The Greatest Sacrifice   

Monday, May 28, is Memorial Day, a day that has been observed in one way or another for many, many years. It is a day on which we remember those who have sacrificed their lives on behalf of others. And we are indeed so very grateful!
Let us also remember another sacrifice that was made on our behalf. One that took place long ago in history.
Philippians 2:6-8 says, “Although He existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus our Savior gave up the splendor of Heaven and became a common man. Not an uncommon man, but a plain, regular, everyday person. He never achieved great wealth or status, never went to university, didn’t travel much. The Bible says that His own countrymen rejected Him. Finally those people He dearly loved killed Him.
The night before it happened, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” Three times He prayed that prayer; so intent was He that He sweat as if it were great drops of blood.
The Hebrew writer says that He prayed with tears and loud crying. Luke tells us that an angel was sent to strengthen Him. Don’t you know that God wanted to do more than just send an angel? Surely He would have preferred to spare His Son the agony of the cross.
How hard it must have been for Him to give His one and only beloved Son as a sacrifice – and not for really good people, not for people who deserved such love and kindness – but rather He was given for people stained with the ugliness of every form of sin and iniquity!
Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Let us remember the greatest sacrifice ever and how blessed we are because of it!

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