What are we doing here? It's an odd thing to do, going
for a walk, following the example of a man who went for a walk
[MAN] on another Friday morning nearly 2,000 years ago.
We are doing it as a sort of demonstration that we want to
follow this man, we want to say that He has done something for us.
But what has he done?
This man is walking up a hill. Perhaps your life is 'on
the up' - you are going somewhere. Your career is taking
off. Life is good. If so, we'll come back to you in
a minute.
Because if we look closer, we see [CROSS ON MAN] that
this man is carrying a large piece of wood. It cannot be
easy carrying all that weight. Perhaps you, too, feel that
life is difficult, that it is something of an uphill struggle?
He knows what that is like.
Because He is walking [CROSS ON HILL] to his death.
Just like each one of us. It doesn't matter how
successful you are, sooner or later your life will reach its end.
Many of us are like Woody Allen when he said, "I'm not
afraid of dying. I just don't want to be around when it
happens." Sounds like a great idea, but I wouldn't like to
bet on his chances.
Have you ever thought it was strange, that at the centre of
Christianity, at the centre of the Christian life is a death?
This man dying on a cross, He seems to have nothing, but He
[THE OFFER] wants to offer you a swap. Now, unless
you have heard this story before, you will never guess what He is
offering. Your life for his. What an offer!
Your reasonably comfortable existence for a lingering death on a
cross.
You would be mad to take up such an offer - unless, that is,
unless you understood what was really at stake.
If you look at this 'reasonably comfortable existence', you
will see that, without Jesus at the centre, it is empty, futile
and meaningless. In fact, the most stunningly successful
life you can imagine, is just as pointless without Jesus.
Because, unless you are building for eternity, when you come to
the end of your life, whatever you have achieved, you will
discover you have nothing [0].
So maybe this invitation is not such a bad one. This man
on the cross says, swap with me - your life for mine. And
all you have to loose is an empty, futile existence, which you
will have to give up anyway sooner or later.
And, if you make this swap, what you will receive is not just a
share in His death. Because after death came [TOMB]
burial, and after burial came [ARROW] resurrection.
That is not just a piece of history - that's the way it always is.
You cannot experience resurrection life until you first
embrace death.
So that is the offer - your life for His. Everything you
have and everything you are, in exchange for the cross and
resurrection life. But remember - it is not your life which
is resurrected, but His. The resurrection life is His life.
You've done a swap, remember? You've changed
places.
So, remember the way He always made time for people, even when
it was difficult and inconvenient for Him? That's how you
live, if you live His life. Remember how He embraced the
social outcasts? That's the way he did it - that's His
life. Remember how His wishes and desires took second place
to social justice and the Kingdom of God? Remember how He
laid down His life for other people? That's His life.
If you accept the swap, that is what becomes yours: His way
to live becomes your way to live.
Perhaps you have watched some Christians and wondered what it
is that they have and you don't. They have the life of
Jesus. There is nothing more to it than that, and nothing
less. They have simply accepted His offer to swap
lives.
Twenty-nine years ago, I accepted His offer. I would
love to tell you about all that has happened since then.
Maybe another time? At times, living His life has been
harder than I could have possibly imagined. But I have
never regretted it. I have never ceased to be amazed by His
willingness to give me so much in return for so little.
Perhaps God has been speaking to you, and you know He is
offering [YOUR LIFE FOR HIS] to exchange His life for
yours. You can accept His offer here and now if you like.
This is as special a place as any you will ever find.
If you are not sure about it, if you would like to find out
more, I have some booklets here I would like to give you. I
would be happy to talk and pray with you when the walk is over, as
would anyone who has received this new life. Thank you for
listening. May God bless you.