<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter P. Snyder Q: Is there any documentation on the whereabouts of Jesus' cross or any remnants thereof? I am asking purely for personal reasons. I have not been able to find any references to it as of yet. Any help you could give me would be appreciated. A: There are several places in Europe which have collections of "relics" said to have been possessions (or even the bones or blood) of the saints. Among these are included several fragments of what are claimed to be wood from the cross of Christ. However, none of them has a straight, documented trail; most were "discovered" after dreams, etc. The problem with such relics is that they can distract the Christian from true worship, focusing his eyes instead upon the item rather than on the Savior. While I do not know how many fragments there are in total, a fellow pastor once commented to me, "If you gathered all the wood said to come from the cross of Christ, you could probably assemble a full-scale replica of Noah's Ark." Q: Where in the Bible can I find scriptures that talk about how God said for all to come unto him? A: Scripture is full of quotes both of God calling his people back from sin and reaching out to sinners who've never heard of him. The first time was with Adam and Eve after the Fall. Often, the prophets were God's calling voice; for example, see Isaiah 51, which begins, "Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." This chapter goes on to speak of the gentile nations coming to know the God of Israel. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites all "who labor and are heavily burdened" to come to him that he might give them rest. Through Paul, the Holy Spirit tells us that God "desires to have all men be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:2)" Indeed, God's call through Gospel and baptism is the only way he has shown us of getting to heaven. We hear his forgiving, restoring, life-giving words and the Holy Spirit works faith through it. Believing, we have new life in him. Then it becomes our time to "call." We call for help, support, comfort, guidance, and to give thanks. With the entire Christian Church, we pray that he would return to earth to bring us to eternal bliss, saying with all the saints, "Come Lord Jesus!" Q: I have heard that there is a story in the Bible where Jesus is preaching and all the people have bowed down to Him but one man. Satan walks down the aisle and strikes the man and says something like, "Don't you know who that is?" Have you heard of this and if it is true, where can I find it? A: This is a new one to me, and is definitely not part of the Bible. However, it reminds me of how Christ silenced the demons he was casting out, so that they would not testify as to whom he was. He did not allow himself to be known or proclaimed as Messiah or Savior of Israel until the end of his ministry. As the people's clamor about his identity grew, it contributed to the decision of the Jewish Council to seek his death. Q: I am seeking passages in the bible that I think exist but can't find. To my understanding, all children go to heaven that are before the age of accountability (which is thought to be around twelve), but I can't find any Scripture that supports this. Can you help? A: You cannot find these Scriptures because they do not exist. The Bible speaks of all being born in sin and tells us, "The wages of sin is death." A child raised outside the Church, unbaptized and never hearing God's Word, especially the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins, has no Scriptural promise of eternal life. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.