------------------------------------------------------- "BYLINE with Dan Betzer" Program #1987 Release Tuesday, May 15, 2001 "Sheep Gone Astray" by Dan Betzer ------------------------------------------------------- Hello again, this is Dan Betzer. The strangest thing happened the other day in Alexandria, Egypt. It happened to a Muslim who was preparing a sacrifice for Eid al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice. If you've been to Egypt, you know that over-crowding is just about everywhere. Many city-dwellers keep livestock on their rooftops, balconies or basements. Especially in the run up to the day of sacrifice. 56-year-old Waheeb Hamoudah had been feeding his sheep which he had tethered on the rooftop. Suddenly, the sheep broke loose from its moorings and butted its owner, and in the process knocked him off the third story roof. Hamoudah fell to his death. Killed by his own sacrifice. Several things are sad about that story. One is that the man was killed. And the other was that the sacrifice was completely unnecessary. The New Testament book of Hebrews teaches that it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Christ died to set us free from the penalty of the sins we committed. Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of all the people. He will come again but not to deal with our sins again. What a wonderful passage! The debt for my sin and yours had already been paid in full at Calvary. When Jesus cried out with his last breath, "It is finished," He meant not only His earthly life, but also the price of our redemption. No more sacrifices, no more bloodshed. What Christ did was full and complete. Now comes only the matter of the sinner accepting what Jesus purchased. So that poor guy in Egypt was butted off the third story by the very sacrifice he believed would redeem him. He had his trust in the wrong place. Where do you have your trust today, good friend? Dan Betzer here and that's BYLINE.