Surgery

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).

Surgery.  Hearing that word can provoke strong emotion.  Hope for relief from a serious health problem.  Fear of something going terribly wrong while you are unconscious.  Concern for how long it will take to recover afterwards. Worry over how such an expensive procedure will be paid for. 

Surgery is nothing to take lightly.  Even minor surgery can traumatize the body.  Anesthesia puts a strain on your health.  No matter how well trained a surgeon is, humans make mistakes.  No matter how sterile an operating theater is, hospitals are filled with patients that are infected with bacteria and viruses.  In general, health professionals would prefer fixing a problem with medication or some non-invasive therapy rather than cut someone open.  Surgery is reserved for crisis situations and for those times when no other treatment will provide relief. 

You and I have a shared health problem—we are infected with an aggressive cancer named sin.  It is so deadly a problem that only radical surgery can provide effective relief.  If the tumor of sin is not cut away, it will eat us up from the inside.  It will destroy our ability to think clearly, it will destroy our sense of morality, and it will cause us pain that even death cannot end.

Jesus is our surgeon.  He is an expert at using the sharpest scalpel in all of creation—the Word of Truth.  He cuts away the lies we use to hide from reality.  He cuts away the pride and arrogance that makes us deny our need for help.  He cuts away the passion for unhealthy things that make the cancer of sin spread within us even faster.  He cuts away guilt that weighs us down and weakens our resistance.  He cuts away the rebellious attitude that resists God and makes us His enemies.

Surgery is a radical procedure.  It hurts terribly and is incredibly expensive.  Thankfully, Jesus endured most of the pain Himself on the cross—the discomfort of our treatment pales in comparison.  And on that terrible cross, our Great Physician did one thing more—He paid the price for our treatment in its entirety.  Thanks to Jesus your eternal health is assured, and at no cost to you.