Crossing the River
Scripture Reading — John 5:16-30
"He has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24
About 50 years before the birth of Christ, a Roman general stood with his army near a mountain stream in northern Italy. The Rubicon wasn't one of the land's great rivers. But at that moment no river was more important. The Rubicon divided Gaul from Italy, and the general, Julius Caesar, had orders to keep his armies stationed in Gaul. To defy Rome, cross the Rubicon, and march south would change his life forever. Ever since Julius Caesar crossed over that stream, "crossing the Rubicon" has meant making a life-changing decision. Every person who hears the gospel of Christ faces such a decision. The good news declares that the Savior, Christ, is King and calls us to follow him. What will our response be? Jesus says a commitment to him literally brings heaven to earth: "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." Jesus tells us that when we place our trust in him, eternal life isn't merely in the future; our new life in him begins here and now! Some of us are standing beside our own Rubicon and are still toying with making a commitment to Christ. But why would we want to linger on death's shore when we can cross over into new life in Christ today?
Father, we believe Christ has come to make all the difference in our lives. Kindle in us the desire to cross by faith into your eternal kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Bob Heerspink
Dr. Robert Heerspink was director of Back to God Ministries International from 2006 until 2011, when he passed away. He had previously pastored several Christian Reformed churches. Bob loved to write and was a frequent contributor to the Today devotional.
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