translate " wliicli is," do not, both here and in chap. i. 18, poini to that peculiar name of Jehovah, which was doubtless familiar to jSTicodemus, " The ever existing One ; the Uving One " It is the same phrase which forms part of Christ's name in Revela- tion, 'Him which is." (Rev. i. 4.)
Much cf the difficulty of the verse is removed by remember- ing that the past tense, "hath ascended," admits of being ren- dered with equal grammatical correctness, " does ascend, can ascend, or will ascend." Pearce takes this view, and quotes in support of it John i. 26 ; iii. 18 ; v. 24 ; vi. 69 ; xi. 27 ; xx. 29.
Whitby thinks that throughout this verse our Lord has in view a Rabbinical tradition, that Moses had been into heaven to receive the law, — and that He declares the falsehood of this tradition by saying, "no man, not even Moses, has ascended into heaven."
J 4. — [As Moses lifted.. .serpent. .so must, &c., c&c] In this verse our Lord proceeds to show Nicodemus another " heavenly thing," viz., the necessity of His own crucifixion. Nicodemus probably thought, like most Jews, that when Messiah appeared. He would come with power and glory, to be exalted and honoured by men. Jesus tells him that so far from this being the case, Messiah must be " cut off" at His first advent, and put to an open shame by being hanged on a tree. He illustrates this by a well-known event in the history of Israel's wanderings, the story of the brazen serpent. (Numb. xxi. 9.) "Are you expecting me to take to myself power and to restore the kingdom of Israel ? Cast away such a vain expectation. I have come to do very different work. I have come to suffer, and to offer up myself as a sacri- fice for sin."
The mention of Moses, of whom the Pharisees thought so much, was eminently Ci.lculated to arrest the attention of Nico- demus. " Even Moses, in whom ye trust, has supplied a most vivid type of my great work on earth — the crucifixion."
[The Son of Man must he lifledup.] The expression " Son of Man " was doubtless intended to remind Nicodemus of Daniel's prophecy of the Me siah. — The Greek word rendered " must," signifies "it behoveth that," "it is necessary that." It is neces- sary in order that God's promises of a Redeemer may be ful- filled,— the types of the Old Testament sacrifices be accomplish- ed,— the law of God be satisfied, — and a way for God's mo-cy be provided. In order to all this Messiah must suffer in our st'iad. The phrase " lifted up," appears to me most decidedly to mean " lilted up on the cross." For one thing we find it so ex- plained in this Gospel. (John xii. 32, 33.) Por another the il- lus/ration of the brazen serpent makes it absolutely necessary
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to explain it so. To apply the phrase, as Calvin and others do, to the " necessity of lifting up and exalting Christ's atonement in Christian teaching," seems to me a mistake. It is needlessly dragging in an idea which the words were not intended to co!i- vey. It is truth no doubt, and truth abundantly taught in Scrip- tare, but not the truth of this text.
The main points of resemblance in the comparison, — '' Aa Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," — form a subject which requires careful handling. The lifting up of the serpent of brass for the relief of Israel when bitten by serpents, is evi- dently selected by our Lord as an apt illustration of His own crucifixion for sinners. But how far may we press th's illus- tration ? Where are we to stop ? What are the exact points at which the type and antitype meet ? These questions require consideration.
Some see a meaning in the " brass" of which the serpent was made, as a shining metal, a strong metal, &c., &c. I cannot see it. Our Lord does not even mention the brass.
Some see in the " serpent" hanging on the pole, a type of the devil, the old serpent, bruised by Christ's death on the cross, and openly triumphed over on it. (Coloss. ii. 15.) I cannot see tliis at all. It appears to me to confound and mingle up two Scrip- tural truths, which ought to be kept distinct. Moreover, there is something revolting in the idea, that in order to be healed, the Israehte had to look at a figure of the devil.
Some see in *' Moses" lifting up the serpent, a type of the law of God requiring payment of its demands, and becoming the cause of Christ dying on the cross. On this I will content myself with saying that I am not satisfied that this idea was in Christ's mind.
The points of resemblance appear to me to be these. —
(a.) As the Israelites were in sore distress, and dying from the bites of poisonous serpents, so is man in great spiritual danger, and dying from the poisonous effects of sin.
(&.) As the serpent of brass was lifted up on a pole in the sight of the camp of Israel, so Christ was to be lifted ap on the cross pubhcly, and in the sight of the whole nation, at the Passover.
(c.) As the serpent, lifted up on the pole, was an imacre of the very thing which had poisoned the Israelites, even so Christ hai in Himself no sin, and yet was made and crucified " in the likeness of sinful flesh," and counted sin. (Rom. viii. 3.) The brazen serpent was a serpent wiihout poison, and Christ was a man without sin. The thing which we should specially see in
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