LHM Daily Devotion - October 10, 2017 "The Way, the Bridge"

The old Kosciuszko Bridge is no more. Seventy-eight years ago, New York...

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

"The Way, the Bridge"

October 10, 2017

Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

~ John 14:6 (ESV)

The old Kosciuszko Bridge is no more.

Seventy-eight years ago, New York officials proudly opened the Kosciuszko Bridge, which connected Brooklyn and Queens. When they did so, they heralded the opening of a new era of travel when quick-and-easy passage would take place between those two great boroughs.

There were two problems:

• First, the politicians were overly optimistic in their glowing remarks concerning the future;

• Second, the engineers who did the designing had greatly underestimated the amount of  traffic which would want to make use of their span.

Indeed, the bridge was designed to handle only 25 percent of the traffic that currently passes over it, and it now has become a great bottleneck for commuters, visitors, and commerce.

After many years of frustration, the decision was finally made to bring down the bridge. Two weeks ago, in a matter of seconds, hundreds of explosive charges reduced the 22-million pounds of steel to a great pile of scrap metal.

It should be noted there was no such engineering difficulty 2,000 years ago when the Savior built a new bridge between sinful humankind and the Triune God.

The Savior's bridge was capable of handling the souls of every man, woman, and child who ever lived. On this bridge there would be no bottlenecks; there would be no traffic jams; there would be no complications.

No toll or payment was demanded from those who wished to make use of the bridge. From the day the bridge's plan was first revealed to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden -- until it was completed on Resurrection Sunday -- the bridge was designed to be free.

Understand, there had been a cost, but that charge was paid for by God's Son, the world's Savior. The foundation had been laid when He had fulfilled the laws we had broken; the span was set by His resistance to temptation; and the roadbed had been completed when He had conquered death the day He rose. Because of Jesus' finished work, all who believe in Him as Savior have their sins forgiven and are granted passage from Earth to heaven.

Now if I make this bridge sound like a good thing, it is. But you should know there are problems. First, the bridge is capable of handling far more souls than are currently using it. Second, the bridge will not be there forever. The time is coming when it will, like the Kosciuszko span, be taken down.

Which explains why it is our job to encourage as many people to use God's bridge as possible, that is, to believe in Jesus as Savior, while there is still time.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there is only one Way to get from where we are to where You are. While there is still time, grant that those who are lost may see Jesus is the bridge, the only Way to heaven. This we ask in His Name. Amen.

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