Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day here in the United States, and it serves as a great day to remember those who have served both their generation and the generations to come through their heroic defense of freedom.
I think it is always proper to honor those who have sacrificed for others (such as the front-line COVID-19 responders). Memorial Day gives us a unique time to honor our fallen men and women. But as a Christian, I see Memorial Day as a gigantic arrow pointing to a more important memorial.
I think of the greatest man who ever lived and how He made the ultimate sacrifice (in the true meaning of the phrase) to purchase the freedom of the entire human race. Of course, I am referring to the greatest hero to ever live and die – the Lord Jesus Christ.
Consider Jesus’ mission: He was born to die; there was never another option. And those for whom He lived and died killed Him.
So this week when you see the flowers, watch the news, and enjoy the day off, remember that these whom we honor are heroes, but they were not Saviors. They did not die redemptively. Jesus Christ and He alone is the truly preeminent hero; for He is the One and only One who could and would give His life as a sacrifice for sinners.
The true Memorial Day is the bloody, dark, sin-stained day at Golgotha where the Prince of Heaven paid the price for our sins. Friends, take time over these next few days to meditate on this reality. Jesus Christ, under no obligation to you or me, came to willingly offer up His life as a sacrifice for rebels.
And one more thing to consider . . . We need not go to Jesus’ grave to pay tribute or leave a flower. This hero does not ask for sorrow, for pity, or for tears of grief. Instead, this living Savior demands our worship. Enjoy the reality of the risen and victorious King who gave His life as a sacrifice for sinners like you and me. Be encouraged that His glory and merit will never be eclipsed, but forever shine as the focal point of eternity.