He Took Our Place!

Ephesians 5:2
Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

When the California gold fever broke out a man went there leaving his wife in New England with his boy. As soon as he was successful he was to send for them. It was a long time before he succeeded, but at last he got money enough to send for them. The wife's heart leaped for joy. She took her son to New York, got on board a Pacific steamer, and sailed away to San Francisco. They had not been long at sea before the cry of "Fire! Fire!" rang through the ship, and rapidly it gained on them. There was a powder magazine on board, and the captain knew the moment the fire reached the powder, every man, woman, and child would perish.

They got out the lifeboats, but they were too small! In a minute they were overcrowded. The last one was just pushing away, when the mother pled with them to take her and her boy. "No," they said, "we have got as many as we can hold." She entreated them so earnestly, that at last they said they would take one more. Do you think she leaped into that boat and left her boy to die? No! She seized her boy, gave him one last hug, kissed him, and dropped him over into the boat. "My boy," she said, "if you live to see your father, tell him that I died in your place."

That is a reminder of what Christ has done for us. He laid down his life for us. He died that we might live. Now will you not love him? What would you say of that young man if he should speak contemptuously of such a mother! She went down to a watery grave to save her son. Shall we speak contemptuously of such a Savior as Jesus? May God make us loyal to Christ! My friends, we will need him one day. We will need him when we to come to the place of death. So remember He took our place, so lets live for him!