Titanic Waste

The blockbuster hit, Titanic, played a very important role in my teenage life. It was the first official date that I went on with the girl I would one day marry. That is actual ticket stub from our first date. Can you believe the late night movies were only $6 back then? I cannot say that I particularly enjoyed the plot of a three hour movie staring Leo. And the partial nudity scene of Jack painting Rose naked could be summed up in one word for two teenagers on a first date (or now for that matter)-AWKWARD!

It never bothered me that I knew how the movie was going to end. Or the fact that for a year the only song that was played on the radio was Celine Deon's, My Heart Will Go On (this is pre-iPod). It never really bothered me that Jack said he would never let go and eventually his frozen dead fingers did release (every female who was a teen at the time of the movie just rolled their eyes). What I have always wondered was why didn't Jack find something else floating by to jump on and save himself? Then they could have lived together happily-ever after. It just seems to me that if you are going to declare yourself to be "King of the World" you are smart enough to jump on another piece of wood floating by.

Tonight on the ABC's World News with Diane Sawyer, they aired a report about just that. You can read the article for yourself at 'Mythbusters' Takes on 'Titanic's' Famous, Tearful Ending. Mythbusters took on James Cameron to see if Jack could have saved himself by jumping onto the board with Rose. Turns out that it was possible for the plank to hold both of them. Jack could have said, "Hey Rose, scoot over and let me up." Not only that but their body heat would have also improved their chances for survival. Jack and Rose's hearts could have literally gone on together.

Does the outcome of a story ever just ruin you for a little while? We like happy endings and Titanic definitely didn't have a happy ending. The ending was a bummer for a first date movie. It's plain to see that people didn't like the ending.

This has me thinking about another ending and wondering if it had to end the way that it did.

Have you ever wondered if Jesus had to die?
Why couldn't he just come and do his thing and change lives without dying?
If he is God's son and he is God why couldn't he just will it to be something different?
Why couldn't he change history just because he came to earth?

Why?

I really don't know why, but somewhere and for some reason God set a Biblical principal that blood covered sins. It started all the way back with Adam and Eve and when they sinned, God killed an animal to clothe them. Then it followed into his covenant set with Abraham and the Law set with Moses and numerous examples throughout scripture.

God knew that to cover the sins of all humankind it would take an unmatchable, one time sacrifice. Don't forget that the sacrifice is so wrapped up in not just obedience or following crazy commands, but they were set in love. God loved us so much that he knew that the sacrifice had to be sufficient for all time. God would have to offer his Son and the Son would have to willingly accept.

Ironically, a plank of wood saved Rose and was sufficient enough to save Jack as well, but he missed the boat on that one. Likewise, Jesus saved the world through his death on a plank of wood. And yet through that same plank of wood that offers us life, we get the choice of whether or not we are going to accept the grace that it offers for ourselves.

Question:
Ever wished you could have changed how something ended?