THE PERSONAL SACRIFICE OF THE FATHER 3/05
John 3:16
I hear many times and even have said it myself that “Salvation is free, ” but I am concerned this statement can be a little misleading.
It come at a tremendously high price.
The free gift to the recipient comes at a high sacrifice to giver.
I. THE HIGH COST OF THE FATHER’S LOVE
A. The Fathers Love is an...
1. Unmerited Love
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
2. Unconditional Love
3. Unending Love
(Jer 31:3) The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love(chesed): therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
(Isa 54:8) In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness (chesed) will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
B. The Father’s Love is a Demonstrative Love
C. Therefore, The Father’s Love is a Sacrificial Love
1. Sacrificed Self
2. Sacrificed Prejudice
3. Sacrificed Rights
II. THE HIGH COST OF THE FATHER’S GIFT
The Father’s Gift to the World Cost Him...
A. His Most Precious Possession
B. His Protection of His Son
1. from the Hostility of Man
(Matt 27:41-43) Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
2. from the Wrath of a Holy God
(1 John 4:9-10) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(Isa 53:6-11)
C. His Relationship with His Son
(Matt 27:46) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
“Forsaken” engkataleipoo: 1. to abandon, desert Matt 27:46 2. to leave behind among, to leave surviving: Rom 9:29 (from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. .)
I can think of nothing that would were hurt worse than the death of a child. I have never tasted that bitterness and pray that I never will. Some of you surely have. I would think even worse than the death of your child would be if you were part of the cause.
Illustration of John Griffith
John Griffith lived through the Great Depression. He got a job on the edge of the Mississippi caring for one of those great, huge railroad bridges that cross that mighty river.
John brought his 8-year-old son, Greg, to work with him to see what Daddy did all day. The little boy was wide-eyed with excitement, and he clapped his hands with glee when the huge bridge went up at the beck and call of his mighty father. He watched with wonderment as the huge boats steamed down the Mississippi.
Twelve o’clock came, and his father put up the bridge. There were no trains due for a good while, and they went out a couple of hundred feet on a catwalk out over the river to an observation deck. They sat down, opened their brown bag, and began to eat their lunch.
The time whirled by, and suddenly they were drawn instantly back to reality by the shrieking of a distant train whistle. John Griffith quickly looked at his watch. He saw that it was time for the 1:07, the Memphis Express, with 400 passengers, which would be rushing across that bridge in just a couple of minutes.
He knew he had just enough time, so without panic but with alacrity he told his son to stay where he was. He leaped to his feet, jumped to the catwalk, ran back, climbed the ladder to the control room, went in, put his hand on the huge lever that controlled the bridge, looked up the river and down to see if any boats were coming, as was his custom, and then looked down to see if there were any beneath the bridge.
And suddenly he saw a sight that froze his blood and caused his heart to leap into his throat. His boy! His boy had tried to follow him to the control room and had fallen into the great, huge gear box that had the monstrous gears that operated this massive bridge. His left leg was caught between the two main gears, and the father knew that as sure as the sun came up in the morning, if he pushed that lever his son would be ground in the midst of eight tons of whining, grinding steel.
His eyes filled with tears of panic. His mind whirled. What could he do? He saw a rope there in the control room. He could rush down the ladder and out the catwalk, tie off the rope, lower himself down, extricate his son, climb back up the rope, run back into the control room, and lower the bridge.
No sooner had his mind done that exercise than he knew--he knew there wasn’t time. He’d never make it, and there were 400 people on that train.
Suddenly he heard the whistle again, this time startlingly closer. And he could hear the clicking of the locomotive wheels on the track, and he could hear the rapid puffing of the train. What could he do? What could he do! There were 400 people, but this was ... this was his son, this was his only son. He was a father! He knew what he had to do, so he buried his head in his arm and he pushed the gear forward.
The great bridge slowly lowered into place just as the express train roared across. He lifted up his tear-smeared face and looked straight into the flashing windows of that train as they flashed by one after another. He saw men reading the afternoon paper, a conductor in uniform looking at a large vest-pocket watch, ladies sipping tea out of teacups, and little children pushing long spoons into plates of ice cream. Nobody looked in the control room. Nobody looked at his tears. Nobody, nobody looked down to the great gear box.
In heart-wrenching agony, he beat against the window of the control room, and he said, "What’s wrong with you people? Don’t you care? I sacrificed my son for you. Don’t any of you care?" Nobody looked. Nobody heard. Nobody heeded. And the train disappeared across the river.... (Bible Illustrator for Window. Parsons Technology)
III. THE HIGH VALUE OF ETERNAL SALVATION
Our salvation cost our Heavenly Father His very best. Therefore, how can we really put a value on it. Actually, the value is much above any price that could ever be paid by you and me. It is priceless and could only be paid by the Father in Heaven who loves us perfectly and His Precious Son Jesus Christ.
