Why Jesus said, “be wise as serpent…” why serpent? Why not owl, for example?

Question

Someone who cares: you have a good argument there... but why when Jesus was tempted when He was fasting, satan appeared to Him as a serpent?? So serpent here means evil, right?

Answer 1

"and the serpent was the craftiest of all animals in the garden"

Answer 2

Serpents were considered in the Near East to be cunning( the Tempeter comes to Paradise as a serpent)

Answer 3

Because a serpent was wise enough to trick Adam and Eve out of God's paradise in the garden.

Answer 4

A serpent is the most cunning animal of all. Christ wants his disciples to recognize the tricks of the enemies of holiness.

Answer 5

Because the serpent is a type of Christ so in effect he was saying be as wise as me....

Numbers 21
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

John 3
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Just as Moses lifted up the brass serpent on a pole and all the people who were bitten by a poisonous serpent had to do to live was have enough faith to look up. It is the same way, Christ was lifted up on a cross and men must have faith and look to him to be saved.

Interesting about Quetzlcoatl (which means "feathered serpent")
Similarities of Christ and Quetzalcoatl include the following:

1. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl were recognized as creator of all things.

2. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl were born of virgins.

3. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl are described as being white or as wearing a white robe.

4. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl performed miracles.

5. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl taught the ordinance of baptism.

6. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl prophesied of future events.

7. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl were universal as opposed to just being recognized as local gods.

8. A great destruction was associated with both Christ and Quetzalcoatl at exactly the same time period in history.

9. The cross was a symbol to both Christ and Quetzalcoatl.

10. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl sent out disciples to preach their word.

11. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl promised they would come a second time.

12. A new star is associated with both Christ and Quetzalcoatl.

13. The children of both Christ and Quetzalcoatl will become lords and heirs of the earth.

Interesting symbol, feathered serpent, as he who descended below all things (serpent/death/sin) and as he who ascended above all things (bird/resurrection/eternal life).

The bible also has a fiery "flying serpent".....
Isaiah 14
29 ¶ Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

Answer 6

The serpent in the backyard of Eden replaced into enabled by using our lord god to certainly try Adam and Eve to make certain in the event that they'd be obedient to His be conscious. They weren't and so Adam, Eve and the serpent all have been condemned for their factors in this. The serpent, the previous dragon, the devil and devil all now signify the sin it is in mankind. This personification of sin would properly be in comparison to the financial ruin which speaks if awareness as a woman. it incredibly is our slavery to sin it is the difficulty for this reason we want the grace of our lord god and the mediation of His son the Lord Jesus Christ. it is why we are advised to be born back in the time of the symbolic washing away of those sins, going on into the water, trusting in God to help and improve us to stand as much as the evil that each physique too actually tempts us. Jesus advised the Pharisees whilst the complained that his disciples did no longer carry out the hand washing previously nutrients that it replaced into from interior of that each physique evil comes no longer from with out. it incredibly is common sufficient to assert that some devil enticed us yet all of us understand that whilst we predict of of something we would desire to consistently no longer be doing, then do it, it incredibly is not some outdoors supernatural being inflicting us to do it, it incredibly is our very own weak point to stand as much as those concepts of sin that finally ends up in the incorrect action. needless to say on the topic of Moses and the flood we would desire to take issues in the the terrific option order. human beings became so sinful and did regardless of evil got here into their heads with out questioning touching directly to the only authentic God. subsequently our lord god did certainly convey the flood to cleanse the earth of those human beings. however the reason replaced into sin.

Answer 7

I do not recognize this reference. Could you, please, state the source and translation?

Many ancient cultures and religions saw the snake as the good thing it was (patient, focused, hunting vermin, etc.). Some even worshiped snakes as the creator of the world!

The followers of the God of Abraham were one of the few religions who saw it as less then a benign or even beneficial animal. This could be sign that by the time of Jesus they were finally starting to recognize this.

Answer 8

because Christ was aware of the latent potential of Kundalini that exists within all of us, and was speaking as a mystic.

Mystics give unobvious clues to potentials, giving each the opportunity to seek and understand from their own present level.

That He said it, you all might want to look into it, beyond the limited translation people usually stop with....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini

just a thought, that may enhance your spiritual perspectives...

Answer 9

I am sorry..lol..But this made me crack up....Maybe because he did not want to reference two birds in one sentence...

Wise as serpents, gentle as doves..

I actually had an angry dove try and peck me once.. though I think I was too close to a nest..

Answer 10

666