I have worked on quite a few bridges during my years in construction. Most were simple overpasses. You see them every time you are on a highway or freeway. Every road or walkway that passes over needs a bridge. Construction of these are normally not too complicated, only the coordination of how they will affect the traffic in the area.
But there were a few times in my career that I worked on bridges that were built to span over a body of water or join to landmasses that could only be connected by a man-made structure. The challenges in building these are usually extreme. One that I have in mind which spanned a river was especially difficult not because the river was too wide or that it was too dangerous to span. No, the problem with this bridge was in the anchorage on either side of the river. One side was solid granite and the other was soft loamy soil. Each of these extremes created its own problems.
Granite which is a fantastic anchor caused problems because of its shape and formation. A lot of blasting and jackhammering had to be done to get it to where it was workable to build a suitable abutment on the one side. The complete opposite treatment was needed for the other side. Many piles needed to be driven and even then, much excavation was needed along with backfill of more acceptable soil for its abutment.
Working on either side had its challenges for all the companies and crews involved. As I remember it there was a lot of frustration, along with a few stops and starts. But with perseverance and patience the abutments were built and eventually the river was spanned. A picture of this bridge came to mind as I was reading an article online the other day about Jesus being our ‘bridge’.
It is a concept that I had not thought about before but one that, at least for me as a builder, gave me a deeper understanding of Jesus’ saving work and the cross. I mean, when you think about it, what is the purpose of a bridge? Its sole purpose is to span a gap between point A and point B. And when we apply that same thought to mankind and God there is a huge gap that only Jesus can span and join.
The question is, how did we get so far from God? How did this huge gap occur? I think the Apostle Paul illustrates it best in the book of Ephesians: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3) As I did myself for so many years, we become dead in sin believing in the world and the lies Satan tells us every day. Our disobedience opens a huge gap from our Holy God. And the problem is that we can’t reach across it. At least by ourselves.
But we find the power of Jesus to bridge that gap in the next two verses: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Jesus Christ- by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5) In Jesus we are made righteous and even as dead as we were, through the cross we are saved. God’s grace! God’s love!
Our job in building the bridge is believing in the bridge builder, but the good news is that even that is done by grace: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing, it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8) Today we can turn away from the life we are now living and turn to Him who willingly died for us while we were still sinners, only He can bridge the gap that keeps us from the everlasting relationship with God that He desires for us.
I certainly in my time, thought of myself as a good bridge builder. But in my life, I found no way to build the one which would bring me into a right relationship with God. Not until I accepted Jesus and he bridged the long span I had created was I able to begin my journey to the Father. Jesus said it this way, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) He is truly our bridge and we all need to cross it soon!
Blessings John
2/19/18
