Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
John 15:13
It’s Memorial Day. This day is breath-takingly more important than barbeques and mattress sales, though precious few seem to remember it as such.
Memorial Day differs from Veterans’ Day, on which we honor all who served in the military to defend our country, and frequently defend freedom for those in foreign nations as well. Memorial Day is when we are to bow our heads to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice by being killed while in their military service. Though it is a worn-out phrase, it is nonetheless true: “Freedom isn’t free!” It has been purchased and defended by the life-blood of those who fought and died for it!
To those who believe all wars are evil: no they are not! Though all wars are drenched in horror, and even corruption, many wars have been fought for good causes and many whose lives were lost, fought nobly for such causes. These are the ones we honor on Memorial Day each year. The freedoms we enjoy without thought or personal cost, cost myriads of people their very lives!
The greatest war of all is the war for the souls of lost sinners. No army, coalition of armies, much less no individual, could possibly win this war—except for the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Remember what He did to save us: (Please read these words slowly and thoughtfully—out loud if possible.)
Romans 5:6-10 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
We were completely without strength to deliver ourselves from sin, but at precisely the right moment, Christ sacrificed His life to save our souls. Heroes sometimes sacrifice their lives to save their friends, but Jesus sacrificed His sinlessly perfect life to save His enemies. That’s right, in the war for the souls of lost sinners, we are the enemies of God! Yet Christ Jesus died to save us!
Those He died for acknowledge their sin and receive Christ by faith. I pray you have done that and are living a life of freedom from sin, death, and God’s wrath in Hell as a result. For we wo are saved, because Jesus paid the ultimate price (followed by rising from the dead), Memorial Day is not merely an annual patriotic event. We celebrate our Savior’ s death (and resurrection) every time we receive the Lord’s Supper, remembering the price He paid for our freedom.