Jesus said he was like the bronze serpent, which was destroyed because it was worshipped. What does this mean for those who worship him?
Upvote:2
You did a great job of answering your own question until you got to the final paragraph. you have taken a small verse out of John' passage and in doing so have missed the meaning not only of that verse, but also the complete passage:
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
This statement gets its meaning from these other verses:
John 3:15 through 18 NKJV That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John is alluding to the fact that those who were snake bitten, and then looked at the snake Moses made gained victory over death. John is then saying that Just as trusting in looking to the snake and believing that they would not suffer death gave them a new life, so looking to Christ and believing he will give you eternal life, will remove the pain of the first death.
Upvote:5
The analogy between type (the serpent) and anti-type (Jesus Christ) is only similar, not identical.
To answer your question, King Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent because it became an idol, a false god, which the Israelites worshipped, and idolatry is forbidden according to the Law of Moses (Exo. 20:3).
On the other hand, according to orthodox Christianity, Jesus is the true God, and the worship he receives is properly due to him.
Now, if indeed the relationship between type and anti-type were identical (if that were even possible), then Jesus Christ would have been destroyed for being worshipped. Yet, Jesus Christ lives forever (Rev. 1:18).
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