He took off his life jacket, which prevents people from drowning, and gave it to someone else – John Harper.

Pastor John Harper, might be someone you are hearing about for the first time! Or perhaps, you might even know him better than I do! What happened to him might be called suicide by some, but the death of a righteous man is truly the seed of the gospel!

John Harper was born on May 29, 1872, in a village called Houston, Scotland. At the age of 14, he believed in Jesus Christ, inheriting the faith from his parents (2 Timothy 1:5)! By the age of 18, he began preaching the gospel while working with his hands to support himself (Acts 20:34).

In 1897, at the age of 25, he became a pastor in a Baptist church. In a short period, he grew the congregation from 25 members to over 500.

In 1912, at 39 years old, John Harper and his daughter Annie Jessie, known as Nana, were among the passengers on the Titanic, the ship famously dubbed the Unsinkable Boat due to the great confidence people had in it.

John Harper had only one reason to leave England for Chicago in the United States – to preach the gospel of Jesus.

However, the evangelistic journey he had planned didn’t reach its destination; instead, he preached his message on the ship when it collided with a massive iceberg. Before continuing, let me mention the sacrifice he had already made. While others boarded the Titanic for leisure and luxury, John Harper boarded with the sole purpose of preaching the gospel! According to the Measuring Worth – Historical Currency Calculator, the tickets on the Titanic were divided into three classes. History shows that John Harper was a second-class passenger. His ticket cost $60 (approximately 79,153.50 Rwandan francs), which would now be equivalent to $1,400 (about 1,846,915 Rwandan francs).

Who among you, or rather, who among us reading this story would pay such an amount to support evangelism?

You might recall how hard it can sometimes be to contribute funds for transportation when your church choir is traveling for evangelism, but John Harper understood that his goal wasn’t to accumulate wealth; money was simply a means to achieve his mission!

As the Titanic began sinking, John Harper shouted, “CHILDREN, WOMEN, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW JESUS SHOULD GET ON THE LIFEBOATS FIRST!” He chose to remain on the ship (many who heard him may have considered this suicide). After the lifeboats had filled up, Harper began preaching the gospel to those still on the ship, quoting Acts 16:31, telling them that if they repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus, they would be saved and that there is another life beyond this one.

When Harper saw that the ship continued to be overwhelmed by water, he himself took off his life jacket, which keeps people from drowning, and gave it to someone who had refused to hear the gospel message he was preaching. Harper believed that if that person survived, they would eventually hear the gospel elsewhere and be saved! What an extraordinary man! I would even say that he fulfilled the Scriptures, as Paul said he would be willing to give his life so that the gospel could reach everyone (Philippians 2:17).

Conclusion and Lessons

• Harper didn’t spend his travel money with the intent of going on a vacation or for personal enjoyment, but he spent it with the goal of preaching the gospel. This serves as a lesson for church members, that while going on trips and enjoying oneself is important, we should not forget that contributing financially to the work of spreading the gospel—through conferences, missionary work, and other evangelistic activities—is of utmost importance.
• Harper did not have faith that he would survive and make it to Chicago to preach, which was the goal of his journey. Instead, he believed that the gospel could still be preached even in the midst of tragedy. Similarly, as churches, we should not wait for perfect moments to proclaim the gospel; even in the midst of hardships, we must have the courage to preach Jesus’ message of repentance and forgiveness of sins!
• Since Harper gave his life jacket to save someone who had refused to listen to the gospel, believing that they would survive and hear it elsewhere, what are you doing or giving to ensure that you might save the souls of those who are perishing?
• John Harper is regarded as a hero in the world for sacrificing himself for some of the people on the Titanic, but he is also seen as a hero of heaven for sacrificing himself for the gospel!