In a few moments, we are going to celebrate the Lord's Supper together as a church. Every 4-6 weeks, we do this together, to remember the Lord's death in the way that He commanded us to do. I want to bring you this morning to this one verse of Scripture that will focus our heart upon the great grace of God that has come to us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is found in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

When Jesus Christ died upon the cross, it was a demonstration of His love. It was also a substitution for sinners. I want you to reflect upon those two things: a demonstration of His love, and a substitution for sinners.

When we think of the cross of Jesus Christ, we ought to think of His love for us. After all, isn't that what Romans 5:8 tells us? But, we need to be careful it the way that we think of His love for us.

There are many that think that Jesus simply died simply as an example for us to follow. In other words, they believe that Jesus came to this earth and demonstrated the extent of His love that He was willing to die for us. As we live our lives, we ought to be willing to die as well. There is a certain extent to which this is true. After all, Jesus calls us to "take up our cross and follow Him." We need to lay down our lives at the feet of Jesus and be ready and willing to give our lives for others. But, it's very important that you understand exactly how Jesus demonstrated His love. His love wasn't merely demonstrated in dying. His love was demonstrated in dying "for us," which is what verse 8 says, "Christ died for us." The idea here is the idea of substitution. Christ died in our place.

We deserved death and hell and judgment, but Christ was sacrificed upon the cross for us instead. He was our substitute. Jesus didn't die only as an example for us. He died as our substitute.

Let me illustrate this.... Imagine that you and I are walking along the Rock River. And I tell you how much I love you. And I tell you that I am willing to die for you. Wanting to demonstrate my great love for you, we come to the Whitman Street bridge that spans the river. As we walk across the bridge, I say to you, "I want to show you how much I love you." So, I jump off the bridge and drown in the river below. "See how great a love I have for you?" "I'm willing to die you." That's not love. That's stupidity.

But, that is what many people think that the death of Jesus is. They think that He simply died as an example of self-sacrifice. He is our high, moral example for us to follow. But, this isn't the picture of the cross of Jesus at all. In fact, there is something somewhat discouraging about such a demonstration of love. If you simply look to the death of Jesus as a moral example for you to follow, you will be discouraged that you can never live up to it. It will be something that you will come to despise, rather than love.

I remember when I was a freshman in high school, playing on the basketball team. There were times when we would run around the gymnasium in the hallways. I had just come off the soccer season and was in great shape. So, running around the gymnasium was an easy thing for me. Furthermore, I worked hard at my conditioning. And so, I used to run as hard as I could for as long as I could. So, as I ran around our gymnasium, I would often mind myself far in front of everybody else, who weren't in as good a shape as I was, and who didn't want to work hard. And as I was the great example of what it meant to work hard, do you think that I was loved by my fellow basketball players? I wasn't. They hated me, because they couldn't run as fast as I could, nor as long as I could. I made them look bad in front of the coach. They were discouraged from my example. In fact, it was so discouraging to them, that they would try to block my way, so that I couldn't run around them to lap them. It was so discouraging to them, that they would grab onto my shirt in attempts to stop me. And those who think that Jesus died as a moral example will always be discouraged. You can't live up to the great sacrifice that Jesus made. But, that's not the picture of the sacrifice of Jesus. When Jesus died, He died as a substitute. He died in our place.

I read this week of Arland D. Williams. Perhaps you have heard of him. On January 13, 1982, he boarded an Air Florida flight that took off in a blinding snowstorm. It crashed into the 14th street bridge that crosses the Potomac River near Washington D. C. After hitting the bridge, the plane plunged into the frozen waters of the Potomac River. Arland D. Williams happened to be seated in the rear section of the plane that was partially above the water. When the U. S. Park police helicopter arrived to commence the rescue efforts, they lowered a line to carry survivors to safety. Rather than taking the line himself, Arland D. Williams helped others to take the line first, that they might be rescued. Time after time, the helicopter came back to rescue a survivor of the crash. Each time, Arland D. Williams refused the rescue line and helped others with it. After six people were saved from the icy rivers, the helicopter returned for another rescue. But, by this time, the tail of the plane had plunged beneath the waters. ... And Arland D. Williams was never found.

Now, this is a picture of the sacrifice of Jesus. Arland D. Williams died in the place of others. Rather than living, he sacrificed his life for the sake of others. He gave his life for theirs. This was the death of Jesus. Jesus did in our place. He was our substitute. His death was for our life. But what makes this even more powerful is to realize that Jesus died "while we were yet sinners" (Romans 5:8). It's not because we were so worthy of being saved. It's not because we deserved rescue. It's when we didn't deserve it that we were rescued.

Imagine that the President of the United States was on the plan that crashed into the Potomac river. Arland D. Williams would easily have given the life-line to him. But, imagine that when Arland D. Williams arrived on that plane, that he was seated in first-class. He was given all of the luxuries of the flight. But onboard comes a guy, who was unkempt. This man was wearing shabby clothes and was drunk and obnoxious. As this man passed through the first class section, he spilled his hot coffee on Mr. Williams. When he realized what had taken place, rather than confessing that he was sorry, began to accuse Mr. Williams of tripping him intentionally. Soon, this man was yelling at him, accusing Mr. Williams of being hateful and prejudiced and irresponsible. He continued his rage until finally, he was demanding that Mr. Williams give his seat to him. He said that Arlan should get to the back of the plane like he deserved. And so, suppose that Arlan D. Williams heads to the back of the plane without a word of argument. Now, imagine that the plan crashed and the helicopters were there with the life-line. And this loud, obnoxious, antagonist is there. And now, imagine that Arlan D. Williams gave him the lifeline. Allowing this obnoxious, insulting and dreaded person to live rather than living himself.

Why would he do that? Why would he give the lifeline to this man, who abused him so clearly? It is only because of an incredible love within him that would do such a thing. That's a bit like the love of Jesus Christ to rescue sinners. Isn't this incredible?

John Newton said it this way:

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found; was blind, but now I see.

And this is what we are celebrating this morning in the Lord's Supper: the amazing love of God as demonstrated in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross.

This communion mediation was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on May 9, 2004 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.