Officer Peter O’Hanlon was patrolling on night duty in northern England some years ago when he heard a quivering sob. Investigating, he saw in the shadows a little boy sitting on a doorstep. With tears rolling down his cheeks the child whimpered, “I’m lost, take me home.” The policeman began naming street after street trying to help him remember where he lived. When that failed, he repeated the names of the shops and hotels in the area but all without success. Then he remembered in the center of the city was a well-known church with a large white cross towering high above the surrounding landscape. He pointed to it and said, “Do you live anywhere near that?” The boys face immediately brightened. “Yes, take me to the cross. I can find my way home from there!”
Over the last weeks, we have spent time working through what we have called, The Story. The Story is God writing down His plan to save or rescue us from our sin, the powers of Satan, and death. Essentially, the charge in The Story is the same given by the boy, “Take me to the cross”. It is the cross where we see Jesus becoming the answer to our problem with sin and Satan.
Sin
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—” (Romans 6:6)
Satan
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
Jesus is also our answer to the enemy of death. The death of Jesus on Good Friday is followed by the wonder of Easter on that glorious Sunday morning.
Death
“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” (Luke 24:6–7)
When Jesus rises from the dead, He shows He is who He said was the Savior of the world who paid for sin and defeated the enemies of Satan and death. The little boy told the officer, “Take me to the cross. I can find my way home from there”. In the same way, when we go to the cross and receive Jesus as our Savior, we find our way home!
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Happy Easter
Pastor Mark
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