Do you really think He would have bothered...??!

The kind of horror that goes through a man's brain, the fear that strikes his heart, when he truly sees himself for the first time, as he really is, is not something that can possibly be described. The cruel irony of a sincere and genuine person seeking goodness in himself, in the depths of his being, only to find evil is quite possibly the worst kind of trick that life plays on people.

Yet it is the key to our redemption.

Hold on, why am I talking about redemption all of a sudden? What do we need to be redeemed from? Why do we need to be redeemed at all?? I haven't introduced this very well; we need a starting point. Let's talk about EXISTENTIALIST ANGST.

Picture, if you will, an archaeologist who comes across an ancient site, within which lies an inscription that will tell him the meaning of life on this planet... [Ok, it sounds pretty incredible but it is an allegorical illustration so just bear with me.] Now, imagine after months of careful excavation, thousands of man-hours and using the best equipment possible, this archaeologist (we'll call him Bill) is finally on the verge of uncovering this inscription that he knows beyond a shadow of doubt will tell him the meaning of life. He comes up to the inscription with a strange feeling and gently blows away the layer of dust obscuring the writing. The dust billows out and, slowly, as the air clears, the inscription is revealed. *This*, says Bill to himself while approaching it with trepidation, will tell me the meaning of life; I've finally found it!

It is one word: DEATH.

Bill did not actually need to find this artefact/inscription/whatever it was in order to work this out. In all our existentialist musings and fumblings, we consistently come up against this impenetrable barrier. Death confounds every meaning that we try to place on our existence. Our searchings 'can' only ever come to this conclusion... That the end of life --- is death. (no pun intended)

It isn't even some kind of eternal yin and yang equilibrium. Life and death are not two things that need to be, or ever can be, held in balance. Death renders life meaningless. "What's the point - I'm going to die in the end anyway," must be the conclusion of any reasoned examination of life. [I've no doubt I'm not earning any fans so far for reminding people of this stuff...]

There is something wrong here, surely?. No one would be unjustified in voicing the simple opinion: "I'm not happy with this situation". Whichever way you look at it, we exist in a wholly undesirable situation. Our state is one of despair and our soul cries out for redemption from this cycle of suffering, with only death at the end to comfort us. There is something wrong with the world; surely this is not the way it's meant to be??

Ok, let's make this a bit more personal [as if I haven't made you feel uncomfortable enough already!]

Picture this time Bill the archaiologist, who has just come across a second ancient site. This time he is searching for an artefact that bears an inscription explaining exactly what is wrong with the world, what the big problem that needs to be solved is... Again, after much effort and expense, he uncovers it and enters the chamber where the artefact lies. He's not so keen to see the answer this time, after the disappointment and subsequent despair of the last revelation. Nothing, however, can prepare him for what he sees.

For he sees two words written this time: his name, William McDig.
"How is it possible!?! He didn't even exist when this inscription was made; it has nothing to do with him whatsoever!" Then he understands...

Imagine the sheer horror, disgust and shock that Bill would have felt upon discovering that *he* was all that was wrong with the world. Well, when a person first understands the reality of sin (and this can only happen when they see it in themselves), they have reached the same place as our friend, Bill. It is only when we acknowledge the evil inside ourselves (ie. that we are NOT basically good and actually basically depraved) that we can possibly understand evil in the world. There is no doubt that death is evil. Well, newsflash: WE BROUGHT DEATH INTO THE WORLD! The Bible tell us in Romans 5 that, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned."

When we step back and take stock of what we are responsible for in the light of the recognition of our own sin (and I'm not talking about 'bad things' we do but about our default state of inherited rebellion against God), we cannot help but be overwhelmed by the horror of the human heart, and especially our own.

When is the good news coming, you ask. Well, I have good news but it may not seem like good news for all. Let's join Bill for the third time...

A now destraught Bill has discovered a final dig that he ascertains contains an artefact with an inscription that will tell him about the source of life. His hopes aren't high after the last two disappointments but he is willing to try anything to take away the horror of his newfound existentialist angst coupled with the revelation of his own brotherhood with death. His assistants finally break through and he enters the chamber. This artefact appears not to be as old as the others for it is not an artefact but rather a book. It's still pretty old. He notices that it is open at a certain page. He begins reading. It is about a man being killed in gruesome fashion on a Roman cross. "Not more death!" he exclaims. "What a joke; this can't be the source of life!" Nevertheless, he reads on. He gradually understands who the person is: God himself in human form. Then he realises, then it hits him. "He died in order to bring me life!" He comes to a new page. Now it seems as if the whole book is glowing in his hands... He is suddenly excited. He reads on: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. IN HIM WAS LIFE, AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN." As joy and hope flood Bill's heart, he realises that he has not discovered an answer, he has discovered a person... this person is the source of life; he is life itself.

Well, I don't know what you make of this little story, but do you think Bill would have realised the truth about the source of life if he had not gone through the first two painful experiences? Do you see now why the key to our redemption is our realisation that we are ugly inside and depraved beyond hope. Only this will divest us of the pride that our fallen state vests us with so that we can turn and run to the source of life for refuge.

Ok, so it is pretty clear that we are talking about Jesus Christ now. Before we close, just one quick question. God sent Jesus Christ into the world to die in our place for our sin. Do you really think He would have bothered to send his Son to die if there were any other way of redeeming us??? Ignoring the Cross is the greatest snub a person can give God. Jesus Christ and his supreme act of love on the cross is the only bridge between God and death. Jesus is the source of life; everything was created through him. The only response to our own sin and Jesus' death is to throw off our own past self and turn from our old way of life (which in reality was a way of death!) and run to Jesus, who defeated death when he rose from the grave. Making him Lord (putting him in charge) and relying on his death (to cancel out our sin) is all that is needed to grant us eternal life. It is a free gift! Please take it.

"If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."