Lifted in My Place
Christ bore the likeness of our fallen form to lift us into His righteousness.
Devotional Credit: eManna
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional by Witness Lee explores a rarely taught yet biblically faithful truth—Jesus took on not only the form of humanity but the likeness of a serpent, according to God’s view of fallen flesh. Just as Moses lifted up the brass serpent in the wilderness to bring healing to the Israelites, Jesus was lifted up on the cross, bearing the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without sin. He was not sinful Himself, but He wore the form of one who was—so that we might be delivered from the curse that rightfully belonged to us.
The brass serpent in Numbers 21 had no poison in it, yet it carried the shape of the very thing that brought death to Israel. Similarly, Christ bore the image of the very thing that corrupted mankind—the flesh of sin. Romans 8:3 tells us plainly that God sent His own Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh" and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. This likeness was not merely symbolic—it was God's deliberate substitutionary act for the sake of redemption. He took what looked like our poisoned form so that we could receive His untainted life.
By likening fallen humanity to a generation of vipers (Matt. 3:7; 23:33), both John the Baptist and Jesus affirmed what Scripture reveals about the corrupt nature of the unredeemed person—we were not morally neutral but spiritually venomous. Yet Jesus, born of a virgin and free from that inherited poison, stepped into our likeness and bore the curse. There was no sin in Him, but He fully bore its likeness and penalty for our sake.
This is not merely theological reflection; it is deeply personal. He took your place and mine—not as an innocent bystander, but clothed in the form of what we were, that we might be clothed in what He is. What an astonishing exchange: He became like us in our fallen form, so we could become like Him in righteousness and life.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
Beloved, you were once one who bore the venom of sin. You walked according to the prince of the power of the air, by nature a child of wrath. Yet I saw you, and I loved you, not because you were clean, but because I longed to make you new.
Jesus, My Son, took your likeness—your corrupted form—not to shame you, but to free you. He did not just walk among you; He was lifted up as you. He wore the image of the serpent, though no poison flowed in Him. On that cross, He bore your likeness so you could bear Mine. He took the curse that hovered over your head and absorbed it in Himself, nailing it there forever.
You are no longer what you once were. You are not a viper, a deceiver, or a child of wrath. You are Mine. My Spirit now dwells within you, testifying that you are a child of God. The venom has been replaced with living water. The lie has been replaced with truth. You are clothed in Christ.
Walk not in shame for what you were, but in awe of what I have made you. The old serpent’s image no longer defines you. My Son became like you so that you might become like Him. You are now conformed to the image of My Son, and in Him, you are free, righteous, and beloved.
Scripture references: John 3:14; Romans 8:3; Numbers 21:9; Matthew 3:7; Matthew 23:33; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6-11; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:13-14; Romans 8:29; Galatians 3:13; Titus 3:4-7; 1 John 3:1-3
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like peeling an orange that looks bruised and spoiled on the outside, only to find inside something perfectly sweet and untainted. The blemished rind didn’t affect the fruit within. That’s what Christ did—He took on the bruised and venomous skin of fallen man, but there was no spoil in Him. In the eyes of the world, He looked like any other man—beaten, judged, cursed. But inside, He remained holy, harmless, and undefiled.
As you step into your day, maybe you’re surrounded by people who still carry the poison of striving, anger, or deceit. Yield to God and trust Him to live through you in that moment. Let your words carry My mercy. Let your demeanor reflect the calm purity that comes not from effort, but from abiding. God does not ask you to imitate—He offers to live His life in you, in real time, in real relationships.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You. What I could never have imagined, You have already done. You took what I was and placed it on Your Son—not just symbolically, but in the very likeness of who I was apart from You. And now, in Him, I am entirely new. The venom is gone. The shame has no claim. I walk today in the freedom of One who is united with Christ and sealed by Your Spirit. I don’t need to prove my worth—I already bear Christ’s. I trust You to live through me today, even in the hardest moments. Your righteousness is now my rest.