Waiting to board a plane, on which he had a reservation, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., overheard the plea of a private at the ticket window: “I’m going overseas in three days. I want to see my Ma before I go. I can go home and back only if I travel by plane!” It was explained to the private that every seat on the plane was taken.

Just then, Brigadier General Roosevelt stepped forward and said, “I’ll surrender my seat to him!”

“But,” protested a fellow officer to the general, “this is a matter of rank!”

“That’s right,” quickly replied General Roosevelt. “He’s a son; I’m only a general!” *

In our sins, we are separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and headed for destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  Because of our sins, we deserve the wages of sin: death (Romans 6:23).

In the First Century Roman Empire, death by crucifixion was a means of execution for the vilest offenders.

There was One who was crucified who didn’t deserve it; He was the sinless Son of God.  Even the Roman governor (procurator or prefect), Pontius Pilate, who was notoriously anti-Jewish, could find nothing worthy of death in Jesus.  Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd who were crying out for Jesus’ crucifixion, “I find no fault in this Man” (Luke 23:4).  When the mob kept shouting for Jesus to be crucified, Pilate said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; … Indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” (Luke 23:14-16).

“But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.  So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested” (Luke 23:23-24).

So Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was crucified, but it wasn’t for His own sins; He died for our sins.  “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24 NASB).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross for our sins so that we can become sons (children) of God.  He took our place on the cross so that we can have a seat at the table of God in heaven for eternity.

Won’t YOU, through your trusting obedience, accept His offer of salvation and eternal life?

-- David A. Sargent

* From “A Son Takes a General’s Seat” in Encyclopedia of Illustrations #10867 as it appears in https://www.family-times.net/illustration/Respect/ 201144/.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org