Standing in the Presence of Jesus

Illustration:

6124 One Goat Lied Down

During the great Reformation in Europe, Luther and Zwingli found themselves at odds in their concern for the movements they were leading. Early one morning, Zwingli walked out on the mountains of Switzerland and a soul-stirring sight confronted him. He saw two goats making their way over a narrow path on the mountain. One was ascending the trail, the other descending. He also noticed that they must pass at a point where the trail was so narrow that there was room for only one goat. He watched to see what would happen.

The animals rounded a turn in the path which brought them in full view of each other. They backed up, as though ready for a lunge, and then the most amazing thing happened. The goat on the trail below laid down in the path, while the goat above him walked over his back. The first animal then arose and continued his journey up the trail.

To Zwingli this meant that the way down is the way up. Christ humbled Himself so that men could walk over Him into the Kingdom of light, knowing that afterward He would be exalted.

—Herman A. Hoyt

Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 1370–1371). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.