I do realize that this is not your typical story of inspiration.  However it is true and did happen.  Today I spent eight hours driving a van full of teenagers on a mission trip.  About half way through the trip the inevitable happened.  The conversation in the back of the van went something like this;  Who did it? He did it.  I didn’t do it, he did.  It wasn’t me!  Oh Yuck, it smells in here.

I’m sure you all know how that type of conversation goes.  No one wants to take responsibility and the conversation just drags on.  After a while I nearly said that I had done it just to end the conversation, but decided that being the driver and being at the front of the van and the offense had obviously occurred at the back of the van they wouldn’t have believed me anyway.

Then, in a moment of inspiration, it dawned on me:  That is what Christ did for us.  He was entirely innocent but he took our ‘stink’ upon himself and died in our place, so that we can live clean and innocent despite our mistakes. Isn’t it amazing the symbolism that come to your mind while driving a van full of teen-agers?  You should try it sometime 🙂

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but receive everlasting life.  John 3:16