LightGrams
January 26, 2023
Volume 27, Number 4
Had you been strolling through Clearwater, Florida last week you might have seen a strange sight. About 30 people were walking shoulder-to-shoulder down a creek in water above their waists, stirring the water ahead of them with their hands. A strange sight, perhaps, but it was a successful effort to move a dolphin back into its natural habitat, the ocean.
The dolphin had been observed in this creek since January 1, and appeared reluctant to swim through a short passageway back to the ocean. The rescue effort was led by trained marine biologists, and every precaution was taken to ensure the dolphin was not harmed or traumatized in this operation.
Through this coordinated effort the dolphin was finally coaxed to swim through the passageway and is now back in its natural element. You can watch a 3-minute video of the operation by clicking here.
Jesus left heaven to embark on a rescue mission with far greater stakes. After spending the day with Zacchaeus, a Jew whose lifestyle put him in jeopardy with God’s judgment, Jesus made this statement: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). After spending time with Jesus, the tax collector decided to go through the narrow passageway (Matthew 7:13,14) that leads to eternal life.
Jesus isn’t on earth any longer; He ascended back to heaven almost 2,000 years ago. So where does that leave those of us who now populate the earth? Do we not matter to Him? Are we not in danger of the judgment of God because of our own sinful choices?
Before returning to heaven Jesus made arrangements for future rescue missions. Here are those arrangements as spoken by Jesus: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15,16). We might envision, therefore, a similar scene to what we saw in Clearwater, Florida – Christians standing shoulder-to-shoulder, attempting to guide souls to safety.
The mission began in earnest in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. After Peter’s words convinced many that they were in danger, they cried out, “’Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37,38). By the end of that day about 3,000 souls were baptized (Acts 2:41). And the numbers kept growing throughout the book of Acts.
You’ll notice that water is involved in this soul-rescue mission; that’s obvious in cases like the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35-39). The word “baptize” comes from a Greek word which means “to submerge”. But after the submersion comes salvation (see also Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3,4, 1 Peter 3:21), and another soul has been guided to safety.
Jesus may not be on the earth, but He continues to coordinate these vital rescue missions.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2023, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “[email protected]” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
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