His Son for Me

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor once again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave a very brief introduction of his childhood friend. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit 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."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. He continued,

"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 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 the line to his son's friend. By the time he pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting for the next words to come out of the old man'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. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. 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 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 the son's friend."

• "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent" (John 6:29).
  
  
• "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life" (John 3:16).
  
  
• "He that spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
  
  
• "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
  
  
• "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the Promises offered up his only begotten son... Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" (Hebrews 11:17, James 2:21-22).
  
  
• "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our LORD Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father" (1Thessalonians 1:3).
  
  
• "And this is His Commandment, that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us Commandment" (1John 3:23).
  
  
• "And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:26).
  
  
• "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1John 4:9-10).
  
  
• "And from Jesus Christ, Who is the Faithful Witness, and the First Begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the Earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His Own Blood" (Revelation 1:5).
  
  
• "Our LORD Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us Everlasting Consolation and Good Hope through Grace" (2Thessalonians 2:16).

"We have confidence in the LORD touching you,
that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
And the LORD direct your hearts into the love of God,
and into the patient waiting for Christ"
(2Thessalonians 3:4-5).

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