Ernest Gordon was twenty-four when he was captured by the Japanese during World War II. He was marched with other British prisoners deep into the Southeast Asian jungles to build the infamous Burma-Siam Railroad over the River Kwai, commonly known as the Railway of Death.

In his book "Miracle on the River Kwai" he tells the story how one afternoon a shovel was missing and the Japanese officer in charge became enraged. He demanded that the missing shovel be produced, or else. When nobody in the squadron budged, the officer got his gun and threatened to kill them all on the spot ... It was obvious the officer meant what he had said. Then, finally, one man stepped forward. The officer put away his gun, picked up a shovel, and beat the man to death. When it was over, the survivors picked up the bloody corpse and carried it with them to the second tool check. This time, no shovel was missing. Indeed, there had been a miscount at the first check point.

What had first seemed to be a thief was in fact an innocent man who had been willing to die to save the others.

Two thousand years ago another man Jesus died as a criminal hanging between two robbers, yet He was the only sinless Man ever to walk this earth. He was God’s Son who came into this world to pay the price for human sin. The Bible says, "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3). He was willing to bear the full judgment and wrath for what we have done so that we might be saved. The Bible says it was a love that passes all understanding. Having dealt with sin which is man’s greatest problem He rose rose from the dead on the third day. God can now be just in forgiving the guilty and justify or declare righteous those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The greatest discovery a person can make is to realise that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and died for their sins on the cross. He did not die as an example, or die as a martyr or die by accident. He died to save sinners. It will be a life changing discovery. Reader, have you made this discovery? Your eternal destiny for heaven or hell depends on what you do with Christ. The Bible warns, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation" (Hebrews 2:3, the Bible)