God's Immunization Plan

My wife and I recently received our annual fall flu shot and it got me to thinking about how the vaccine and immunization program has played an important role in avoiding many harmful diseases. Let’s consider the vaccination/immunization process as a way to understand God’s Plan of Salvation.

As we all know, the Panhandle of Nebraska is well known for its cows and ranching. Who knew that cows would save the lives of countless people? In 1796, a physician named Edward Jenner decided to prove a theory that had been circulating for some time. Smallpox once killed millions of people worldwide. Cowpox was a less serious disease related to smallpox that milkmaids often caught through exposure to infected cows. Jenner noticed that milkmaids who contracted cowpox were later immune to smallpox. Jenner tested this theory when he took some infected cowpox matter and exposed an otherwise healthy boy through a cut in his arm. After the boy caught and recovered from cowpox, Jenner exposed him to smallpox via an injection. The boy remained healthy and the world’s first vaccine was born. The term “vacca”, Latin for cow, helped coin the term “vaccine,” giving credit to the cow for its part in the discovery process. Did you know that the world’s last case of naturally occurring small pox was in 1977?

When an actual disease infects a person, the antigens, or disease particles, multiply thousands and thousands of times until a raging infection is under way, and can result in death. The vaccination process works by presenting a foreign antigen, or dead disease particle, to our immune system, which evokes an immune response by the body, thereby producing antibodies. The body stockpiles these antibodies for each type of disease, so that we are to fight off and kill the specific future disease.

So, what does all this talk about cows and vaccines have to do with God’s Plan of Salvation? I believe God the Father collaborated with Jesus and the Holy Spirit to create a spiritual immunization plan against the disease of sin, just in case Lucifer was successful in infecting their newest creation of our world and mankind. Someone, spiritually able to survive the disease process would need to volunteer to suffer from the disease of sin, die the death, and become the donor or antibody, so God could save mankind from the disease. Well, an outbreak did happened in Eden, and there was no natural human immunization response, thus bringing death to every victim. We read about God’s Immunization Plan for our salvation in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures.

“But he (Christ Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities;

the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

“For as by one man’s disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)

“For he (the Father) hath made him (Christ Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21)

“For God (the Father) so loved the world (you and me) that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Jesus did come, lived and suffered the Cross experience of Calvary, becoming the sin-bearer for our salvation, suffering the death of sin for all mankind, was resurrected back to life, and is presently, at the right hand of God, able to offer His Salvation Vaccine to all sinners.

Conclusion: We all need to be vaccinated or immunized by the saving ministry of Christ at some time in our life. We need to believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, and receive Him for a new life within. When Jesus is within us through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the resulting spiritual antibodies can fight off and kill the spiritual antigens of sin, thus protecting us from temptation and future exposure. Conversion and baptism are the beginning of this immunization process in Jesus. And until Jesus comes back and removes the disease of sin once and for all, we will all need daily booster shots to keep God’s Immunization Plan up to date. As we abide in Jesus, may we experience an abundant, healthy, and purpose-filled life till Jesus comes again.

Retired Pastor Jim Nichols – Sidney Seventh-day Adventist Church