After some pondering we decided to go ahead and do it. On Thursday this past week out of a lottery system of sorts, our names were drawn from the list to claim an appointment for the COVID shot. As said we pondered it, we looked into what was written about the vaccine and we prayed about it. The conclusion we came to was to go ahead and get the shot, so we received our first dose this past week.
As I was thinking about that and Easter being this weekend, a thought came into my head. Whether or not you personally choose to get the vaccine--people are lining up for it, getting on multiple waiting lists for it, and rushing to designated places when they hear there are extra doses available. There was even a situation out west where a highway was closed and in the traffic back up were vehicles carrying the vaccine. Since the doses have a short shelf life, those transporting the vaccine started to administer it to any who were stopped. I guess that would be considered “right place at the right time.” It’s not surprising that people were lining up for something that could potentially save their lives.
And that is where the story of Easter comes in: the eternal vaccine. The Good Friday crucifixion followed by the empty tomb is the vaccine we needed to be free of the eternal death or separation from our Heavenly Father. Without that dose of Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross, we would all die. Without the inability of the tomb, the grave, death to hold Jesus down, there would be no vaccine to cure the terminal disease of sin. We are reminded of this every week when we join together in what we call the Lord’s Supper, but especially we remember it on this weekend each year.
Wouldn’t it be great if people were lining up to get this eternal vaccine? It would be wonderful if people realized they needed salvation so much that they were willing to call repeatedly to see when they could get it. Imagine if there were a waiting list for people, anxiously standing by wanting to hear their name called so they could come in contact with Jesus’ blood. Fortunately there is no need for a sign up or waiting list. There is more than enough grace given through Jesus’ sacrifice for everyone in the world. In the case of Jesus, the cure is not the problem. The problem of pride keeps people from realizing they need the cure.The problem of hopelessness keeps them from realizing there even is a cure.
That is where our work comes in: to go into a hurting, dying world and share the life found in Jesus. He is the cure to all our transgressions.
Administering an Eternal Vaccine,
Randy
Commenti