Jump Start # 1470

Luke 23:47 “Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’”

  News came this morning of the death of a police officer. I didn’t know him, although I believe I know some of his family. Many in my church family knew him. He was a Christian. He was shot earlier this week by a bad man. Prayers have been pouring upward since we heard of it. He leaves a young wife and a three year old son. I know of other Christian police officers. I thought about them this week. Now a good man has been taken. His little boy will never have the wonderful experience of knowing what a great dad he had. And for the next several decades, his killer will sit in jail, paid for by the tax payers, while his attorney, also provided free by tax payers, tries to get him released on some loophole. These things fries my bacon! It’s not fair, right, nor decent. It angers righteous people. The lawless in our society have no regard for life, decency or others. Their numbers are growing. They leave a trail of tears upon decent and godly people who are trying to do what God says.

Our verse today reminds us of the innocence of our Savior. He too, died a violent, unfair death by the hands of bad people. His death was His choice. He died, so we could live. Sprinkled all through the Bible are the stories of innocent suffering. Pharaoh, in long ago Egypt, killed the Hebrew babies. Herod killed the little baby boys in his days. Wicked Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of God. The innocent have suffered. The innocent have died.

The death of the innocent is a troubling thought to most folks. It is enough for some to deny the goodness or even the existence of God. Why does a child get cancer? Why do children get abused? Why do babies die? Why doesn’t God stop it. Why doesn’t God put an end to such things. He does. He has. It’s just not here. To do such things would alter our free will. It would take away the curse that has plagued mankind since Adam. It is appointed unto man once to die, the Scriptures tell us. We assume that passage means when you are about 85 years old and have done all that you want to do and you are tired, so you go to sleep and wake up on the other side. The passage doesn’t lead to that conclusion. The appointment with death, may be the high school student driving to school. The appointment with death may be the upcoming athlete who had an unknown heart defect. The appointment with death may be the child. It may be the police officer. It will be us, someday.

But God has taken away innocent suffering. God has stopped the unfairness. Where you might ask. When? It’s called Heaven. Remember? No tears. No sorrow. No death. No mourning. The first things have been done away. God has prepared a place that is safe, wonderful and in fellowship with Him. It is for those who choose to walk with Him. It is for those who love Him. It is for those who obey Him.

The innocent death of Jesus, allows dark days like today to have a sliver of sunlight and hope. No fear in Heaven. No bad people in Heaven. No one dies in Heaven. Safe. Home with God. Never to leave. Never to be anywhere else. The journey remains hard for those left here. The struggles remain. The bad people still bother us. We continue to be surrounded with tears and sorrow and death. But for those who have made it to the other side, what a joyful and wonderful world for them. The door opens to the joys of the Master.

I get tired of bad news created by bad people. Airplanes that crashed because of bombs. Shootings. Murders. Evil. Meanness. When will it all end? When we get to the other side. For now, we must keep marching with Jesus. We must continue to be the light of the world. We must continue to show the world the saving power of our Savior.

Two final thoughts.

First, it is easy to want to harm the bad people in the world. Get even is a natural feeling. It’s not Christian. It’s easy to wish Hell upon them. Let them rot in Hell forever. That thought gives us some satisfaction. It’s not Christian. You know what Jesus would want us to do. He showed us on the cross. Those words, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” The bad people need Jesus. They need forgiveness. They need a heart that will change. Forgiveness through the blood of Jesus is what they need. They need sermons. They need Bible. They need to see the wrongs that they have done. They need to come to Christ. They need to repent. That would be God’s wish. God doesn’t want any to perish, even the bad ones.

Second, can you say a prayer this morning for a sweet young family in Lexington, Ky? The road ahead for them is hard. Good brethren throughout this nation are extending their love and support. May God continue to be with that dear family. May this evil not destroy them. May the love of the Lord drive them to devote the rest of their lives to the Lord. May they someday have the sweet reunion again in Heaven. Through this ugliness, let us pray, that some goodness shines forth. Maybe someone changes because of all of this.

This Jump Start is dedicated to Officer Ellis. A good man who died in the line of duty. A godly man who died an innocent death. The world is a bit darker today because a light has gone out. But through hope we believe that one has made it home safely. Home, not because he died in duty. Home, not because he was innocently murdered. But home, because of Jesus. His faith. His walk. His Savior made all of this possible.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Roger