Utumishi Blog

A while ago I heard someone use the brilliant 2nd World War film Saving Private Ryan as an illustration of the gospel and the Christian life. And it is, in some ways, a great illustration. Private James Ryan is missing in action and badly needs saving. Captain John Miller and his men cross sea and land and go through terrible ordeals to seek and save the lost. Captain Miller eventually lays down his life so Ryan can go home –  a substitutionary sacrifice.

But in other ways the film is a very bad illustration for the Christian life. It ends with Ryan as an mzee at Miller’s grave, collapsing to his knees, crying, terrified that maybe he has not led a life worthy of the sacrifice of his saviour. He turns desperately to his wife for assurance:

“Tell me I have led a good life. Tell me I am a good man.”

At the end of his life he is still searching for peace, for justification. Why is that? Well go back to the ‘Cross moment’ in the film… What are the ‘saviour’s’ last words as he bleeds to death on the bridge?

“James earn this. Earn it.”

Those are the words that hang over Ryan’s life. Back to the old man by the grave:

“Everyday I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I’ve tried to live my life as best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that at least in your eyes I’ve earned what you have done for me.”

Compare that with the dying words of Jesus Christ:

“It is finished.”

Nothing to pay. Nothing to earn. It is all completely finished. God’s wrath exhausted, the debt fully paid, the whole system of sacrifice and atonement fulfilled and destroyed. And even those are not his final words…

If I go to my saviour’s grave I find on the headstone the name, “Captain Jesus Christ” and also, “Private Andy Harker”. When he died, I died with him; when he was buried, I was buried with him. The old hell-deserving sinner has already died. There’s no point fearing whether I will measure up. Judgment day has come and gone for me. And then I notice that there is a great hole in front of the headstone. The grave is empty! And then someone comes up beside me and puts his right hand on my shoulder and says:

“Peace be with you. Fear not. Peace be with you. I am the first and the last and the living one, the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you. I died and behold I am alive for evermore. You also have died and the life you now live is hidden with me in God. You are mine and I am yours. No one can snatch you from my hand.”

Saving Private Ryan shows that it is very easy to turn gospel into law – that it is possible to have some sort of doctrine of the Cross, even of substitutionary sacrifice, and yet have no assurance.

Praise God that we have a finished sacrifice, a judgment day that has passed, a risen saviour and a completely new life in Him. Enjoy!