Jesus said, If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.’ Is it even possible to grasp all God has done for us in this lifting up of Jesus? The grace of God becomes even clearer when you realize how low Jesus stooped to save you. A farmer named Buck wanted to know how to get to heaven. He had heard different things from different people, but he wanted to know for sure. On one of his trips to town, Buck stopped by to see his friend Larry, the mechanic, whose Christian witness was known to almost everyone. “Larry, tell me what I need to do to get to heaven.” Larry welcomed the opportunity to answer the farmer’s question. “Buck, if you fell into a deep, dark pit, broke your legs, and were unable to get out, what kind of help would you need?” “Well, I’d need somebody to come down and get me out.” “Exactly,” said Larry. “But, if a person came by who went strictly by the law, he would yell down something like this: ‘You have no business being in this pit. You should have kept your eyes open and watched where you were walking. You fell in by yourself, so figure how to get out by yourself. Keep working, and eventually, you will make it. And if you ever get out, I hope you’ll learn your lesson.’ Then he would politely excuse himself and walk on. “If someone came by who believed you have to work your way to heaven, he would yell down, ‘If you can climb up halfway, I’ll help pull you up the rest of the way.’ “Buck, what good are either of these men to you?” “Why, none at all,” said Buck. “They haven’t done me a bit of good.” “Buck, I’ll tell you exactly what you need. You need a man who will not condemn you for being in the pit. You need a man who will not force you to climb out by yourself. You need a man who will go down into the pit and lift you out. That man is Jesus Christ. Only Christ can save you. He has gone down into the pit of your sinful heart and pulled you out. He willingly paid the penalty for your sin and died on the cross in your place. That is the kind of help you need. That is the kind of Savior you need.” Jesus can go into the pit and lift you up because He was lifted up for you. God’s grace runs deep. No matter how dark the pit, no matter how deep the sin, Jesus has demonstrated His grace by His sacrifice on the cross. His grace is at work even today for those who have fallen into the pit of sin. If you are in that pit, do not cry out for the legalist or for the one who makes you work your way out. Instead, cry out for the only One who can lift you out—the Lord Jesus Christ.¹ How Jesus Being Lifted Up Impacts Your Life, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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