Moody’s Press had a story on a man named John Harper. John Harper was born to a pair of solid Christian parents on May 29th, 1872. It was on the last Sunday of March 1886, when he was thirteen years old that he received Jesus as the Lord of his life. He never knew what it was to “sow his wild oats.” He began to preach about four years later at the ripe old age of 17 years by going down to the streets of his village and pouring out his soul in earnest entreaty for men to be reconciled to God. Later in twenties, Harper was taken in by Rev. E. A. Carter of Baptist Pioneer Mission in London, England and he helped Harper free to devote his whole time of energy to the work so dear to his heart. Soon he became a pastor (now known as Harper Memorial Church).
On the night of April 14, 1912 at 11:40 p.m., the unsinkable Titanic scraped an iceberg which caused the ship to go down. On board were many wealthy people, John Harper and his six-year-old daughter Nana.
According to documented reports, as soon as John Harper knew that the ship was going to sink, he immediately took his daughter to a lifeboat. Though it is reasonable to assume that this widowed preacher could have easily gotten on board to safety; however, it never seems to have crossed his mind. He bent down and kissed his precious daughter; looking into her eyes he told her that she would see him again someday. With that goodbye, John Harper turned and headed towards the crowd of desperate lives on the sinking ocean liner. As the rear of the huge ship began to lurch upwards, it was reported that Harper was seen making his way up the deck yelling “Women, children and unsaved into the lifeboats!”
That night 1528 people went into the frigid waters. John Harper was seen swimming frantically to people in the water leading them to Jesus before the hypothermia became fatal. John Harper swam up to one young man who had climbed up on a piece of debris. John Harper asked him between breaths, “Are you saved?” The young man replied that he was not.
Harper then tried to lead him to Christ only to have the young man who was near shock, reply no. John Harper then took off his life jacket and threw it to the man and said “Here then, you need this more than I do…” and swam away to other people. A few minutes later Harper swam back to the young man and succeeded in leading him to salvation. Of the 1528 people that went into the water that night, six were rescued by the lifeboats. One of them was this young man on the debris.
Four years later, at a survivors meeting, this young man stood up and in tears recounted how John Harper had led him to Christ. His last words before going under in the frigid waters were “Believe on the Name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”
Does Hollywood remember this man and capture his sacrificial act in Titanic movie? No. While other people were trying to buy their way onto the lifeboats and selfishly trying to save their own lives, John Harper gave up his life so that others could be saved.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (NIV-John 15:13) and John Harper showed that love… like Jesus! Let’s love the people who are in need of Christ. Yell FORE (this is for Life Church people)!