How God Loves us

A Sacrifice

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly
stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and before he gave his sermon for the
evening, briefly introduced a guestb minister who was in the service that
evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the
guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted
him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt
would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up
to the pulpit and began to speak. "A father, his son, and a friend of his
son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching
storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that
even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat
upright, and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers
who were, for the first time since the service started, began looking
somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his
story, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating
decision of his life ... to which boy he would throw the other end of the
life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that
his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not.

The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As
the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw out the life line to his
son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the
capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the
black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew,
anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's
mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity
with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping
into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the
son's friend.

How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us. Our
heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son that we could be saved. I
urge you to accept His offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line
He is throwing out to you in this service." With that, the old man turned
and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again
walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation
at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal.

Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old
man's side. "That was a nice story," politely started one of the boys,"but I
don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's
life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you've
got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A
big smile broadened his narrow face, and he once again looked up at the boys
and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm standing here today
to tell you that THAT story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been
like for God to give up His Son for me.

You see ...I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."