I watched a daytime television program several years ago. The host had two very special people as guests. The first man was a person who had been bitten by a deadly snake over 30 years ago. He was rushed to the hospital where he lapsed into a coma and was dying. There was nothing anyone could do. It was too late for any treatment. He was dying. Period!
The other guest on the show was a herpetologist who had worked around snakes for many years. He had been bitten many, many times during his lifetime. His body had built up resistance to the venom of many different snakes during that time. One day he received an emergency telephone call asking if he would agree to be flown to a hospital many miles away and provide a direct transfusion of his blood into the body of a man lying in a coma. He agreed and was immediately whisked into an airplane for the journey. Several states away a mans life hung in the balance.
Upon arrival at the airport, he was rushed to the hospital and the blood transfusions were commenced. When the procedure was finished, the blood donor was taken back to the airplane and flown home. The recipient of the transfused blood remained in a coma and never met the man who furnished the special and unique blood that would overcome the effects of the deadly venom.
And now, here they were - 32 years later! Face to face they stood looking at each other. The one who had no power to save himself, he was doomed to die; and the one who possessed the unique and special blood that could defeat death, who willingly gave his blood to a stranger so that life could triumph over death.
The emotional content of their meeting was powerful. Tears flowed freely as the one whose life had been restored spoke of his wife, his family, and the life that he had lived for the past 32 years, all a gift from the man standing before him.
What a picture of Jesus and His free gift of eternal life. Only He had the unique and special blood that could save us from our impending death. Only He freely and willingly came to us while we lay without strength, unconscious to our imminent destruction. While we lay there unable to free ourselves from the grip of the deadly venom of sin that had poisoned our bodies, He provided us with His blood as a life giving transfusion.
Let me ask you about your response when you get to personally meet the one whose blood saved you. I think back to that special moment after the man told his story of being bitten by the snake, and then the television host introduced the man whose blood saved his life. Words really cannot describe their feelings at that moment. It was an exquisite and personal moment that only they shared. And, I thought about Jesus. Can words really explain our death struggle, or the extent of the suffering Jesus endured to provide our cure, or new life flowing through us? I think not.
But, perhaps our worship is appropriate.
The other guest on the show was a herpetologist who had worked around snakes for many years. He had been bitten many, many times during his lifetime. His body had built up resistance to the venom of many different snakes during that time. One day he received an emergency telephone call asking if he would agree to be flown to a hospital many miles away and provide a direct transfusion of his blood into the body of a man lying in a coma. He agreed and was immediately whisked into an airplane for the journey. Several states away a mans life hung in the balance.
Upon arrival at the airport, he was rushed to the hospital and the blood transfusions were commenced. When the procedure was finished, the blood donor was taken back to the airplane and flown home. The recipient of the transfused blood remained in a coma and never met the man who furnished the special and unique blood that would overcome the effects of the deadly venom.
And now, here they were - 32 years later! Face to face they stood looking at each other. The one who had no power to save himself, he was doomed to die; and the one who possessed the unique and special blood that could defeat death, who willingly gave his blood to a stranger so that life could triumph over death.
The emotional content of their meeting was powerful. Tears flowed freely as the one whose life had been restored spoke of his wife, his family, and the life that he had lived for the past 32 years, all a gift from the man standing before him.
What a picture of Jesus and His free gift of eternal life. Only He had the unique and special blood that could save us from our impending death. Only He freely and willingly came to us while we lay without strength, unconscious to our imminent destruction. While we lay there unable to free ourselves from the grip of the deadly venom of sin that had poisoned our bodies, He provided us with His blood as a life giving transfusion.
Let me ask you about your response when you get to personally meet the one whose blood saved you. I think back to that special moment after the man told his story of being bitten by the snake, and then the television host introduced the man whose blood saved his life. Words really cannot describe their feelings at that moment. It was an exquisite and personal moment that only they shared. And, I thought about Jesus. Can words really explain our death struggle, or the extent of the suffering Jesus endured to provide our cure, or new life flowing through us? I think not.
But, perhaps our worship is appropriate.
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