Three men went rowing one day. They were world class rowers. They intended to row across the Pacific Ocean, but they only got halfway across the ocean when their boat sank. They were 5000 miles from the nearest shore.

One of the rowers was a world class swimmer, one was a fair swimmer, and one was a poor swimmer. The world class swimmer told the other two that he would be an example for them to follow, and he would show them how to swim to shore.

So off they went, swimming to shore 5000 miles away. After only one mile, the poor swimmer could go no farther and he became shark food. The other two swam on for ten miles. Then the fair swimmer sank beneath the waves and he, too, became shark food. The world class swimmer kept swimming for one hundred miles. Then he realized that he had four thousand, nine hundred more miles to go, and he, exhausted and without energy to continue, joined his friends below.

Some people look at Jesus as no more than a good example for us to follow. They seem to think that they can do everything that He did, and thus they will have perfect obedience and be as pleasing to our heavenly Father as Jesus was. But they invariably, sooner or later, fail and sink beneath the waves. Some have more strength and skill than others, and some have shorter distances to swim than others do, but all eventually fail. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

This does not mean that Jesus is not our Example, for He certainly is. We are to be conformed to His image. To be like Him, even in His sufferings, should be our heart's greatest desire. But when we are required to perform the impossible, a good example will do us no good. We, like the swimmers, need a Savior, not just a good example. Jesus can not only swim all the way to shore, He can take us with Him while doing so.