High Wire Walker

If you are a sports fan, you know the most memorable moments are those when a big game comes down to one play, one at-bat, one shot, or one pitch. Many sports have situations where the team is counting on that one person to be successful. In baseball they count on that one starting pitcher to win a game, or that one closer to shut the other team down in the 9^th inning. In football, on the goal line with 3 seconds on the clock, a football coach is going to hand the ball to that one running back that has proven many times before that he’ll get the yard needed.

The question is, who gets these big roles in the big games? The answer is easy, the one that has been successful the entire season, the one that has shown they have the highest probability for success because they have had success repeatedly all season in high pressure situations. You would say, the coach and the team have faith in this player to get the job done.

It is not just in sports that we want a proven track record. If I need open heart surgery, I would prefer the surgeon have years of experience, having done hundreds of the exact same surgeries successfully. Ideally it would NOT be the surgeon’s first time in the operating room.

Considering these various scenarios, we recognize that it is impossible to have faith in a person, without having a knowledge of that person. If there is no track record, there would be no trust, no faith. The more knowledge we have of a person, and the longer the track record, the more confidence we have, the more trust and faith we have in that person.

You could say, the more we know about a person, results in either more belief, or less belief that that person can be successful in the task at hand. After all, it works the other way as well. For example, a drug addict that has a track record of lies, deceit, and unreliability would not be depended on to show up for a job, let alone, being successful.

It is impossible to have faith in a person, without having a knowledge of that person.

With that said, let’s bring our mind to a hypothetical situation. Many of you may have heard a variation of this, but please stay with me, we are going to expand this analogy a little bit.

Let’s say you are on the roof of a high rise building in a large downtown area. A crowd has gathered on the roof to listen to one man talking about walking a high wire from one building to the next. As you get closer you realize there is a wire connected to the building and it is also connected to the building across the street.

“The man asks, “who thinks I can walk across this wire?”

No one in the crowd knows this man, there is no knowledge of what he’s done, there is no track record of his ability to do such a thing; so, as expected, nobody’s hand goes up.  Although they do not believe he can do it, they are very curious to see what is about to happen, so they watch intently.

The man hops out on the wire, walks to the other side, and walks back.

As everyone is amazed, he then asks, “who thinks I can walk across this wire blindfolded?”

A few hands go up, but most do not believe he can do it.

He has someone in the crowd securely tie on a blind fold to ensure he cannot see, he hops out on to the wire just as easily as he did before, walks across and back, removes the blindfold, and takes a bow.

He then grabs a nearby wheel barrel and asks, “how many believe I can walk across the wire blindfolded while pushing this wheel barrel on the wire?”

He does it, and then asks, “how many believe that I can do this again, but with someone in the wheel barrel?”

Many hands go up, but when he asks who wants to jump in, all the hands go down.

The man proceeds to hoist three 50-pound bags of rocks in the wheel barrel and quickly goes across and back.

Let’s expand this a little bit now.

While you are out on the roof, the door flies open and a crowd of people rush on to the roof, but this crowd is panicked and afraid. Through the chaos, someone finally explains the building is on fire. The fire is rushing up the stairwells, and the elevator shafts. They estimate the fire has burned through the first 20 floors and rising fast; there is absolutely no way down.

As the crowd grows more and more panicked, the tight rope walker calmly asks again, “who wants to hop in the wheel barrel and be brought to safety?”

What group are you in?  

We have varying groups of people on that roof top; let’s consider them:

1. Those that just got up to the roof, know the building is on fire, but never saw the man’s feats, they have no knowledge of who he is or what he has done and say, “I am not getting in”, and they start looking for other options to get to safety
2. Those that did not see the flames, nor feel the heat, but they believe those that have said the building is on fire, saw the feats of the man with the wheel barrel, yet still say “I am not getting in.”, and they start looking for other options to get to safety
3. Those that did not see the flames, nor feel the heat, but they believe those that have said the building is on fire, they saw the feats of the man with the wheel barrel, and hop in and are brought to safety
4. Those that know the building is on fire, did not see the feats, but were told of them, but still will not hop and they start looking for other options to get to safety
5. Those that know the building is on fire, did not see the feats, but were told of them, and based on what they heard they hop in and are brought to safety
6. Those that were told the building is on fire but do not believe it, and do not see a reason to hop in the wheel barrel, nor seek safety another way
7. Those that have been on the roof the whole time, but have been on their phone the entire time, so they didn’t see the feats the first crowd saw, nor did they hear what the panicked crowd is yelling about, nor do they care

As everyone contemplated their situation, the man walked those willing to hop in to the wheel barrel to the safety of the building across the street.

Those that refused to get in for one reason or another observed the man make one trip after another. With each trip back and forth they became more and more confident that the man could bring them across. Some remained skeptical, some changed their mind and hopped in the wheel barrel, some still weren’t convinced the building was on fire but stayed on the roof just in case, figuring they would hop in at the last second if it was.

You probably have already concluded what some of the symbolism in this story is about, and maybe you have added a few other “personalities” to the list. Let’s dig a little deeper into this together:

More Evidence Equals More Trust

Clearly, the more evidence people witnessed of the high walker’s ability allowed for more and more people to trust in him, resulting in more people willing to hop into the wheel barrel. This is the reason Jesus performed all the miracles. Each miracle He performed was “a trip across the wire” The miracles were for us, that we may believe He is who He said He is. With each miracle, with each sign, He was saying, “Do you believe Me now?

He made a blind man see – “will you trust Me now?”, He made a crippled man walk – “will you believe Me now?”, He raised a dead man back to life – “will you put your faith in Me now?”, He calmed the storm with a Word – “now?”, He walked on water – “now?”, He rose from the dead – “will you believe in Me now?” The miracles Jesus did were not simply to give a blind man sight, or a dead man his life back, etc – they were done so that you may KNOW HIM! If you know Him, you will believe Him.

Obviously there are going to be those that say, “how do we know Jesus did all of these things?” It is OK to ask those questions, God is not afraid of the skeptic, but the skeptic needs to seek the answer to their question sincerely and diligently. Ultimately, that question is, “how do I know the Bible is reliable, how do I know it is accurate?” The evidence of the Bible authenticity is quite overwhelming, but if you do not seek the proof, and the Truth, you are like the person on the roof with their face in their phone the whole time not concerned in either the “fire” nor the “Savior”.

What Does the Fire Represent?

The fire raging up in that building is symbolic of the Wrath of God. The Wrath of God is coming. People do not like to hear the word Wrath; if you are one that does not like the word wrath, call it Justice if you’d like. We can agree in our society that all lawbreakers should be brought to justice; the same is true in God’s “courtroom” Murders should be punished. Rapist should be punished. That is easy to agree on; but in God’s courtroom, liars, thieves, idolaters, and fornicators are also punished (just to name a few). Will you remain a skeptic as the “fire rages up the stairwells and elevator shafts”?  Will you ignore or be indifferent to the reality of the justice that is coming to those that have sinned against God?

One might say, “you said it earlier, if you don’t have knowledge of a person, you can’t have faith in them. I don’t know Jesus; how can I have faith in Him?”

God has given us His Word. He has preserved and protected His Word that you may know Him. He has proven it to be His Word by the prophecies, and other evidence so that you may know Jesus. Men throughout history have been killed translating and distributing God’s Word so those that don’t know Jesus may know Him.

It’s God’s Building

God has said, He built the building, and it is His to burn down. Whether a person has been led to believe that this high-rise building evolved over a billion years or not, does not separate us from the fact that the building is on fire. He built this building for good, but men have corrupted it with their evil desires. One floor is filled with desks of telemarketers deceiving people from their hard-earned money because of greed. One floor is filled with all kinds of entertainment to distract you and keep you from going to the roof to learn of the One that can bring you to safety. The top floor has a bar and a brothel with every kind of indulgence of the flesh you want to gratify. Here’s the best kept secret of all; the greed, entertainment, sex, and drugs are easy to identify; but there is a secret floor between what was thought to be the top floor and the roof. On that floor are all the religions of the world. They deceive you into thinking you have reached safety. They present you with a fake “wire-walker” who has no power or ability to step on to the wire, let alone walk across. God has been patient, wanting people to get to the roof to learn of Him who can “walk them across”. He has even slowed the fire, but the building is burning up, the fire of His Wrath is coming because of the corruption and sin that is on every floor, false religions are just as much a part of that corruption as the most vile sin in the world.

What’s Your Favorite Floor?

We all ran into this building and found our favorite floors to hang out. As we secretly prefer to be on our chosen floor, we ask questions, often philosophical questions, but they are only a smoke screens because we don’t want to run to the roof. The Truth is on the roof, it is not on any other floor no matter how proper that floor may seem, there is no Truth there. God is not hiding His Truth. He sends people to every floor to plead with others, “this is not the floor you want to be on, the building is on fire, go up to the roof and learn of Him who can save you!”

What is in the other building?

The other building is more glorious than men can imagine. Those that know the fire is raging and are trusting in Him to bring them across are hopping in the wheel barrel to be saved from the situation they have put themselves in. But what they do not realize is the blessing that awaits them in the other building. It would have been enough to simply be brought to safety; but instead, we are not only given safety, but we are given abundant life, eternal life. No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor mind imagined what God has prepared for those that love Him.

However, the inverse is also true. As glorious as Heaven will be, hell is equally horrific for those that choose to die “on the roof” rather than trust in the Savior. God has blessed us with light, love, water, and fellowship. He has blessed us with sunsets and rain; mountains and rivers. He has blessed us with family and friends; purpose and rest. Hell is a place void of all of that. There is no party to be had, but only the absence of all of God’s blessings, a place of outer darkness and loneliness, no rest and no peace. Man chooses life without God, or obedience to His Word and they are given the absence of God and His blessings for all eternity when they die, just as they chose.

Do not be deceived

Don’t be deceived by religions using the Name of Jesus. False Religions that use the Name of Jesus will tell you that you have a part to play in your “trip across the wire”. They’ll tell you to make sure you don’t move around in the wheel barrel, or the “Walker” will lose His balance. They’ll say, make sure you sit cross legged with your arms folded, and do everything perfect. They will deceive you with rules and rituals that man has created. The reality is, Him getting you across isn’t dependent on you. You can stand, sit, kneel, or hop and you will not cause Him to fall any more than you can help Him across.

What now?

Once you have trusted in Jesus to save you, and He has brought you safely to the “other building” will you ask Him to bring you back over, “just for a night”, “just for a few minutes”? Not if you love Him and are abundantly thankful that He saved you. God hates what goes on over there, He doesn’t want His children over there.

God not only places you securely in the new building, but He doesn’t put the old you in His perfect building, He cleanses you in the Blood of His Son, He gives you a new heart, a heart and mind that hates what He hates and loves what He loves. You will look across the street at that burning building and feel the shame of things you’ve done there, but He will remind you, that’s the “old you”, the “new you” is washed white and pure as snow because you’ve been cleansed in the Blood of My Son. We won’t be perfect on this side of glory, but we will be different, we will live for Jesus.

Another Urgent Plea

So, if you have never been asked before, or if you have been asked and didn’t respond, I am pleading with you now; “run, don’t walk, run to the roof, learn of Him who saves, and trust in Him before it is too late.

God DOES NOT ask us to “believe you have been saved”, or “believe you are good enough”, or “believe you have done enough good to out-weigh the bad”, or “believe you have gone to church enough”, or “believe you have done the right rituals” – NO! He says, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

Before I conclude with Scriptures that support this analogy, I want to remind you again:

It’s impossible to have faith in a Person, without having a knowledge of that Person.

The question isn’t, “did Jesus really do all these things?”, the evidence for them is overwhelming. The question is, “do you believe who He is?”

If you believe who He is based on the evidence of what He has done, and the Words He has said, are you going to “hop in” or go back down to the floor you feel more comfortable with while the fire rages?

Salivation is not in a wheel barrel on a high wire. That “wheel barrel on the high wire” is symbolic of the Cross of Jesus where He suffered, He bled, where He became sin, He was crushed under the Wrath of God and died a brutal death. But, on the third day He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death. On that Cross He said, “it is finished” – He paid the debt, your sin debt and mine paid in full. We can look at that Cross and think it foolishness and go on our way, or we can look at that Cross and understand that the Wrath He endured is the Wrath I will face for eternity unless I trust in Jesus’ finished work to save me from the Wrath I deserve.

Scripture to Support this Post

John 21:25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Although the Bible does not need man to testify to Its authority, it is interesting that Josephus, a secular, non-believing historian, wrote this about Jesus:

“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”

John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me,

• The Jews know from the Old Testament Scripture that God has said the Messiah, the Savior, is coming; but they do not believe Jesus was the One they are waiting for. He tells them plainly, “I am the One”.

John 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

• To continue with our analogy, Jesus walked across that “wire” so many times, in so many ways, on His hands, on one foot, blindfolded, hopping, skipping, you name it; He did so many signs and wonders to authenticate who He is that all the books of the world could not contain their documentation if they were all written down

Matthew 11:4-6 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”

• John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus Christ, announcing His coming, and John is now in prison, he was in prison wondering if Jesus was really the Christ, This is what Jesus told the messenger.
• Just as when Jesus is preached today, people are offended by the “narrowness” of the Way of salvation, or even the message that salvation is required at all, but Jesus said, “blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”

John 12:9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of Him but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

• There was no doubt that Lazarus was dead, there was no doubt Jesus raised him from the dead, and he was living life as he did before. People were understandably curious and wanted to see this man that was raised from the dead

Matthew 17:9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

• It is interesting how matter of fact Jesus speaks of His death and resurrection in this verse

John 4:39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”

• The woman at the well was amazed that Jesus told her things of herself that He had no way of knowing in the natural sense and she immediately went and gave testimony about Him

John 9:25 He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

• The blind man who was healed kept it pretty simple, basically saying when questioned again, “say what you will about Him, all as I know is, He healed me, I was blind and now I see.”

John 3:2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with Him.”

• These are the words of Nicodemus, a religious leader, seemingly the only one of them at this point that put his pride aside and went to Jesus for answers

John 12:37 Though He had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him,

• The Truth about Jesus requires men to change their mind about two people: one, who they are (a sinner deserving of God’s Wrath that must turn from their wickedness) and, two, who Jesus is (the Son of God in whom we must be saved from the coming Wrath of God)
• This verse illustrates two things; one, men are firmly entrenched in their sin that miracles alone will not jolt them out of it, and, two, lest God open a man’s spiritual eyes to the Truth, he will not see it no matter how many miracles he sees, or testimonies he hears

John 7:31 Yet many of the people believed in Him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this Man has done?”

• The people were waiting for the Christ, and they logically concluded, “wow, this Man has performed many amazing signs, will the Christ do more than this?!”

1Corinthains 1:18 For the Word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

• No matter how many signs or witnesses are recorded, no matter how many testimonies given of lives changed by Jesus, the Gospel is foolishness to those who have not been given eyes to see
• For those who have been given eyes to see the Truth, they understand that the Gospel is the power of God, the Gospel is the power to save
• We can debate philosophy, theology, or evolution until we are blue in the face, but at the end of the day, it is the Gospel that is the power to save. The simple fact that man has a sin problem, and lest they resolved that problem, which can only be done through Christ, they will die in their sin and go to hell for eternity

Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

• When a man knows Jesus is Lord, that He is the Creator of all things, and believes He was raised from the dead defeating sin and death, when he truly believes this to be true, he will be set on a different course in life. A course that is determined to be obedient to his King, King Jesus

Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His Blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the Wrath of God.

• This is one of the most straight forward verses of all we have been talking about; Wrath is coming, and only the Blood of Jesus can save you

Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the Wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

•  Much like John 3:36, this verse ties together the reality of belief and obedience

Colossians 3:6 On account of these the Wrath of God is coming.

• In case a man is not certain of why Wrath is deserved, this section of Scripture gives clarity (read this entire chapter; Colossians 3)

Acts 16:31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

• Hop in the wheel barrel and trust in Him alone to save you

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

• Many false prophets and false teachers have come into the world claiming they can ”walk the wire” but none have proven it, none have given evidence of it. Jesus alone has shown He is who He said He is; Jesus is the only Name given among men by which we must be saved

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.’

• What a glorious promise! No tricks, no rituals, no requirement – know your situation and call on Him to save you from it

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

• When you read further in the text, you will find, Jesus didn’t need to come to condemn, the world was condemned already.
• Don’t get it twisted, this text is not saying Jesus won’t condemn the guilty, because He will, the guilty are already condemned. He came to rescue the guilty from sins consequence

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• If you take nothing away from this post, take this away – confession is agreement, agree with God that you’ve sinned against Him and tell Him you agree. List them to Him, at least the ones you know, He will reveal more to you over time. If all you know is that you lied to your parents once, tell Him, because that alone is enough to condemn you forever.
• Notice that this verse says, “He is Faithful” – that means He has never failed to do what He promises, and He has promised to cleanse you of your sin if you trust in Him. That means He will wash you in such a way, so it is as if you never sinned at all
• Notice that this verse says “He is Just”. Justice says that all law-breakers must be punished, but Jesus satisfied that Justice on your behalf. Because He paid the price, He can justly cleanse you. God doesn’t ignore your sin, or sweep it under the rug, He paid the debt, so He can justly say, “I find no fault, the debt is paid.”