CHECK YOUR BAGGAGE
Here you are standing in front of the airline counter awaiting those three little words from the well dressed clerk, "Check your baggage?" With little hesitation, but much apprehension, you hand over your tightly packed baggage, and pray that it makes it on the same plane as you do and arrives at the same destination you are venturing to. After all, the contents in your baggage are very valuable to you. Everything you need to make your trip a success has been all neatly bundled up and ready for your usage.
After a pleasant ride over some billowy clouds and colorful landscape, the first leg of your trip ends with a smooth landing. Once off the plane you head straight for the baggage claim and wait the arrival of your precious baggage...And you wait, and wait... Nothing! All the other luggage has been claimed, but yours never shows up. You go to the claims counter and ask the nicely dressed clerk about you’re your missing baggage. The clerk tells you that your baggage took another flight and is now on its way to the other side of the planet. The wonderful trip you had planned and prepared for was now in ruins, because someone sent your valuable possessions elsewhere. Your mood is quite somber.
Time has passed and once again you find yourself standing in front of a counter, but this time it is not a well dressed clerk, but a humbly dressed man. The man asks you in a gentle voice, "Check your baggage?". You look down and see there is no luggage, then you tell him you have nothing to give him. The man looks you in the eye and says, "I did not ask for your material belongings, I asked for the baggage that has been piling up inside of you. The baggage that came from the mistakes you made, that you can’t get rid of by yourself."
You ask the man, "Why do you want all this baggage of mine? I’ve carried it around with me a long time. It does get heavy from time to time and it tends to wear me out, but it is a part of me and something I just have to live with. Besides, I put it there myself, not always on purpose, but it’s there."
The humble man says, "That is why I am here for you, today, right now. This baggage you keep locked inside has kept you from experiencing a wonderful life. Let me have this burdensome baggage of yours and I will send it far enough away that you will never feel its heavy load again."
You ask the man, "Why do you want to do this for me?" He replies, "Because I care for you, I have made this great sacrifice for you. I have the strength and the power to release you and anyone who comes to me with this sinful baggage." And you ask, "How can I repay you?" to which the man responds, "By forgiving others for their sins against you, so that the load of their baggage will be eased . And, if you want to experience the best journey in life, come, follow me." EPHESIANS 1:7 For by the sacrificial death of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. John 5:4:06