What a sad day it was for Snooky’s family! Their three-year-old German shepherd-collie dog was sentenced to die. Snooky was a big dog, but she was friendly. She even liked to stand up on her hind legs and greet their neighbors with a loving lick. But one day someone left the front door of the house open just as the mailman walked past. That’s when Snooky’s troubles started.
The proof was strong—teeth marks in two mailbags and one shredded pair of trousers. Biting the mailman was what brought Snooky’s sentence of death.
Snooky’s owners, their lawyer and several neighbors came to the dog’s defense. They went to the judge and insisted that Snooky was not a mean dog. “It was her first time, her first offense, and we don’t think she should die,” they elained to the judge.
The judge thought about it, and then he changed his mind saying that Snooky could stay with her family. What a relief!
The judge was able to save Snooky from death even though she deserved punishment. Each one of us also deserves punishment because we are sinners. The Bible says that all have sinned (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), and we each deserve to be punished for those sins. Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15) tells us that our punishment will be the lake of fire (hell), and that will be forever. But when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we are saved (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)), because the Lord Jesus was punished for those sins. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24). The judge could remove Snooky’s punishment and save her from death, but he could not be punished for her. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who could be punished for our sins so that we can be saved. Have you asked Him to be your Saviour—to take away your sentence of death?
ML-11/13/1983