pearliegates

Further to my thoughts yesterday on the necessary death of Christ on cross, this analogy should provide us a clearer understanding.

Say you are walking along a river. You saw a person struggling in the water. You get prepared to jump in to save him. You know you can swim, you know you can save the person and you kow you can get back to dryland without any difficulties. All you need to do is to save the drowning person. And once you are in, you grab the poor fella. He stops struggling and allows you to bring him towards the river bank.

Now, does he question the fact that you know how to swim? Does he question the fact that you will get back up on the dry bank with or without him? I think not. On the contrary, he is only glad you know that you can, glad that you came along, jumped in and saved him.

In the same way, we are dying in our sins. We need to be redeemed. Only Christ can be that offering of sacrifice for our sins because he is the only one not "drowning in the river" as we all are. He "jumped" in, became man and died for us; both knowing full well that he will be raised from the dead and that with his resurrection, we too will be raised with him to eternal life. (Eph 2:6)

Should it then matter to us that he knows he will die and will be raised again? Should we discount his act of love on that basis? By no means! On the contrary, just like the man who is confident that he is able to save the drowning soul, it is the very fact that he can which makes the difference, hence someone is saved from drowning.

In the same way, the very fact that Jesus knows that he will die and then will be raised, is the very thing to ensure our redemption and eternal life.

Maeghan
Picture by Tom Denham