The author of this story is unknown as far as I can tell, and there are different variations of this story. But it’s a heartwarming tale with great wisdom for those who care to learn.
One cold, winter night, a farmer heard an irregular thumping sound against his kitchen storm door. He went to a window and watched as tiny, shivering sparrows, attracted to the warmth inside, beat in vain against the glass.
Touched, the farmer bundled up and walked through the fresh snow to open the barn door for the struggling birds. He turned on the lights and tossed some hay in a corner.
But the sparrows had scattered in all directions when he emerged from the house. They hid in the darkness, afraid.
The farmer tried various tactics to get them into the barn. He laid down a trail of Saltine cracker crumbs to direct them. He tried circling behind the birds to drive them toward the barn. Nothing worked.
The birds couldn’t comprehend that the farmer, a huge alien creature, desired to help them. The farmer withdrew to his house and watched the doomed sparrows through a window. As he stared, a thought hit him like lightning from a clear blue sky:
If only I could become a bird, one of them, just for a moment, then I wouldn’t frighten them so. I could show them the way to warmth and safety. The farmer then recalled the greatest story he had ever read. The book began being edited around 1400 BC, was written by a number of men from different countries most of whom had never seen, nor in any way communicated with one another.
Each of these men were given a piece of the story from what the shivering sparrows would relate to as a huge alien creature.
Each piece of information related to a future event that would show them the way to warmth and safety.
This future event would be the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of God’s only begotten son our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ.
John 3:16-17 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Just like the farmer who had compassion for the dying sparrows and did everything in his power to try to save, them likewise our God has given everything he is in His son Jesus Christ to try to save mankind.
Romans 5:11-12 11For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
That one man was Adam. And because we are all decedents of Adam we all share fully in the consequences of his sin …death.
But thanks be unto God that he had compassion grace and mercy on us and did not abandon us and leave us in an unredeemable state.
Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
And it was this Christ, the promised one that the father foretold of. For years the father has announced the coming of the messiah, the one who would redeem mankind from this present evil world.
NLT Genesis 3:15 From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
After the fall of mankind our loving father spoke the first of many prophecies that foretold of the coming one the Christ who would redeem mankind.
Speaking to the devil God told him that he and the woman would be enemies and so will their offspring. The one who was to come would crush the devils head while the devil would only bruise his heel.
Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
God foretold that the one to whom the scepter belonged to would come from the tribe of Judah
A scepter belongs to a ruler, a king, this king that would come would be Jesus.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
God foretold that the coming one would be born of a virgin and they shall call his name Immanuel.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
God foretold that this messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Zechariah 9:8-9 8Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
God foretold that the messiah, the Christ would come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
Psalm 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
God foretold that the messiah would be betrayed by a close friend.
Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
He would be rejected by his own people.
There are many other prophecies about the Christ of God who would save the world from their sins.
Galatians 1:3-4 3Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Jesus knew what the father required of him and gave his life for us.
ESV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. KJG 1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. KJG 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Like the kindhearted farmer our God has given everything he is in his son to reconcile the world back to himself.
It doesn’t please God when mankind perishes. It hurts the father’s heart when man rejects his offer of redemption. If God had his way he would have all mankind saved.
But God’s way and man’s way sometimes travel in different directions.
1 Timothy 2:4-5 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Just like the frightened sparrows man does not understand that our heavenly father just wants to help him and save him from eternal death.
This is why we need to speak the truth in love about a God of light who sent his only begotten son to save mankind.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Today the father continues to speak to all who will hear his invitation through his son Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:1-2 1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...
Mankind in many ways resembles the frightened sparrows. Not realizing that the one who wants to save him is the one they many times retreat from in fear.
Romans 10:13-14 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Our heavenly father is still calling people to his family. We need to let people know that our God is a God of love and not someone to be feared.
Man cannot save himself this is why we tell everyone about the good news that Jesus Christ lives and will receive all who come.