In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, we share a sermon from Pastor Mark Parsons titled The Rescue, based on Ephesians 2:1–10. This message powerfully explores the heart of the gospel: that salvation is not something we contribute to, but something entirely accomplished by Christ and received through faith.

Pastor Mark begins by linking two important passages—Numbers 21 and John 3. In Numbers, God instructs Moses to lift up a bronze serpent so that anyone bitten by snakes could look at it and live. Jesus later refers to this moment in John 3 to explain his own mission: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.” These passages reveal a central truth—salvation comes not by doing, but by looking in faith to the one lifted up for us.

To bring this message to life, Pastor Mark shares the compelling real-world story of the 2018 Thai cave rescue, using it as an extended illustration of what it means to be truly rescued. Like the twelve boys trapped in a dark, flooded cave with no way out, we were spiritually dead—unable to save ourselves. The rescue required skilled divers to come from the outside, carry the boys out one by one, and do everything for them. Some initially suggested training the boys to swim their way out, but rescuers quickly realized that wouldn’t work. The boys couldn’t contribute to their escape—they could only trust their rescuers.

In the same way, Ephesians 2 tells us that we were dead in our sins, not merely struggling or needing guidance. But God, rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ. We are saved by grace, through faith, and even that faith is a gift, not something we generate. Not by works, so that no one can boast.

This episode equips Christians with a vivid and relatable way to explain the gospel, especially when speaking with those who believe their eternal life depends on personal worthiness or moral improvement. The story of the cave rescue becomes a moving picture of the biblical truth that we don’t rescue ourselves—Jesus does.