A Story Of Self-Sacrifice

Courier-Times Christian Perspectives Article for April 11, 2009

As I write this, the story gripping the headlines is the Maersk Alabama hijacking saga; the first pirate capture of a United States boat in about 200 years. Details about the hijacking are fluid, but it appears that the storyline unfolding off the coast of Somalia mirrors a storyline almost 2000 years old.

The Maersk Alabama is a cargo ship laden with food supplies to relieve some of the suffering and starvation in several African nations. A few days ago it was hijacked by Somalian pirates wanting to trade it for ransom money. The economy in Somalia is very depressed and the most efficient way to earn money there is to hijack cargo ships; 66 have been taken since the first of January.

Like I said, the details are still sketchy but the crew members were able to regain control of the ship. Apparently the ship’s captain, Capt. Richard Phillips, has traded himself for the lives of his crew. The outcome of the story is still being determined by the actions of the pirates, the crew, the captain and the U.S. Navy, which is now on the scene. The story of self sacrifice has been played out before in many ways but most notably in the Easter story.

But to fully understand the Easter story, we really need to go back several hundred years earlier to the story of the Exodus. You remember, the story where Charlton Heston raised his staff in the movie, “The Ten Commandments”, and parted the waters for the Israelites to escape the oncoming armies of Egypt. Whether it happened the way Cecil B. DeMille scripted it in the movie we’ll never know, but the bible tells us that what happened before the sea parting was the key to the Israelites release from captivity.

There were several plagues that came upon Egypt in an effort to prompt the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Each succeeding plague increased in intensity until the final plague, the death of the first born. The plagues affected Egyptians and Israelites alike but, when the death angel was sent to take the life of every first born, God provided a way of protection – the Passover lamb. The night of the final plague, the Israelites were instructed by God to kill a spotless lamb, consume all of it by morning, and to place some of its blood on the doorframe of their houses. The death angel would see the blood on the doorframe of the house and “pass over” the house, and all those inside, protected by the blood of the lamb. One life exchanged for many.

For generations the Israelites have celebrated the Passover as the way God chose to deliver his people. It was during the Passover meal that Jesus revealed to His disciples that He would be sacrificed, like the Passover lamb, and that His blood would deliver His followers from spiritual death. One life exchanged for many.

On that dark day that we call Good Friday, just as the lamb was being sacrificed for the Passover celebration, Jesus was crucified and became the true Passover Lamb for all people. The sinless Christ traded his life for the lives of His disciples. And the headlines on that following morning read that Jesus Christ was dead.

But, like many stories in this modern, 24-hour news cycle world, the story was still being written. On the first day of the week, Sunday morning, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the grave! Death had been conquered; Christ was alive! And the story continues . . .

Who did He save? Who were His “crew members”; His disciples? That part of the story is still being written. You and I have an opportunity to write ourselves into the story, the greatest story ever told.

The self sacrifice of Capt. Richard Phillips may save the lives of as many as 20 crew members. The self sacrifice of Christ is still delivering people from captivity. The bible says all we need to do to be part of this great story line is to become a “Christ follower”; a disciple of Christ. All we need to do is to claim the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb for ourselves.

The final chapter of the Maersk Alabama piracy case will soon be written. Hopefully it will end with no loss of life, but that part of the story is still being written by the pirates, the crew, the captain and the U.S. Navy.

The final chapter of the Passover Lamb saga may soon be written, only God knows. The question today is, have you written yourself into the story line? Will you be one of His disciples who are saved by the self sacrifice of Christ? Or will you be a tragic reminder of what could have been? On this day before Easter, you have a choice. Choose well.

Any questions or comments? Write Curt Ferrell at curt@smdcog.org

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Thanks for reading!