The Message Bus’s visit to our area was a day of great fun, giving children and young people the opportunity to have a good time on a bus that’s kitted out with slides, climbing wall and tons of computer games.
There’s a serious message behind the bus, however, which the local churches also want to communicate.
As people, we don’t really want to live life God’s way; there’s a rebellious streak in all of us which leads us to defy God and live independently of HIm. The Bible calls this sin and tells us it’s this which separates us from a God who is utterly pure and holy. Jesus came to earth to rescue us from sin by paying the price for sin and removing all obstacles to a relationship with God. Jesus’s death on the cross means there no more barriers to knowing God and being His friend.
Jack from the Message Bus illustrated this for the young people by taking a piece of paper and setting fire to it! The flame soon eats up the paper till there’s nothing left. In the same way, Jesus takes our sin completely away from us, so that we are now free to live life as God always intended – life in all its fulness with God at the centre.
We’ll soon be celebrating Bonfire Night in the UK, where people light the blue touchpaper on fireworks to see a dazzling display of light. The message of the Message Bus is that the Light of the World has come to take away our sin and give us the opportunity now to shine for Him! That’s why we painted lighthouses and glass jars to house candles to remind us that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it! (John 1:5)