Day 32 "Sacrificial Love"

I found this story on the internet a few years ago. Be forewarned, the story is pretty graphic. But the impact of the sacrifice has stayed with me ever since.

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There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it. A switch man sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switch man was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the bridge, turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually.

He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength. Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold, "Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. He took a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the on rushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

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If you read the accounts of Jesus' death in the first four books of the New Testament, then you will discover for yourself what Jesus endured upon the cross for you and I. I wonder what the Heavenly Father experienced watching his one and only Son be broken and crucified as the sacrificial lamb to pay the penalty for our sins. Can you imagine the love that God must have had for us to make this provision on our behalf to reestablish a relationship with us-and at what cost? It cost his one and only Son,Jesus, everything!

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10

I don't think any of us know exactly how we would respond if we were placed in the same predicament as the switch man and have such a dilemma thrust upon us. A split moment is all the time that was allotted to make such an important decision. But the Bible says that God already knew before the creation of the world that he would provide for our reconciliation with him.

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in

accordance with his pleasure and will, to the praise of this glorious grace which he

has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he

lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:4-8

There are much greater things going on other than what fills our daily lives and meets our eyes. Our horizon has been limited by what we can feel and what we can touch. But with Jesus rising again after his death, our perception of reality has been called into question, and we are challenged to look beyond what we can see with our eyes to discover by faith a spiritual reality that co-exists with our own known world. And that reality, too, is governed by love. If we could only see how love is at the center of every positive aspect of life and how it leads to our wholeness. Then would we be able to cast aside our selfishness and self-centered experience a greater satisfaction in life- investing our lives for the betterment of others. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing when he went to the cross. In a state of joy Jesus laid down his life willingly- knowing that what he was doing would impact our lives forever.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set

before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of

the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Jesus walked the road to Calvary while God, the Father, watched in love. It is difficult to think of love in such a manner, but it is exactly the essence of what love truly is.

"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find

it." Matthew 10:39

Somewhere, at some point in time, Jesus and our Heavenly Father made a provision for restoring man from his fallen state. And in doing so, made man a co-heir with Christ. Though you may not see yourself as having much in this world, please know that in Christ you are spiritually rich! You are God's legitimate child!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who has blessed us in the

heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Ephesians 1:3

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through

the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:13

"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." Galatians 4:4-5

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1

You have a choice as you travel through this life of ours. You can limit yourself to just what you see and hold or you can step out by faith and embrace and live in the knowledge that in Christ, you are a child of God, along with all the rights belonging to an heir.

Which will you choose?

Be blessed....see you tomorrow...