The Man Who Died for Eleven Others

By Harold Smith

There was a terrible, terrible shipwreck. The ship had gone on the rocks in a terrible storm. Twelve brave sailors packed a heavily-loaded lifeboat and let it down into the sea, and started to row their way through the terrible storm to shore. They soon found out that the boat was overloaded and they just weren't going to make it, there were too many aboard. Maybe, if there were only eleven of them, they would be able to make it - but there were twelve - there were too many. One of the brave fellows said, "I've got the answer, I'll jump overboard, then it will make the boat light enough so the rest of you can get to shore". Before they could say anything, the brave young lad jumped into the angry sea. He never had a chance, he went down and they saw him no more as he went down to a watery grave, down to his death. He died for the other eleven so that they might be saved! He didn't die for any particular one of the eleven. He didn't die for one and not the other ten, he died for them all - and they all safely got ashore and they were all saved. Now that reminds me, boys and girls, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each one of the eleven aboard that boat could say, "HE DIED FOR ME", though he died for them all. Each one of you boys and girls can say, "THE LORD JESUS DIED FOR ME", yet he really died for all, didn't He? But you're not wrong when you say, "HE DIED FOR ME, HE DIED FOR ME". Paul could say that. He said, "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" - you can say that, just like each one of those eleven sailors on that boat. He died for them all, but each could say, "He died for me". When you think and realize that Christ died for you - He died for the whole world, but He died for you, and you receive Him as your Savior, that's when you'll be saved. So do that and be saved this very day.