Vaccine for Sin

Photographer Alejandra poses with some of her subjects.

Before leaving for Zambia, each of us had to get typhoid and yellow fever shots or medication.  Mrs. Muncy was very busy arranging for shots and pills to make sure we were safe to go into a country where malaria and other diseases are prevalent.  It was inconvenient, and some suffered from various reactions, but on the whole, it was no big deal (albeit a bit expensive).  If we di not have to suffer the ravages of the actual diseases, I'm fine with a little prick, a bit of nausea, a heavy arm for a few days.

This morning, Pastor Jay shared with the group the stories behind two of the shots/medications we took:  typhoid fever and yellow fever.  With these fevers, one person can infect and cause the death of many.  The vaccine for Yellow Fever was developed from the bacteria of one man who died from the fever in 1930.  The vaccine we got is directly descended from him.  He compared this very real experience that we have with what Christ did for us.  Read it for yourself in Romans 5:12-18.

¹² Sin came into the world because of what one man did, and with sin came death. This is why everyone must die—because everyone sinned. ¹³ Sin was in the world before the law of Moses, but sin is not counted against us as breaking a command when there is no law. ¹⁴ But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, everyone had to die, even those who had not sinned by breaking a command, as Adam had.

Adam was like the One who was coming in the future. ¹⁵ But God’s free gift is not like Adam’s sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But the grace from God was much greater; many people received God’s gift of life by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁶ After Adam sinned once, he was judged guilty. But the gift of God is different. God’s free gift came after many sins, and it makes people right with God. ¹⁷ One man sinned, and so death ruled all people because of that one man. But now those people who accept God’s full grace and the great gift of being made right with him will surely have true life and rule through the one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ So as one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people, one good act that Christ did makes all people right with God. And that brings true life for all.¹⁹ One man disobeyed God, and many became sinners. In the same way, one man obeyed God, and many will be made right. ²⁰ The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew worse, God’s grace increased. ²¹ Sin once used death to rule us, but God gave people more of his grace so that grace could rule by making people right with him. And this brings life forever through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus is our vaccine.  Through one man's sin, we are all infected.  Through one man's life-blood, we are all saved.  What a gift!  The gift of eternal life!

Pastor Ralph, our construction "boss"