Story of Wrong Train

Jason stood at the train station, his army bag in hand. Hed been told by his commander to board
the train labeled True and Pure. But at the moment, Jason had forgotten this commandment. In
fact, he temporarily forgot eerything !hen he sa! an ama"ingly comfortable#loo$ing train pull up
and call out, %ll aboard. &ithout thin$ing or een as$ing !here the train !as headed, Jason
hopped on board.
Jason nestled into the plush seat. He !as tired from many long battles, and this train felt
fabulous. 'eaning bac$, he relished in the sensation of the soft material against him, the clean
!alls and !indo!s, and the delicious smell of the food the serice attendants !ere getting ready
to sere. &ith eerything so nice, !hy did he feel so uneasy(
He hadnt gone far before he started to notice a problem. )omething !asnt right !ith the serice
attendants on this train. They gae him eerything he !anted, but !hy did he get the impression
they !ere !aiting to pounce on him( % glance out the !indo! made his heart pound. &as that
enemy territory he sa!( &here !as this train going, any!ay( He chided himself for not haing
found out. He loo$ed around for any trace of a Pure and True sign, but he didnt see one. &ith a
groan, he reali"ed hed been fooled into getting on an enemy train.
Jason turned his attention to figuring out a !ay off the train. It !as going !ay too fast to *ump off,
that he $ne!. He in+uired about the ne,t stop, but the serant attendant ignored his +uestion and
instead offered him another beerage. He too$ it uneasily. &here !ere they going(
Jason !as not left in suspense for long. The train soon pulled to a stop in front of a depot that
loo$ed more li$e a prison. Jason tried to run a!ay as soon as the train stopped, but he
discoered that the delicious food and beerages hed consumed on the train had left him !ea$.
He found himself helplessly led inside the depot and thro!n in a damp, dirty, and altogether
unpleasant room not unli$e a prison cell. He !as indeed trapped.
Then Jason remembered the radio in his poc$et. He +uic$ly found it and radioed his commander.
I got on the !rong train and ended up trapped. I cant escape. Please help-Im so sorry I didnt
listen to your instructions, he !hispered, least anyone oerhear.
.a$e your !ay to the door. Ill get you out, came the prompt reply.
/ight no!(
/ight no!. Im right outside the door-Ie been near you the !hole time, *ust !aiting for you to
reali"e !hat youd done and as$ for help. I paid the ransom to free you from the enemy years
ago, remember(
Jason hurried to the door, remembering !ell the tremendous price the commander had paid to
ransom him. True to his !ord, the commander +uic$ly opened the door and, supporting Jason
!ith his arm, led him through a special passage!ay out of the enemy depot to a !aiting *eep. 0h,
ho! good the fresh air felt to Jason1
The commander droe Jason bac$ through the enemy lines to a friendly depot, leaing him there
to board a Pure and True train. %s Jason !aited, he thought bac$ oer !hat had happened. Ho!
foolish he had been to *ump on a pleasant#loo$ing train !ithout thin$ing through its destination1
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things
is death. Romans 6:21
Be not deceived; od is not moc!ed: for whatsoever a man soweth" that sha## he a#so rea$. %or
he that soweth to his f#esh sha## of the f#esh rea$ corru$tion; &ut he that soweth to the '$irit sha##
of the '$irit rea$ #ife ever#asting. (nd #et us not &e weary in we## doing: for in due season we sha##
rea$" if we faint not. a#atians 6:)*+
%ina##y" &rethren" whatsoever things are true" whatsoever things are honest" whatsoever things
are ,ust" whatsoever things are $ure" whatsoever things are #ove#y" whatsoever things are of good
re$ort; if there &e any virtue" and if there &e any $raise" thin! on these things. -hi#i$$ians .:/
The Visiting Pastor
After a few of the usual Sunday evening Hymns, the church's
Pastor stood up, walked over to the pulpit and before he gave
his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister
who was in the service that evening.
In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the
guest minister was on of his dearest childhood friends and the
he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and
share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.
ith that an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to
speak.
!A father, his son and a friend of his son were sailing off the
pacific coast.! he began. !hen a fast approaching storm
blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. "he waves were
so high, that even though the father was an e#perienced sailor,
he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept
into the ocean as the boat capsi$ed.!
"he old man hesitated for a moment. %aking eye contact with
two teenagers who were, looking somewhat interested in his
story. "he aged minister continued with his story.
!&rabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most
e#cruciating decision of his life' to which boy would he throw
the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the
decision. "he father knew that his son was a (hristian and he
also knew that his son's friend was not. "he agony of his
decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the
father yelled out. !I )ove *ou, Son+! He threw out the life line
to his son's friend. ,y the time the father had pulled the friend
back to the capsi$ed boat, his son had disappeared beneath
the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never
recovered+
,y this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the
pew, an#iously waiting for the ne#t words to come out of the
old minister's mouth.
!"he father,! he continued, !knew his son would step into
eternity with -esus and he could not bear the thought of his
son's friend stepping into an eternity without -esus..
"herefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend.
How great our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son
that we could be saved. I urge you to accept His offer to
rescue you and take a hold of the lifeline he is throwing out to
you in this service. ith that, the old man turned and sat back
down in his chair as silence filled the room.
"he pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a
brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one
responded to the appeal. ithin minutes after the service
ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. !"hat
was a nice story.! Politely stated one of them, !but I don't
think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's
life in hopes that the other boy would become a (hristian.!
!ell you have a point there,! the old man replied lancing
down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face.
He once again looked up at the boys and said, !It sure isn't
very realistic, is it. ,ut I'm standing here today to tell you that
story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for
&od to give up his son for me.
*ou see.... I was that father and your pastor is my son's
friend.!