Week 51 Bible Reading: Luke 19:1–10

The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them. - Luke 19:10 ICB

Among the heroes of the American war effort of World War II were the Doolittle Raiders. Their airstrikes using B-25 bombers were important as the United States tried to win the war in the Pacific. One of the pilots, Jacob DeShazer, was captured and held in POW camps in Japan under difficult and painful circumstances.

DeShazer later returned to Japan after the war, but not to seek revenge. He had received Jesus as his Savior and had come back to Japanese soil carrying the message of Christ. A former warrior who was once on a campaign of war was now on a campaign to restore a damaged relationship.

DeShazer’s mission to Japan mirrors the heart of Jesus, who came to earth on a mission of love. Luke reminds us that when Christ came into the world, it was not merely to be a moral example or a compelling teacher. He came “to seek and to save” the lost (Luke 19:10). He showed His love for us by dying on the cross, and His rescue of us was completed when He rose from the tomb.

In Christ we find forgiveness, and that forgiveness changes our life and our eternity—all because Jesus came on a mission of restoration.

The B-25 bombers could go 272 miles per hour, and they had a range of 1,350 miles. None of the planes returned, because they had to use their entire range just to get to their target. Fifteen of them ran out of fuel and crashed after the mission was complete.