By the main warehouses in a particular town, the river channel has to be dredged often so barges can come in. The sand dredged from the river bottom is dumped on the riverbank. Children love to play on these huge sand hills. However, the mounds can be dangerous. When the wet sand dries, it creates a crust. It can collapse at any time, causing a person to sink down inside the mound and be covered instantly by the sand.
Several years ago when two brothers did not come home for dinner, their bikes were found outside the fence where the sand mounds were. Their family and rescue workers began searching frantically. They finally found one of them. He was buried up to his chin in the sand. Because of the pressure of the wet sand and muck around him, he was not breathing; so they began to dig frantically. When they uncovered him down to his waist he regained consciousness. His parents, in hysterics, said, “Where’s your brother? Where’s your brother? Where’s your brother?”
The boy replied, “I’m standing on his shoulders.”
The one brother had given his life so the other might be saved.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Jesus demonstrated this greater love by giving His life for you and me. When we were sinking in the depths of sin, Jesus bore the weight of our sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:21–24), providing the means of our salvation. He invites each of us to stand on His shoulders so you and I can be saved.
We can be saved by the merits of Christ’s death on the cross if we believe in Him (Acts 16:30–31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30–31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9–10), and are baptized—immersed—in His name for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Then if we continue to follow Him faithfully, He will receive us into an eternal home (1 John 1:7; John 14:1–6).
“I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea, Heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I. Love lifted me . . .”
Won’t you allow Jesus to lift you from the deadly depths of sin?
Story adapted from Tom Moore, Avenue T Church of Christ; Lyrics written by James Rowe 1912.
