There’s a story of a pastor in the US who introduced a visiting speaker to his church… an elderly preacher walked up to the pulpit and told this story: ‘A father took his son and his son’s best friend on a sailing trip when a storm overturned the boat sweeping them all into the ocean. The father managed to scramble on to the upturned hull and grabbing the rescue float and line he had to make the most painful decision of his life – which boy to throw the lifeline to and which one to sacrifice. He knew his son had accepted Christ but his best friend hadn’t. In anguish the father yelled, ‘I love you son,’ and threw the rope to his son’s friend. By the time he’d hauled the boy back to the capsized boat his son had disappeared beneath the waves. His body was never recovered. The father knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and couldn’t bear the thought of his friend facing eternity without Christ.’ At the end of the service a teenager approached the old man and said, ‘That’s a nice story, but what father in his right mind would sacrifice his son’s life in hope that the other boy would become a Christian?’ ‘You’ve got the point,’ the old preacher replied. ‘But I’m standing here today to tell you, that story gives me a glimpse into what it must have been like for God to sacrifice His only Son for us. And I also understand, you see, because I was that father, and your pastor… he was my son’s best friend!’

Source: The UCB Word For Today, 30/5/2009

There’s a story of a pastor in the US who introduced a visiting speaker to his church… an elderly preacher walked up to the pulpit and told this story: ‘A father took his son and his son’s best friend on a sailing trip when a storm overturned the boat sweeping them all into the ocean. The father managed to scramble on to the upturned hull and grabbing the rescue float and line he had to make the most painful decision of his life – which boy to throw the lifeline to and which one to sacrifice. He knew his son had accepted Christ but his best friend hadn’t. In anguish the father yelled, ‘I love you son,’ and threw the rope to his son’s friend. By the time he’d hauled the boy back to the capsized boat his son had disappeared beneath the waves. His body was never recovered. The father knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and couldn’t bear the thought of his friend facing eternity without Christ.’ At the end of the service a teenager approached the old man and said, ‘That’s a nice story, but what father in his right mind would sacrifice his son’s life in hope that the other boy would become a Christian?’ ‘You’ve got the point,’ the old preacher replied. ‘But I’m standing here today to tell you, that story gives me a glimpse into what it must have been like for God to sacrifice His only Son for us. And I also understand, you see, because I was that father, and your pastor… he was my son’s best friend!’

Source: The UCB Word For Today, 30/5/2009