Bridges

Sarah Palin made the "Bridge to Nowhere" famous. It was the Gravina Island Bridge serving 50 people at a cost of $398,000,000. Simon and Garfunckle made famous the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" Surely the "Bridge to Nowhere" was a "Bridge Over Troubled Water" because Sarah fought the establishment in her own party to save the country the many millions! Although the lyrics to the song and the actual bridge are unrelated, there must be a message there somewhere! That's my queue. We're to learn something from these two examples.

John 4:10 "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

"Living water" is the Holy Spirit. It's no stagnant water in the bottom of the well, or even from the pail. It is water which flows! Baptism represents "living water". Ideally baptismal water would be deep and flowing.

John 7:38 "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

It's implied that when a Christian is saved there shall be fruits of the Spirit. That "fruit" is love, both divine love and love of others, especially the unsaved.

1 John 5:6 "This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."

Whereas, we come to salvation by water only, Jesus came by the water and blood. Our water baptism is a symbol of the cleansing blood of Jesus, but Jesus was the only one to shed his own blood in our place. Thanks to his mercy, we aren't saved by the shedding of our own blood! We get off easy!

John 19:34 "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."

Jesus' actual death resulted in water and blood to stream from his side as it was pierced. Jesus knew his destiny for back in John 7:38 Jesus said of the believer "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Not blood and water; just water!

Jesus was the bridge! The old rugged cross represented that bridge. It was the sturdy structure which bridged eternity. That cross, that bridge, had flowing under it "living water". It wasn't the water which saved, but the blood of Jesus. The water was symbolic of the saving blood. The cross was the "Bridge to Eternal Life"! without the shedding of blood there would be a "Bridge to Nowhere"!

Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

Belief in Jesus and accepting his shedding of his own blood is essential for salvation. While the living water flowing from our own side is symbolic of Jesus shed blood, it also represents the Holy Spirit who dwells within the believer! The blood is a "Bridge to Somewhere"; a "Bridge between the coldness of the grave and the mansion with its own room?! Works and idolatry are "Bridges to Nowhere"! For me and my house, we'll take the "Bridge Less Traveled"!

Simon and Garfunckle wrote inspiring lyrics in "Bridge over Troubled Waters".

 

Although inspired, these lyrics are not referring to Jesus. In all liklihood Paul Simon was mourning the soon-to-be split between himself and Garfunkle. Some say the song has political overtones and Cuba was the "troubled water"; "Cuba Yes, Nixon, no". One thing is clear: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the "Bridge to Nowhere"! If you're depending on the lyrics of this song to get you closer to the Lord, you're wasting precious time! Likewise, if it's politically motivated there's no hope in it at all! Even the most biased cannot ignore the inhumanity of Cuba's brand of Communism; which is in itself, a "Bridge to Nowhere" a the minimum and a "Bridge to Hell" in reality!

Heaven yes. Simon and Garfunkle, No!

Jesus, yes! "The Bridge to Eternity"!