The Unappreciated Savior

Bill Wolfe is an artist who painted a large watercolor of his husky named Juneau.  He recalls the day he was real mad at her because she had ripped his young son’s coat sleeve to shreds.  He yelled at her profusely and may have even spanked her.  Later he found out that his young son was going to cross the road to a slightly frozen pond and Juneau grabbed his arm to keep him from crossing the road, saving him from going out on the ice and perhaps sparing his life.  Bill said he felt horrible for how he treated this heroic dog.  He painted the picture of Juneau laying dejectedly against a stone wall with a sled leaning against the wall.  The painting called “Sled Dog”, was a testimony to his wonderful unappreciated savior.      

            When we think of Jesus leaving heaven and becoming a man, we need to ask, “Why”?  Why did he suffer the humiliation of being misunderstood and rejected by men?  Why did He allow himself to be beaten, spit on, and crowned with thorns?  Why did he go through the horrendous torture of being crucified?  And why did He die?  The simple answer to that question is, He did it for us.  He did it to save us all.  Not to save us from a frozen pond but from a lake of fire and eternal separation from God.  The scriptures tell us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  He died to save everyone from their sins.  The only problem is that many do not believe in Him.  He is to them, the unappreciated Savior.

            Bill realized later that his dog had saved his son’s life and memorialized her with a work of art.  The greatest work of art our Savior, Jesus could ever hope for is a believing heart.  Have you realized that all that Jesus did when He was on the earth was for you?  He died to save you, don’t let Him be the unappreciated Savior.