In his Lent 4 sermon Glynn Cardy snakes his way theologically through the image of lifting up serpents in the readings from Numbers and John. "Snakes, particularly for those of us unfamiliar with them, epitomize fear. Whether you enjoy their beauty and movement, or like many ancient cultures see in the snake a symbol of regeneration, there is also the knowledge that a snake is dangerous and potentially deadly. To be bitten by a snake is to experience pain and maybe death. The question then arises about why one of the early Christian writers was likening the crucifixion of Jesus to the raising of a serpent on a pole. Was the author of the Fourth Gospel saying that Jesus’ death was like a snake? And if so how?" Full text at http://www.stmatthews.org.nz/nav.php?sid=498&id=930.