ex 4:30-31; Nu 21:8). The NT writers appear to have been sensitive to these same themes. For example, in the Gospel of John, Jesus aptly applied the lesson of faith found in these narratives to the salvation brought about by his own death on the cross (John 3:14-16).”

-- John Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative, (Zondervan, 1992), p. 402.

Download a .pdf of this quote here.