Always Remember

This past Memorial Sunday, I reminded us that the freedom we enjoy as Americans came at a price. Someone took a bullet for us. Someone paid the ultimate price for us. That is why Memorial Day is important. It is a day of remembering the ones who died for us. However, in the Sunday sermon, I chose to remind us of the One who died for us. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for humanity; He paid the price for you and me. On Sunday, we remembered Calvary.

Scripture makes a big deal of this—what Jesus did for us. For example—

• “Christ died for our sins…” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
• “Jesus gave himself for our sins (Galatians 1:4).
• “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).
• “The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
• “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
• “This is my body given for you…This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22: 19-20).

Jesus took our place in judgment! He died for us all! Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us! “The LORD has laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

The story is told of a Chinese Christian who understood this point. Before her baptism, a pastor asked a question to ensure she understood the meaning of the cross and about the sinless Son of God who died upon the cross for us. The pastor asked, “Did Jesus have any sin?” She replied, “Yes.” The pastor was troubled by her response so he asked again. She answered the same way again, “He had sin.” The pastor was about to correct her once again when she explained, “He had sin—He had mine.”

Indeed, she was correct! The Bible says, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took on our sin that we might receive His righteousness and thus find forgiveness.

This was Jesus’ life of sacrifice. Jesus died for us that we might now live for Him. So for each of us, this calls for a life of love, devotion and sacrifice to the One who gave His all for us! As Oswald Chambers said, Our Utmost to His Highest!

This we should daily consider and always remember!

Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron