Captain. My Captain

 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. – Hebrews 2.10

 

This is one of those phrases that really excites my soul. Jesus is called the Captain of our Salvation.

 Walt Whitman wrote an amazing poem called ‘Oh Captain, My Captain.’ The first stanza reads like this –

 O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

                         But O heart! heart! heart!

                            O the bleeding drops of red,

                               Where on the deck my Captain lies,

                                  Fallen cold and dead.

 The poem tells of a sailor and of the death of his captain. It tells of the journey and the things they have shared. It’s a wonderful story of someone who had mentored and led for life, my now lies silent in death on the deck.

 Here in Hebrews we have a different tale. We read of the Captain of our souls who captained us to salvation and captains us through life. Unlike Whitman’s captain though our Captain does not lie fallen, cold, and dead. Our Captain has conquered death and because He has conquered death we have conquered death as well.

 Our Captain still captains our souls all the way to our eternal salvation.