I often think about the state of the world—COVID-19, recent plane crashes, famine in Africa, poverty, war, martyrdom, affliction, pain, depression, anxiety, drug addiction, robbery, child trafficking, and the rampant embrace of wickedness and immorality. These are things my wife and I frequently discuss. One evening, as we sat together, I let out a deep sigh.
“Why? Why is the world like this?” I asked her. “It seems like everything is unraveling—suffering, chaos, and rebellion against God. It’s everywhere.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “The Bible tells us this will happen,” she said. “In the last days, evil will increase. People’s hearts will grow cold.”
“I know,” I replied. “But sometimes, I wonder—why does God allow it? Why does He let so much pain and corruption spread unchecked?”
She thought for a moment, then reminded me of something I had posted on Facebook during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a quote from John Piper:
“God not only comprehends the coronavirus; he has purposes for it. God does nothing, and permits nothing, without wise purposes. Nothing just happens. Everything flows from the eternal counsels of God (Ephesians 1:11). All of it is wisdom. All of it is purposeful. For those who trust Jesus Christ, all of it is kindness. For others, it is a merciful wake-up call: ‘Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price’ (Revelation 22:17).”
That phrase—a merciful wake-up call—struck me deeply.
“Maybe that’s what this is,” I said. “A wake-up call. Maybe God, in His mercy, allows these things so people will turn to Him. It’s painful, but isn’t that how He often works? Through judgment, He extends mercy.”
All of it is wisdom. All of it is purposeful. For those who trust Jesus Christ, all of it is kindness. For others, it is a merciful wake-up call: ‘Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price (Revelation 22:17).
– John Piper
She nodded. “It reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness,” she said. “They had manna—God’s perfect provision—but they grew tired of it. They longed for Egypt, for captivity, as if it had been better. It’s human nature, isn’t it? To take God’s blessings for granted until hardship forces us to see clearly again.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “And in His wisdom, He doesn’t just let people drift. He calls them back—even if it takes suffering to wake them up.”
I thought of the bronze serpent Moses lifted in the wilderness. The people, suffering from their own rebellion, were given a way to be healed: look upon the serpent and live. It was a foreshadowing of Christ on the cross—brass, a symbol of judgment, yet also of mercy. Those who looked upon it were saved.
“That’s the pattern, isn’t it?” I said. “Judgment, but with mercy woven through it. A call to repentance. A way back.”
Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, the Son of Man was lifted up on Calvary’s tree. This profound parallel echoes through time – where death once slithered through the camp of Israel, life now flows from the cross of Christ. When the Israelites were dying from venomous snakebites, God commanded Moses to craft a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole. Anyone who looked upon it in faith would live (Numbers 21:8-9).
The bronze serpent in the wilderness, the Son of Man was lifted up on Calvary’s tree
This ancient story foreshadowed an even greater salvation. Jesus Christ, the sinless One, was lifted up like that serpent of brass, becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The very instrument of death – the cross – was transformed into the source of eternal life. In the midst of life’s fiery trials, when the venom of sin threatens to overwhelm us, Jesus calls us to look up to Him. Just as the bronze serpent brought physical healing to the Israelites, Christ’s sacrifice brings spiritual healing to all who believe. The cross stands as both a historical reality and an eternal invitation – a divine exchange where our curse finds its cure, our death meets His life, our sin meets His righteousness. This is the heart of God’s mercy in the midst of judgment. While the world writhes under the weight of sin’s consequences, God provides a place of refuge. In Christ, we find not just temporary relief but eternal sanctuary. When our physical breath fails, our spirit finds its eternal home in Him who breathed His last that we might live forever.
The invitation stands today, as urgent and vital as ever. In this age of uncertainty and judgment, God extends His hand of mercy through Christ. The cross – once a symbol of shame and death – now stands as the beacon of hope and life. Every wound inflicted by sin’s serpentine strike finds its antidote in the wounded Savior.
Jesus calls to each heart today, not merely offering escape from judgment but entrance into relationship. He who was lifted up draws all people to Himself (John 12:32), transforming our gaze of desperate faith into a lifelong journey of loving trust. In Him, we find not just healing from sin’s poison but the very righteousness of God himself.
The choice stands before each of us – to remain in the camp of death or to look up to the One who conquered death. Will you turn your eyes upon Jesus today? Will you exchange your sin for His righteousness, your death for His life, your temporal existence for His eternal purpose? For in this divine exchange, we find more than we could ask or imagine. We find not just salvation from sin but adoption into God’s family. We discover not just healing from death’s venom but the very life of God flowing through our veins. This is the miracle of the cross – where the curse becomes the cure, where death gives birth to life, where judgment meets mercy, and where sinners become saints.
“Jesus Christ was hanged on a tree as a snake being hanged on a pole to deliver us from the bondage of sin“
Look up, dear soul, to Christ lifted high. In Him, you’ll find not just escape from death but entrance into life abundant and eternal.