I have been diagnosed with a disease that will ultimately lead to my death. When, I’m not sure, but death is imminent. You see, I suffer from a disease called sin. It’s genetic and I inherited from my parents. Yes, it has been in the family for as long as we can trace it. This diseases manifests itself in many different symptoms. Sometimes it is obvious to those around me and at times it appears to be in remission. I have tried to treat this disease on my own many times and in many different ways. Sometimes I go into denial and act as if I’m not sick. Other times I try to hide the fact from others and put on a false front. After all, I don’t want others to view me as weak. Then, at times the reality sets in and I’m able to see how sick I really am. I’ve even tried treating the symptoms. You know, whenever this disease manifests itself in the forms of pride, lust, greed, or take your pick, I simply fool myself into thinking that if I can only manage the symptoms, then the disease will go away. Unfortunately, after I manage to get one under control for a brief time, many others manifest themselves in many different forms. This disease appears to be ingrained in my very essence. I’ve tried everything to try to get rid of this on my own, but it only seems to rage back with a force that is unbearable. Thus, I begin to wallow in this disease as reality sets in. I’m going to die, so why not eat, drink, and be merry? There is no cure. It appears that this is it. So I limp...
After giving up long ago, I received word that there is a man who claims that he has the cure for this disease I suffer from. Apathy set in long ago, but I decided to give it a shot. There’s nothing to lose, right? As my name is called, I catch my first glimpse of him. There is nothing that stood out to me as far as his looks go, but when we made eye contact I could since that there was something different about this doctor. He had a gentle smile and He had a scar in the palm of each hand which was definitely noticeable. He asked me to sit down and then he began to speak.
“Child, I want you to know that I have already diagnosed the problem. In fact, I am very familiar with this disease. I’m going to be honest with you because I love you too much not to give you the truth. This disease will end in death. You see, long ago your first parents were very healthy until they made a fatal choice. They chose to eat the fruit of a tree that was strictly forbidden. The result was this disease which you now carry. This disease is unrelenting and it separates and forbids you to ever enter into the presence of the King. It blinds your eyes so that you can’t see and it deafens your ears so that you cannot hear. It dulls your nerves so that eventually you will become numb and unable to feel. Child, you are more sick than you ever realized and the reality is that without the cure, you will spend not only this life, but eternity in separation from the King. You see, he set out the rules very clearly and his standard is nothing less than perfection. You will never be able to cure yourself. No matter much you try to treat the symptoms or fix yourself you will fail every time. This disease is way too powerful.”
At this point I begin to shed tears. “Then how can I be cured? I’ve tried everything. It seems like the harder I try the more it rears its nasty head. At times the pain is unbearable and I’ve been offered many different types of pain killers but it just comes roaring back. I’m hopeless and destitute. Who can heal me? Who can heal me.....”
As the tears streamed down my face, I feel a gentle hand lifting up my chin. Then I hear him speak, “Child, I have good news if you wish to receive it. Long ago before you were even born I knew that you would suffer from this disease so I came up with a plan. You see, I am just as much human as you are, yet when I was born into this world, I was not tainted with this disease. My Father and I arranged it so that my birth would be supernatural. I was conceived by the Holy Spirit even though my mother was a virgin. This is the only way it could happen. As I began to grow I was exposed to this disease many times by that crafty Serpent who deceived your parents. Thankfully I was able to defeat it with the Words that are written in the Sacred Book. You see, I lived among others just as yourself. I saw the horrors of this disease and the symptoms manifested in the worst of forms. I healed some along the way, but I really came ultimately for one purpose. I did not step out of my eternal glory to simply be an example to be followed. I did not come simply as a moral teacher. You see, child, I came to die! These scars on my hands are only a glimpse of what truly happened.” He paused for a second, then he lifted his shirt and pointed to his side. “You see this hole in my side? This is from a spear that the soldier thrust under my ribs piercing my heart. He wanted to make sure I was dead.” He then lifted his robe and showed me his feet. I couldn’t help but notice the stripes on his back as he turned back around. “Child, I did this for you! You deserved to be punished and killed for this disease you have. The King cannot simply ignore it. You must be healed in order to enter his presence. I knew you were hopeless, so I took your disease upon myself and died the death you deserved to die. The physical was nothing compared to the separation I had to endure from my Father. He could not bear to look at me. He had no choice but to turn His back and pour out His wrath upon me. This is the only way the disease could be eliminated. So I drank it to the dregs! It is finished!”
At this point I begin to weep even harder. “But I can never repay you! I can’t keep the rules, I’ve tried. I’m destitute and bankrupt!” He gently puts his finger to my lips and says, “Shhh.....hush child. You’re exactly where you need to be to receive the cure. You see, it’s a gift! A free gift! All you must do is receive it. I’ve done everything. You see, the grave could not hold me. After three days I rose from it destroying death once and for all. This is the first-fruits that guarantees your resurrection. If you but receive this gift, you will live! But if you reject it, then I have no choice but to pour out my wrath on you and banish you from the presence of the King for eternity. You can either accept that fact that I bore the wrath for you or you will have to bear this wrath yourself, for eternity.”
I look up at him with wet eyes and I said, “Please, I am yours. Rescue me from this disease! I repent of all the times I tried to cure myself and look to other things for false relief.” With a smile on His face, He says “Child, I give you my righteousness. You are now fit to enter into the presence of the King! Now, before you leave I want you to know that I have chosen you to proclaim this Good News to others. You are not the only one who suffers from this disease. If you love other people, you will tell them the reality of this horrible disease. Don’t simply treat the symptoms giving them a false since of hope. Proclaim and declare to them the diagnosis. They are fatal! Love them enough to give them the only cure and send them to me. Now go into all the world and proclaim this!”
From that day on I have not been the same. This disease will still eventually cost me my physical life, but it will be the release into the presence of my King. He will then return one day to raise me to life once again. This is the Hope I have. Life only began when I found I was already dead! Now I must proclaim this message of Good News until He comes!
