This last December a blizzard raged in the Rocky Mountains. Captain Klopfenstein was a skillful pilot, but the weather was truly terrible, interfering with his instruments. He began a slow descent out of mountains toward Denver. Somehow his radar didn’t pick up the high tension, 230,000 volt electrical power line ahead. As the plane grazed the power line, a wing snapped off. There was nothing the pilot could do. The plane smashed mercilessly into the trees ahead on the mountainside.
In the plane 22 People were flying along, some thoughtlessly, some even sleeping, some very worried because of the weather. The pilot and co-pilot had been doing everything possible to reach their destination safely. One minute they were speeding along in apparent safety; the next minute they were wrecked on the rocky side of a mountain, trapped by a terrible blizzard, and in danger of death. One person was killed immediately in the crash.
Most of the rest of the people were injured badly, completely helpless to save themselves.
How this reminds us of so many people today who are going along thoughtlessly, not aware of the danger of their souls. Then there are many who worry about their future, but really don’t search for a place of safety. Others are like the pilot and co-pilot. They are doing everything possible to reach their eternal destination safely, only to find that their very best efforts were not good enough. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)). Dear reader, there is only one way that you can reach heaven safely and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6).)
Those people in the accident realized they needed help badly.
They were in a desperate, helpless position, and they knew it. God says that we, too, are in a desperate and helpless situation. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God... The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 3:23, 6:23.) Dear reader, have your sins been roved yet through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, you too, are in real urgent, pressing need of salvation.
The airplane crash caused a brief power failure in the electrical line. This gave a clue to the rescuers, indicating the area where the plane went down; and since the radio beam from the plane continued to operate, it showed the direction in which the plane lay. Using two snow machines, the rescuers searched the mountain side. Finally the helpless people in the wreck heard the snow machines. Eight less injured people crawled out of the wreck and shouted for help. Soon the rescuers arrived. The survivors were all packed into the two big machines and carried to safety. It took 11 hours to reach them and another four hours to carry them to the hospital. They had been saved from a terrible death, but only by the devotion and fearlessness of their rescuers.
How wonderful, too, was the devotion and fearlessness of the Lord Jesus Christ in giving Himself to die on the cross to save us from our sins. He made the supreme effort. As those injured survivors were carried safely in the big snow machines, so the Lord Jesus carries each one of us safely home when we trust in Him.
“The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10).) Just like the rescuers were seeking for those lost in the accident, so the Lord Jesus is seeking for those who are lost in their sins. When the survivors shouted for help, the snow machines came to their rescue. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13).)
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