Concert for a Dead Man
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16]
One stormy night in 1910, a group of traveling musicians arrived at the city of Riga, on the Baltic Sea, to fulfill a concert engagement. The weather was so bad, however, that the conductor of the orchestra tried to persuade the manager of the hall to cancel the concert. He felt sure that no one would venture out on such a rainy night. The manager refused to cancel, but he did agree that if not even one listener turned up, the orchestra could leave early in order to catch the night boat bound for Helsinki, Finland.
When the musicians arrived at the concert hall they found only one person sitting in the audience – a stout old man who seemed to smile at everyone. Because of this one old man, the musicians were forced to play the entire concert and were unable to leave early to catch the boat. After the concert was over the old man continued sitting in his seat. Thinking he was asleep, an usher nudged his shoulder. Only then was it discovered that the old man was dead. The musicians had played the entire concert for a dead man. But, ironically, in doing this they had actually saved their own lives, for the boat they would have taken to Finland sank that very night with a complete loss of life.
The Bible also speaks of how the death of one man saved the lives of many. In Paul’s great letter explaining salvation to the Romans, he writes, “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5:18). And what was the “righteous act”? “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (verse 8).
Through Adam’s one act of disobedience, death came to us all. But because of Christ’s life of perfect obedience – which led Him to die on the cross for our sins – life may come to us all! Have you accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation?
