“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)
Today is the Feast of the Holy Cross. In the gospel reading, Jesus proclaimed that just as the bronze serpent Moses lifted up in the desert healed those who had the snake’s poison in them, so will the Son of Man be lifted up on the cross and heal those who have the poison of sin in them if they believe. “Believe” doesn’t mean mentally grasp the message; it means trust it and live according to it.
The cross is the symbol of the salvation of all men. Jesus, the Deliverer, did not use violence to gain victory over His people’s enemies. He trampled down death, the real enemy, by His death on the cross. The way to the fullness of life He won for us there is by also being crucified with Him. That means forgiving our offenders and giving ourselves for their sake like He did. Translating that into our daily lives is what believing in the crucified Christ is about.
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