Veterans' Day

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:7).

It’s a noble thing, to give your life for your country. But really, such people don’t sacrifice their lives for abstract things like freedom or justice; they give their all for the sake of people. They want their relatives to be safe from harm; they want to make sure that their friends can live in peace and happiness. A country is made up of people, and those who died in service to America gave their lives to make our lives better.

Of course, any foreign conflict has its share of detractors. Is fighting a war really the best way to secure lasting peace? At what point do we say that enough blood has been shed? When demonstrators take to the streets, many patriots get offended—how dare these protesters oppose what our service men and women have died to achieve?

But here’s the thing. Those veterans who fell in battle were not concerned about the naysayers. They gave their lives on behalf of those they loved and cared about—it’s as simple as that. Their sacrifice was for the good of all Americans, and the nobility of that sacrifice is not diminished by those who don’t appreciate it.

So it is with Jesus Christ. He came to earth to do battle with the forces of evil. He gave His life on the cross to ensure the victory over sin, death, and devil. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice because He loves everyone. The Son of God took point in the war against darkness to defend and protect us all, regardless of any negative opinions about His actions—that’s how much He loves us. Jesus said, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command (John 15;13-14).

Was Jesus’ sacrifice worth the cost that He paid? Because our Lord was willing to do battle in our defense, Satan has lost His grip on us. Because Jesus suffered in our place, we have forgiveness for all the ways that we’ve messed up. Because Christ laid down His life for us, the grave will turn us loose on the Last Day. Was Jesus’ sacrifice worth it? Absolutely!