I think that Remembrance Day could very well be the best holiday of the year to show us the reality of Jesus’ love for us all.
What about Christmas? Sure, you see the manger and the shepherds and the angels, but many Christians would rather argue against calling it Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays. For some reason, we want the trees, the food, the shopping, and the stress connected to “Christmas” and “Christ.” Those are good, but they are not Jesus. I think Christmas can actually be distracting from the simple message of Jesus’ love.
Well, what about Easter, then? I love the season of the resurrection of Jesus, but unfortunately, sometimes our presentation leaves a little to be desired. Very often the message we share goes something like this: You broke God’s laws, which He knew you couldn’t keep, so you need to be punished. God is so holy and perfect and just, that He can’t just forgive you. You need to make sacrifices to make you acceptable to God. Except, only Jesus could be a good enough sacrifice. So God decided to kill His own Son, and accept a human sacrifice, to be appeased. Jesus’ death was perfect enough to get God out of an angry, wrathful mood towards you.
Listen: I love the cross, and I love the empty tomb, but I do not believe that Jesus talked God out of a wrathful mood. Very often, our message creates a picture of Jesus standing between us and God, and saving us from the Father. I feel that the cross was much more displaying the lengths that God would go to, in order to win our attention and affection. “Look at the great lengths I will go to, in order to clear the way between you and Me!”
Which is why Remembrance Day is such a great day to display God’s great affection. It’s about remembering those who laid down their lives, in order that you and I would be free. Soldiers and veterans became living sacrifices, setting aside their own comforts, and freely battling an enemy whose purpose was to kill them. The simplicity of Remembrance Day – to thank a vet, to remember what was done, and to work for peace in the world today – is a beautiful demonstration of how we are to live before God.
So this week, remember and be thankful to those who died, so that you could live and be free.
What about Christmas? Sure, you see the manger and the shepherds and the angels, but many Christians would rather argue against calling it Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays. For some reason, we want the trees, the food, the shopping, and the stress connected to “Christmas” and “Christ.” Those are good, but they are not Jesus. I think Christmas can actually be distracting from the simple message of Jesus’ love.
Well, what about Easter, then? I love the season of the resurrection of Jesus, but unfortunately, sometimes our presentation leaves a little to be desired. Very often the message we share goes something like this: You broke God’s laws, which He knew you couldn’t keep, so you need to be punished. God is so holy and perfect and just, that He can’t just forgive you. You need to make sacrifices to make you acceptable to God. Except, only Jesus could be a good enough sacrifice. So God decided to kill His own Son, and accept a human sacrifice, to be appeased. Jesus’ death was perfect enough to get God out of an angry, wrathful mood towards you.
Listen: I love the cross, and I love the empty tomb, but I do not believe that Jesus talked God out of a wrathful mood. Very often, our message creates a picture of Jesus standing between us and God, and saving us from the Father. I feel that the cross was much more displaying the lengths that God would go to, in order to win our attention and affection. “Look at the great lengths I will go to, in order to clear the way between you and Me!”
Which is why Remembrance Day is such a great day to display God’s great affection. It’s about remembering those who laid down their lives, in order that you and I would be free. Soldiers and veterans became living sacrifices, setting aside their own comforts, and freely battling an enemy whose purpose was to kill them. The simplicity of Remembrance Day – to thank a vet, to remember what was done, and to work for peace in the world today – is a beautiful demonstration of how we are to live before God.
So this week, remember and be thankful to those who died, so that you could live and be free.