“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”
–Hebrews 2:10 (KJV)
Man is always looking for a way to save life, but we can celebrate this day, because the king of CPR has already conquered it.
Take a mental journey with me, and remember all those old movies that depicted a mad scientist in his laboratory. He had usually cooked up some kind of gimmick that he hoped would beat death.
You may laugh, but in a similar way, this is true in real life, as the following will show. So let me share a few facts with you, and then let’s contrast this with what Jesus has done.
One CPR training program puts it this way. While effective CPR can increase the victim’s chances during the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, only 6% of patients survive. Even with CPR, more than 70% of all cardiac arrest patients die outside of hospitals.
Now place these facts alongside the changed lives of Jesus’ disciples, and you will see men and women who were formerly scared to death, totally transformed by the resurrection of their master. The people who had been behind locked doors now gave their lives willingly, for the new life which the empty tomb proclaimed.
Having said that, let’s turn to the issue of timing. No matter how beneficial CPR is, we can see from the above statistics that timing is everything if these life-saving procedures are to succeed.
I would like to contrast these figures with the prophets, whose timing was perfect. They spoke of the resurrection hundreds of years before it happened. One example of this can be found in the book of Jonah. (Yes, he was the guy who was swallowed by a great fish.) Christ makes reference to that event, showing how his life attested to the fact of the resurrection.
I will now use CPR as an acronym to further tell you why Jesus is both the King of the resurrection, and the King of timing.
Think about the opening scripture from the King James translation, which states that Jesus is the CAPTAIN of our salvation. Since words are important, I had to look at some other renderings of this verse to see if the correct idea came across. In other Bible translations, in place of the word “captain”, you will find such words as “pioneer”, “author”, and “founder”. But all of these alternating words only clarify the role that Jesus plays in our lives. I still decided that the word “captain” still fit the bill best. However, it seemed to me that all those words embodied every quality portrayed here and then some, and other adjectives just shed light on Jesus’ role in our salvation.
Please look with me at the captain’s role, and then we will compare it with Jesus. First of all, I think you will agree that above all, a good captain must be an initiator. He must chart the course of the ship, maintain control at all times, and watch over those in his care.
The Bible says that as the captain of our salvation, Jesus was just such an initiator. Consider how He has charted the course for you on the ship of life through His own life, death and resurrection. Furthermore, He watches over us and guides our every step. As you meditate upon the role of Jesus as the perfect captain, try to count all of the blessings which God has given you. In light of the above, if you conclude that the power of His resurrection is still the same today, how will your life change?
Building upon the above foundation, let’s move on to the P in CPR. P stands for the word PEACE. An atmosphere of peace is a quality which is truly priceless. Any captain worth his salt must work hard to obtain harmony, since smooth sailing isn’t guaranteed on any ship.
Just like the captain of a ship, the captain of our salvation has done the work for us by bringing about true peace with God, which passes all understanding. God’s peace was purchased on the cross and fulfilled by the empty tomb.
This means that His peace is constantly available. Although there are always storms, you and I can have the peace of knowing that the one who is at the helm of our life will guide us safely through the hard times. In your mind’s eye, picture Jesus calming the storms of life. Do you have the peace of knowing that when everything seems to be falling apart, Christ holds your life together by His resurrection power?
Lastly, the R stands for REST. Rest is a cousin of peace, but it is a different concept. When you are resting, you surrender yourself to whatever you are resting on. A mattress will do you no good if you stand there and stare at it. Unless you stretch out on it, you will not get the rest you need. In the same way, Christ asks you to totally abandon yourself and rest in His arms.
Christ is calling all of us to rest on Him today. As He has said in scripture, “take my yoke upon you and learn of me. If you do this, you will find rest in your soul.”
When you go through difficult circumstances, remember His power, His peace, and His presence by meditating on His Word. If this seems impossible, remember Jesus’ empty tomb. This wonderful symbol proves that Christ will never leave or forsake you.
God is calling each of us to take hold of this promise in a new way today, while He transforms our lives so that our neighbors will see us anew tomorrow.
Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 101 S Kraemer BLVD, Suite 123A, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, you’re always welcome to join our Monday night Bible study or Tuesday night prayer meeting. Both are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 712-775-7031, and our ID is 607518748. We hope to talk with you soon!
If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.