The divine paradox of giving eternal life to humans through the death of God's only son Jesus Christ is explained by Jesus himself to Nicodemus in the following words 'Just as the bronze serpent had to be mounted on a pole by Moses in the desert, so that the Israelites, bitten by serpents in the wilderness, could look at it and be saved from death, the son of man must be lifted up on the cross , so that those who believe in Him may have eternal life' ( Jn.3: 14-15). So, just as the serpent, a sign of death was transformed into a sign of life by God, a crucified human being becomes a symbol of salvation of all human beings . Jesus' death on the cross had all the elements of a perfect sacrifice and was the purest form of martyrdom --- an embodiment of God's love and saving mercy. Jesus became the symbol of deliverance from spiritual slavery. Human suffering acquires a new meaning and redemptive value, only when accepted in love, patience and obedience in the spirit of Jesus and in union with Him.
