Test Day

It was test day, and the boy was nervous. Everyone had to take the test. There were no exceptions. But he was nervous because he knew the test was difficult. In fact, he had never heard of anyone ever passing it. The score required to pass this test was not fifty-one percent. It was not even sixty or seventy percent. The score required to pass this test was one hundred percent.

Everybody wanted to pass. Whoever passed the test would go on a camp by the lake for a whole week. There would be outdoor games, swimming, treasure hunts, animal feeding, a campfire for roasting marshmallows, tree climbing, and more. 

The boy had all this on his mind when he sat at his desk. Question after question, he worked away at the test. When he reached the last question, a tear rolled down the boy’s face and dropped onto the paper. Like so many of the questions, this last one was beyond the boy’s understanding. He did not know the answer. 

His test was collected and taken to the front of the room. All was quiet except for a gentle scratching sound behind the boy. He turned and was surprised to see a young man taking the test. He had a kind and calm face, though he did not look up from his test. Finally, the young man stopped writing and pushed his test to the front of his desk. 

Minutes crept by slowly. The boy felt sick in the stomach. He knew he hadn’t passed the test, and yet he wanted to go on the camp so badly. He couldn’t help but hope that by some miracle, he had passed. 

Finally, there was movement in the room. Someone was standing in front of the boy, and he looked up to receive his result. It was the young man who had sat behind him. His face was still kind and calm, but this time he was looking at the boy. He looked at the boy as though he knew much about him, including his test result.

“I didn’t pass, did I?” said the boy. “No. You did not.” The young man answered with a calm but keen look in his eyes. The boy's eyes filled with tears, and his bottom lip began to tremble. “Why is there sadness in your heart?” inquired the young man. “I was so hoping to go on the camp. I thought that maybe if I tried my best, I could pass and go." The young man looked sad for a moment before speaking again. “You did not pass. But you shall go.” 

The boy wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. “Go where?” he asked. “To the camp, of course,” the young man answered. “But I didn’t pass the test,” protested the boy. The young man shook his head with a smile, “No, you didn’t. But I did.” The boy thought this was the beginning of good news, but didn’t understand how, so he waited for the young man to speak again. “It is a difficult test, the most difficult there is. But I passed. And I have the ability to share my grade with others. When this happens, my test result becomes their test result. It is as though they passed the test themselves. And because of this, you may go on the camp… and I am coming too.”

The boy's eyes filled with tears to overflowing, and this time not for sadness. He was so happy that he was actually going on the camp. But now the camp was not the most exciting thing. Now, the best thing of all was that the young man would be there too.

Together, they left the room in silence. The boy glanced at the young man in wonder. Who was this who could pass such a test? And more than that, who was this who would share the score of the test he passed with others who had failed? The boy had a whole week to find out.

¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.