“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (John 12:21)
The Trans-Canada Highway is a transcontinental highway system that travels through all ten provinces, all the way from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast, to the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast. The main route spans 7476 kilometres across our beautiful country. Using this glorious highway system, along with smaller highways and back- roads, can enable you to reach almost any destination in Canada!
Last week we considered the use of Scripture as ballast in our lives for the storms we encounter. But Scripture can often be misunderstood to be little more than a book of practical advice for daily life. It seems to offer advice for healthy marriages, for wise economics, for a good work ethic, and for sound relationships, among other things. But is this what Scripture is about? Or is there a main highway connecting every verse to one glorious destination?
Spurgeon tells the story of a young preacher who desired the opinion of an older minister with regards to one of his messages. The old preacher said at last, “If I must tell you, I did not like it at all; there was no Christ in your sermon.” “No,” answered the young man, “because I did not see that Christ was in the text.” “Oh!” said the old minister, “but do you not know that from every little town and village and tiny hamlet in England there is a road leading to London? Whenever I get hold of a text, I say to myself, ‘There is a road from here to Jesus Christ, and I mean to keep on His track till I get to Him.’”
The glorious diamond of the grace of God in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the central, unifying theme of every verse in Scripture. Admittedly, some passages may seem rather obscure and perhaps only reveal the gospel in very shadowy form, but, just the same, the person and work of Jesus Christ is the Trans-Scriptural highway that links the first verse of the Bible with the last, and every verse in between! If we miss Christ, we miss everything! But in seeing and treasuring and trusting Jesus Christ, we find the key to navigating our way through the storms of life, and, by His grace, arriving safely at our eternal destination – His glorious presence forevermore! Hallelujah! What a Saviour!