Bridge Over Troubled Water

As the news reports came in, my heart sank. Maybe yours did too. I was just in the D.C. metro area, and I didn’t think twice about crossing any of the massive bridges there on the East Coast. They’re part and parcel of life in or near our nation’s capital.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed, having been struck inadvertently by a cargo ship that lost power. Rescue teams are searching for survivors, including members of a construction crew who were working to repair potholes on the bridge’s roadway at the time of the disaster. The governor of Maryland and the mayor of Baltimore have separately declared a state of emergency.

This is a major catastrophe impacting a heavily traveled thoroughfare. Last year, the Key Bridge handled more than 750,000 cars and trucks, according to the Maryland Port Authority. In fact, it ranks first in the United States in terms of traffic volume. There, before our nation’s eyes, a symbol of American strength was brought down in a matter of seconds.

Suppose you were the driver of one of those vehicles on the bridge when the 948-foot-long “Dali” struck. As everything around you, and under you, began to give way, what thoughts would race through your mind?

In the Bible, only the gospel writer Luke mentions the tower of Siloam, which had collapsed and “made the news” in that day (Luke 13:4-5). More than likely, the tower was part of Jerusalem’s wall, near the more famous pool of Siloam. Jesus described the victims of that deadly disaster in a manner that is – for each of us – both sobering and stilling: “Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The people who died in the tower collapse were no worse than anybody else. They just died. When our Lord makes a claim that sweeping in its implications, you and I better be all ears, as this world is full of (I’ll quote John Newton) “dangers, toils, and snares.”

Yet the same Jesus, at the Last Supper – with the horror of His own Cross in full view – issues an amazing call upon our lives (John 14:1): “Let not your hearts be troubled.” The word “troubled” here describes agitation and disturbance in the face of the power of death and evil. What are we to make of this quickening challenge, when unexpected death is as close to each one of us as crossing the wrong bridge on the wrong night?

If we look to the world for safety, we will soon be sorely disappointed, for safety can’t be found in even the best “safeguards” of this world. (The bridge in Baltimore is Exhibit A today.) But Jesus goes on to say, “Believe in God; believe also in me.” To “believe” in Christ means to trust in Him, which means that we’re to rely upon Him for all things. For our salvation. For our sanctification. For our protection. For our livelihood. For our relationships. For our daily bread.

First Timothy 2:5-6 assures us: “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all …” Because Christ’s Cross wasn’t the end of the story – Hallelujah! – you and I can now look at our lives from the perspective of Christ’s victory. Consider the good news that permeates the rest of what Jesus says in John 14 (I’ll share here seven of Christ’s glorious promises to those of us who are His) …

1. We’re destined for our Father’s house, and it’s wonderful beyond our wildest dreams.

2. Jesus will make sure that we get there (our real home), exactly when we’re supposed to.

3. We don’t need a map outlining all of the future twists and turns coming our way, because the Way we’re on is straight, steady, and sure: His name is Jesus.

4. Because of the gift of the Holy Spirit, for as long as we’re still on this earth, we can expect to be used of God to do great things. (Not necessarily “great” in the eyes of the world, but great in the eyes of the only One who counts.)

5. The Spirit of truth lives in us, and He helps us – even when we can’t understand God’s plan.

6. As we rely only upon Christ, God will empower us to keep His Word. Knowing that God loves us, forever, will propel us to keep on keeping on – even when we feel like quitting. And He will never quit on us.

7. For this one, I’ll just let Jesus speak for Himself: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

This Holy Week, the joy should be ours to celebrate this amazing reality: Jesus is our bridge to the only safety that has ever existed! He is our bridge to the Father, our bridge to wellbeing of every stripe, and our bridge to eternal life. The seas of this life will grow stormy, to say the least, but to be in Christ is to be as safe as safe can be.

Friends, Planet Earth is in a state of emergency. Until Christ comes again, we remain in that state. The day of repentance is not tomorrow, but today. May the good news of a bloody cross and an empty tomb reignite our passion to make Christ known far and wide. Please pray with me that the Spirit of God will compel us – driving us far beyond our comfort zones – to love a lost and dying world. The time is short, friends, and Christ is our only hope in life and in death.

You heard me right: The tomb is empty!

Pastor Charles