The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness. I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep.” John 10:10-11 (TPT)
Part 3 – In Order for Life
If I were in the cave with David and his mighty men, I would have been hiding up the back, blanket pulled over my head, staying in bed. Not trekking to what could be my death through the dark of night for the sake of my crazy leaders favourite drink!
Why the sacrifice?
We have two small kids, and they are dearly loved by all our friends (right?!). But when my kids are throwing a tantrum, or our time and availability are restricted because of them, or when they are sick and snotty and vomitty… My friends, who are yet to have kids say things like, “How do you do it?” (Why would you want to attend to a mess like that when it’s not your own?) But when they are your own, the sacrifice takes on a different nature. The snot and crying and vomit and mess become a part of the love.
We recently observed ANZAC day in Australia where we honour all the servicemen and women who have served our country. Past and present, they have lost their lives, and/or sacrificed the living of them in the defence of our freedom. There’s a tremendous sense of pride in their sacrifice. When you hear the older diggers talk about wartime and why they enlisted, it's as if there was no question about whether or not they would. The sacrifice was counted, and the cost deemed worthy in the face of the oppression seeking to destroy them and their collective futures; us.
We have friends who LOVE running competitively. Every morning they’re up and out the door before 6am, in the cold and the heat – come what may – to feel the wind on their face and the firm ground racing beneath their feet. The sacrifice of bed and comfort is felt like a distant memory to the possibility of beating their best time.
Tension ennobles sacrifice. Pain makes it a hero. Victory deems it a close friend.
This could be why we find it hard to talk about and to swallow in a faith context. The tension between our material comforts and the ache in our souls (and others) is easily hidden, denied and misplaced. We preach that we need to sacrifice for the Kingdom; our time, money, energy… our lives… but the ‘why' is often missed (or lost) in the demand. The measures are unseen.
The ‘why' makes all the difference.
John writes that when talking about his own sacrifice, Jesus said,
“The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness. I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11 TPT).
What makes life so precious is the fact that it can be taken in an instant. Marred in a heart beat. Scorned in a single moment. And because it so precious, Jesus made a way to redeem it all. In this life and the next.
No matter what has come to take the living of your life, and your physical life, you have meaning, wealth and love in spite of and beyond those things, even to the point of overcoming them. Forgiveness, redemption, healing, recovery, abundance. Jesus sacrifice is about building and rebuilding life heart by heart, person by person. That's why Jesus said,
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matt 24:40 NIV).
The Three men, David's mighty ones, didn’t sacrifice their lives for nothing; it wasn’t a show or a game. It was a moment to be lived fully, abundantly, brimming over with meaning – it raised the flag of hope.
What did God sacrifice for?
Life.
And his sacrifice makes every life sacred. The knowledge and experience of that are something I would leave a cave (sacrifice) for.
Go to Part 4 – Why Would Someone Sacrifice?
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