This past Monday was Memorial Day. Flags lined streets in many small towns and flew above cemeteries.
Memorial Day, as we all know, is a day to remember those who have died while serving our nation in the military. There were gatherings across our nation and speeches were given that were heartfelt and carefully crafted.
Those who died serving in our armed forces died so that people like you and me can continue to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
While I never served in our nation’s military, I am thankful for those who have. As a young boy I had the privilege of knowing men who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Each of these men had a story to share. I eagerly listened to their stories. I learned from them that war is not something to celebrate or sensationalize. Each of these men lost friends, fellow soldiers, whom we thank and remember on Memorial Day. It is good and right for us to remember those brave people who have served, and I am personally grateful. I hope you are, too.
There is someone else I want to encourage us to honor. He sacrificed his life so that we could live forever. His name is Jesus!
Like many of the soldiers who have served our nation, Jesus grew up in a small town. His family wasn’t influential, nor were they wealthy. His father was a simple carpenter. Of all places Jesus could have been born, he was born in a barn.
It was not a glamorous life. Jesus looked like an ordinary boy and grew up into an ordinary-looking man; however, Jesus wasn’t ordinary. He is the Son of the living God.
Jesus came into this world for one purpose and that was to win a war. We might wonder which war.
It was a war that was being fought between the forces of good and evil. Jesus, the mighty warrior, defeated evil and destroyed death.
There should be no doubt that Jesus is to be honored as a hero. He is our mighty Savior who made a way for us to be forgiven and set free from sin. Through him we now can live free, and we have the opportunity to live an abundant life.
Jesus says, “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.” Jesus chose to protect us from what would destroy us.
If you want to learn more about the life that Jesus gives, I want to encourage you to read all about his wonderful gift and sacrifice in the Bible.
