According to the Chicago Tribune, on June 22, 1997,
parachute instructor Michael Costello, age 42,
jumped out of an airplane at 12,000 ft. with a
novice skydiver named Garret Griffith, age 21.
The novice would soon discover just how good the
instructor was—for when the novice pulled his
ripcord, his parachute failed. Plummeting toward the
ground, Garret faced certain death.
At that moment, the instructor did an amazing thing.
Before hitting the ground, Michael rolled over so
that he would hit the ground first and the novice
would land on top of him. The instructor was killed
instantly. The novice fractured his spine in the
fall, but he was not paralyzed.
One man takes the place of another. One substitutes
himself to die so another may live. It does happen.
It has happens often throughout history. One man
gives up his place in the lifeboat . . . another
gives up his life preserver . . .one will step in
front of a bullet . . . a parent will push a child
out of danger taking the hit themselves. And yes, a
man will take the sins of the world and die in our
place.
Why would anyone need someone to die for us? Out of
love? Yes! Out of commitment? Yes! But when we’re
talking about Jesus, the answer is because we’ve
sinned and there is no way for us to pay for it
without help. We need a Savior. Jesus had to die on
the cross so sinners could be saved; of which we all
are. We’ve all sinned and we are all unworthy.
Our Children’s Minister was asked by a man visiting
our church, “Do you allow people with tattoos to
worship here?”
She said, “Yes!”
“How about men with ear rings?” he came back.
“Again, Yes!”
Then the man cleared his throat and asked, “How
about people who have had trouble with the law?”
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She smiled and answered, “Yes!” Then with a big grin
she said, “Have you met our
(Yes . . . very funny Marcia!).
Because of the substitutionary death of Jesus, no
matter how bad your past was, you can change the end
of your story.
Consider Mary Magdalene. Every Gospel writer mention
a list of people who came to the tomb of Jesus and
discovered it empty; included in all of them is the
mention of Mary Magdalene. She is one of the great
proofs of the resurrection. She is also one of the
great marvels of the gospel message. Mary Magdalene
was a prostitute who Jesus healed and then she
became a follower. But she was also the first one to
see an empty tomb and see Jesus resurrected. That
means Jesus’ greatest moment in all of history—the
resurrection—was announced first to a prostitute!
Here’s why this is so beautiful. The most broken
follower of Jesus is the first to hear the news of
the resurrection. Do you catch how powerful that is?
That means anyone can become a follower of Jesus and
receive forgiveness and eternal life. ANYONE!
The story of the thief on the cross who heard,
“Today you will be with me in Paradise,” is another
great example of the grace of Jesus. Here is man
whose life’s decisions had been so self-destructive
that society had concluded it would just be best for
everyone in he was destroyed. In a final moment of
remorse and crying out to Jesus, he hears the
promise of Heaven.
We have all run away from God and that’s why Jesus
came to die for sin in the first place. He came to
reconnect us back to our heavenly father. Jesus
doesn’t just want to save us from eternal hell,
though that’s true, but he wants to save us from the
hell we’re in right now as well.
Ron Otto, preaching minister at Lincoln Christian
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