New Bridge!

We are one week away from a brand new bridge on Gordon Drive over Mission Creek , just down from KGF.  This is good news for me and thousands of other folks who live on the South side of that bridge, as the past four months has been filled with detours and delays.  But all that will be behind us as of October 8th when the bridge is officially opened, providing a beautiful four-lane road over the bridge and a safe underpass for walking / biking traffic along the creek.

Bridges are important.  They link two things that would otherwise be unpassable.  I've been on my share of bridges, and appreciated the work that's gone into all of them.  This summer I even jumped off one on Vancouver Island in a "King Swing" (but that's a different story).  

 

The ultimate bridge of course was the one crafted by Jesus to bridge the gap between us and God.  I loved the words on the marquee at First Lutheran on Lakeshore (a church I passed by every day due to the detour).  It says "Jesus made a bridge with two boards and three nails."  Every time I look at that sign, I smile, and am grateful.  I'm so amazed that we have a God who did not stay distant or absent, but came near because of His love.  That's what John 3:16 says, the Gospel in a nutshell.  

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not die but have eternal life.” 

Every week, whenever I get a chance, I want to remind you that you are loved.  You might say, “Mike, aren’t you going overboard a bit on that? I don’t feel lovely. . . I don’t look lovely. . . I don’t do ‘lovely’ things.”  I recognize that. . .and that’s what makes this so amazing. God loves you in the midst of that.  It says “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Not once we had cleaned up our act.  But while we were still sinners, he lay his life down for us.

That’s what makes this verse, this concept, so thrilling.  For God so loved the world that he gave.  God is the initiator.   We didn’t initiate, God initiated.   And he did so because of love.

Notice what love does.   Love gives.  Love that isn’t giving is not love at all.  God so loved that he gave.  He took the initiative, to step into our messed up lives, and offer something so dear.  His one and only son.

This is what gets me these days as a father.  I can’t imagine sacrificing my kids for anyone.  But God did.  God loved so he gave Jesus.

That’s God’s part.  What’s our part?

Respond to that love, that offer, that gift.  That whoever believes in him, Jesus, will not die.  The word “believe” is more than just mental acknowledgement, but to trust in him, to lean your weight on him.   Again, our part is responding to His part.

And then his part takes over again.  That whoever believes in him will not die but have everlasting life.  That is why we call it the good news. Because God did not stay distant or absent, but came near, to shower his love on us through Jesus, that we might not die, but be with him forever.  He bridged the gap with two boards and three nails.

So the next time you drive over a bridge, may it remind you of the greatest bridge ever built, the one that links us and God.  And say thanks!

Pastor Mike Penninga

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