A MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON
The movie, Sully, is about the real life event of when Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed a commercial aircraft on the Hudson River after losing both engines from a bird strike shortly after takeoff. Throughout the movie the NTSB (the National Transportation Safety Board) had been investigating the water landing to determine if Sully had actually made a mistake by going for the Hudson when he could have—and, as they thought, should have—headed for a nearby airport. They run simulations, look at the black box data, and speak with scientists who are experts in birds.
At the end of the movie, it becomes obvious to everyone involved—including the NTSB—that the right decision was made, and it was only because of that decision that everyone on the aircraft was saved. In all of their research into what happened and how it could have been resolved—in other words, their focus on finding the how—they missed the most important detail—the who.
This is summed up beautifully in a statement made at the end of the movie. One of the NTSB officials says to Sully, “I can say with absolute confidence that after speaking with the rest of the flight crew, with bird experts, aviation engineers, after running through every scenario, after interviewing each player, there is still an ‘X’ in this result. And it’s you, Captain Sullenberger. Remove you from the equation and the math just fails.”
Sometimes the who is more important than the how.
THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SAVE
In Luke 19:1-10 we’re told that Jesus entered Jericho but had in mind to keep moving through. Zacchaeus, who was not just a tax collector, but a chief tax collector—a very rich man—wanted to see for himself who this Jesus was, but he had a problem. You probably know what his problem was if you know the song. He was wee little man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So, what did he do? He, of course, ran on ahead of Jesus and climbed a tree to get a better look.
When Jesus caught up to Zacchaeus he said, “Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus got right down from that tree and welcomed Jesus gladly. The crowd, however, didn’t respond in the same way, because they couldn’t help but see that Jesus was not going to have dinner at just anyone’s house. He was going to be the guest of a sinner.
Zacchaeus, maybe even thinking along the same line for a moment said to Jesus, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” He knew this was a serious thing for Jesus to have called him from the tree and to have invited himself to his house. To which Jesus responded, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” Jesus wasn’t going to allow the crowd’s thinking (and perhaps Zacchaeus’s own thinking) to cloud what was happening before their very eyes.
Jesus continued—and this is where things get real for our discussion here—by saying, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Sometimes the who is more important than the how.
JESUS IS SALVATION
The main reason the aircraft made a safe water landing was not because all the right decisions were made. It wasn’t even because the aircraft was built in such a way to allow that sort of landing to be possible. It was because of the person who flew that aircraft. In a similar way, it’s not mainly because of the cross that anyone is saved today. Nor is it mainly because of what was accomplished by the one who was placed upon the cross. Forgive me as I just took a second to make sure my hair wasn’t starting to stand on end. If anyone at any point in time was or is going to be saved, it was and is because of the one doing the saving—Jesus.
Notice what he specifically said to Zacchaeus. “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9, NIV). Jesus not only identified himself as the one who is going to be accomplishing the saving work: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10, NIV), he identified himself as salvation incarnate.
When anyone in Jesus’s day saw him walking around, it was as if they were watching salvation walk around. Everything that salvation was and is, was and is contained in Jesus. Said the other way, take Jesus out of salvation and salvation no longer exists. Remove him from the equation of salvation and the math doesn’t work.
Simeon, earlier in Luke’s Gospel, when he took the baby Jesus into his arms says it clearly: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32, NIV)