October 7, 2022 — This One’s on Me

When we were finished with breakfast, Ricky brought the checks, one for me and one for Stan. I picked up both of them and said to Stan, “This one’s on me.”

“No, I’ll get my own,” Stan objected. “But thanks anyway.”

I was firm. “Someone has to pay and I would really like to be the one.”

“Thank you,” Stan replied. “I appreciate it, and I’ll let you do it, but just this one time.”

“And,” he continued, “you know this is just like Jesus.”

“Just like Jesus?” I said. “How so?”

“Just like someone has to pay for my breakfast,” Stan replied, “someone has to pay for my sins and separation from God. With breakfast, it will either be me or someone else. This time it’s you. With my sins, it will either be me or it will be Jesus.”

“Today, I will let you pay for my breakfast,” he continued. “Some time ago, I decided to let Jesus pay for my sins. To both of you I say, ‘thank you’!”

“As well,” he added almost as an afterthought, “I thank those who brought me to the truth of God’s provision so I don’t have to pay for my sins when it is time for me to step into eternity. I often think about where I would be and where I would be going if those people hadn’t told me that Jesus said from the cross, ‘It is finished!’”

“His finished work on the cross,” I said. “That’s really something to think about!”

“It is,” Stan said, “and so is this: probably everyone who comes in here for breakfast is prepared to pay for it. But the same is not true for everyone who is going to step into eternity, which we will all do one day. Not everyone realizes that someone is going to have to pay for their sins and separation from God.  They don’t realize that either they are going to pay or someone else is, and they don’t realize that Jesus is that ‘someone’ who has already paid the price and has, in effect, said, ‘This one is on Me!’”

“Yeah,” I replied, “they don’t know because no one has told them.”

“Or, maybe,” Stan said, “they weren’t listening.  In any event, let’s get busy and make sure they know that they don’t have to pay because of what Jesus did.”

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Bible verses to consider:

When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit. John 19:30.

For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; . . . . Hebrews 6:10.

I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given me to do. John 14:4.

Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without the preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:13-15.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for giving your only begotten Son to provide salvation and redemption. Thank you that He completed what you gave Him to do. I was able to accept His finished work because of the people you sent into my life to tell me the truth. Thank you for them. I confess that too often I do not tell others what you have provided and how they can accept Jesus’ finished work and be assured of an eternity in your presence when their time here is completed. Please forgive me for my lack of doing what you have for me to do. And please, Father, help me follow every step of your lead to present the truth of the gospel to everyone you bring into my life. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of the One who finished what you had for Him to do. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted Jesus’ finished work on the cross so you know you will spend eternity in God’s presence? If no, why? What’s in the way of accepting God’s free and gracious provision? Do you really want to spend eternity separated from God? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with telling others about what Jesus did for them? If you sense the need for change in how and when you tell others, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?