Column by Bro. Terry Ivy
“Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1John 2:23) There is ONLY one way to the Father—through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the exclusive claim of Christianity, and it does not give room for any other path to heaven. We either accept Jesus for what he said, or we will be judged as an unbeliever and confined to eternal destruction. Hate it, fight against it, reject it, or ignore it, but that’s the deal!
This reminds me of a story I heard about an auction. There was an elderly man who sat in the living room of his mansion with his son enjoying his collection of artwork. He had famous paintings from Monet, Picasso, and Rembrandt. As his son listened to every word, he told of the meaning and value of the paintings. They shared a deep love and appreciation for art. The son grew up, joined the military, and went off to fight in World War II. He died on the battlefields of Europe.
Several years later, after the war, there was a knock on the door of the mansion. The Butler answered it, and a man in a soldier’s uniform asked to speak with the Father. He carried what looked like a canvas wrapped in cheap paper. The Butler escorted him to the living room where the Father was sitting. The soldier had been a close friend to the son and brought a gift to the old man. It was a charcoal drawing of the son. He sketched it shortly before the battle that took the son’s life. It was not pretty or well-drawn, but it was a thing of beauty to the aging Father. He thanked the soldier and placed it over the mantle, in the most prized position among the other famous artworks. The Father would sit for hours every day starring at his son’s portrait.
A few years later, the old man died, and his famous art collection was auctioned off. Collectors and millionaires gathered to bid for their favorite piece. The room was abuzz with excitement. The auction director read a statement to the crowd saying, “In compliance with the last will and testament of the deceased, the charcoal drawing of his son must be auctioned first.” There was a gasp as the professional art collectors looked at the amateur charcoal drawing and murmured, “Who wants that?” The bidding was pitiful, and the son's portrait sold for ten dollars to an elderly gentleman in the back of the room. He was the aging butler from the mansion and had loved the old man and his son.
The auctioneer then rapped his gavel and said, “The auction is closed.” With great anger, the crowd yelled, “What about the Monet, the Picasso, the Rembrandt?” The auction director then said, “There is a second clause in the old man’s will. It says that whoever buys the son's portrait gets the rest of the collection!” They missed the father’s treasure by ignoring the son.
Likewise, whoever has Jesus, has all that belongs to the Father! It is easy to race through life looking for meaning, value, joy, and love. However, every eternal blessing comes through the Son—the Lord Jesus Christ. If we miss the Son… We miss it all!
