Crossing the Bridge From Death to Life
Scripture Reading — John 5:21-27
“Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and . . . has crossed over from death to life.”
I was with a group going house to house in the Philippines to share the way of salvation. We used simple tracts that featured the Bridge Illustration—showing Jesus as the bridge from death to life. In the doorway of a palm-thatched house I spoke with a middle-aged woman and her teenage daughter, who was nursing an infant.
The illustration pictured a chasm with a cliff on each side. One cliff represented death, with a figure of a man on it; and the other cliff represented life, with a symbol for God on it. The chasm represented sin, which separates us from God. The illustration then showed a cross—representing Jesus—bridging the chasm. Focusing on our text-verse for today, I explained to the mother and daughter that by putting our faith in Jesus, we cross that bridge from death to life.
“Where are you in relation to life, death, and the bridge?” I asked them. They pointed to the center of the bridge—halfway across the chasm. I went on to explain that Jesus spoke in the past tense, saying, “has crossed over”—and this means that we already have eternal life right now through faith in Jesus. They weren’t so sure about that, but they were interested to learn more.
Where are you in relation to death, life, and the bridge (Jesus)?
Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith to trust in you alone to bring us from death to life, and please give us the assurance of eternal life today. In your name, Amen.
About the author — Stan Kruis
Stan Kruis graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1984 and began serving as a missionary in the Philippines, where he met his future wife, Bessie. Together they served in church planting and leadership training in the Philippines. After completing a Ph.D. in intercultural studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, Stan returned with Bessie to the Philippines in 2014, where he taught missions at the Asian Theological Seminary in Manila. Now retired, they live in Michigan. Stan and Bessie have two married children and one grandchild.
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