The Meaning of Sacrifice

"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" 

~John 15:13~

Watching Gran Torino the other night really made we think about that verse. He selflessly gave away his life for the protection of his neighbors, his friends. He knew what he had to do and did not shy away from it. True he had a checkered past that he wanted to have no part of anymore, subconciously driving him to this decision, but his sacrifice is beautiful none the less. Keeping that in mind, how much more selfless would it have been if he hadn't killed any of those 17 people, if he hadn't killed that one boy, if he had more life ahead of him yet. It would've been a monumental sacrifice, one that would never be forgoten. Why then do we forget an even greater sacrifice that was done for us, to save not our bodies, but our very lives, our souls. God did that for us, not just us, but even the ones who killed Him. It wasn't just a 'die for all and pay for one', no, he died with the sin of EVERY man on the earth, he felt EVERY single one as he suffocated on the cross, as crows pecked at his rotting flesh. What is it about that sacrifice that we miss? Why do we not see the beauty that lies behind it, the pure love that drove it? Why do our eyes glaze over this 'seemingly insignificant' sacrifice? Why are our hearts unmoved by that picture, by that utterly selfless sacrifice, by that pain that he suffered for us?

Imagine your best friend doing that for you, someone who you dearly love and who loves just as much, someone who has so much good in them. 

You sit alone in a jail cell. You hear the noise of screaming and you smell the rank smell fear as a thick blanket of gas in the air. Your head is buried in your hands as  tears flow through your fingers and splash onto the cold concrete floor of your cell below. You have just killed a man. You are weeping, not solely out of regret, but out of fear. That fear has utterly taken hold of you and you are scared to death of what is to come. They have just told you that you are going to receive the death penalty, and are then going to suffer eternal damnation in hell; 'you had made your choice' they said. Suddenly, you hear the sound of footsteps, and then that of keys jingling in the lock at your door. The door swings open and you look up to see the loving eyes of your father staring back at you.

"Dad , I killed a man and now I'm going to die and spend eternity in Hell!" you scream as you blood seeps down your arms from your fingernails cutting into your forehead. You throw yourself at his feet and weep into his shirt, smearing your blood all over him.

"Son, you're not going to die, your are going to live and start a new life. I am taking your place."

"You can't! I've made my choices in life!" you yell, trying to awake from this nightmare, but it is no dream.

"It has already been decided," he says as two guards take off your shackles and lock them onto your father, "Son, your life is worth saving."

"Dad, why are you doing this!?" you as, grasping at his shirt as the guards pull him away.

"Because I love you son," he says with tears in his voice and then is pulled out of the cell. Your watch as he is walked down the hallway to face your death, your demons. You sit there in the hallway, lying on the floor weeping. You look down at your blood-stained hands and realize that your blood is on him, that he is saving your life. Your know that nothing you could never repay him for this, even if your could live a thousand lives, it would not be enough. This is the meaning of sacrifice.

This story is our story as we fail to see it. We HAVE been given life, we HAVE been offered redemption. Now get up and walk out of that cell, you are free, but never ever forget the sacrifice that has been made by your loving father, Jesus.