What does it mean to sacrifice?
Matthew 20:28 (NIV)
28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Memorial Day is about sacrifice
And oddly enough most of what Jesus teaches us and the example He set is about sacrifice as well!
If Jesus is our example to follow, practically what did He sacrifice? More specifically what did He sacrifice during His time here on earth?
· What can we learn from the sacrifices He made while He was here on earth?
So, what did Jesus Sacrifice when He stepped out of heaven and onto earth?
Time
· He spent 33 years walking this earth
· He spent most of that serving others
· Giving to others
· He slept, prayed, and served
· He gave all his time to others
· He sacrificed all of His time on earth for others, for you, and for me!
Talent
· All His talent was given away
· He never charged for a miracle
· He never demanded goods and services for His amazing talent
· He didn’t charge the wedding party for the wine
o The blind for sight
o The lame to walk
· He gave everything away for free
· And had to find money just to pay His taxes!
Wealth
· The man had wealth!
· He walked away from streets of gold
· He drank from chalices made of rubies and diamonds!
· He wore the best silk and linens
· His servants were kings!
· And He walked away from all that for you and for me
· He sacrificed living in luxury for us
· And how do we repay that?
o We judge
o We sin
o We beat people up in His name with words and sometimes fists
o We use His name to wield power in our name, and trample His!
Family
· He sacrificed His family
· And what a family He had
· The TRINITY!
· The perfect union
o No conflict
o No gossiping
o No backstabbing
· Just sweet friendship and respect
o Just pure love and admiration
o Overflowing with grace and mercy!
· And what do we do
o He gives us a family
o He adopts us in
o And we fuss and fight
o We tear down
o We trample each other
o And the worst part is we do it in His name!
Individuality!
· He gave up who He was to walk this earth
· He gave up His identity as the Son of Man
· He gave up the identity of GOD and became a carpenter
· Why
o So, we could see Him
o So, we could experience Him
o So, we could learn from Him
· No more burning bushes and voices in the sky
· The God-man in flesh and bone!
His Deity!
· He left heaven
· I don’t even know if I need to say anything else!
· He walked away from thrones
· From ruling heaven
· From Heaven!
Ultimately His life
John 3:16–17 (ESV)
16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
· He died for you and for me
· He suffered a brutal horrific death so the world could be saved
·
Why?
· To walk with fallen men
· To be betrayed
o Beaten
o Belittled
· To have no home
o To have no wife
o No family
· And finally, to be sold out and killed
Why?
· To save you and to save me
If Jesus is to be our example then our goal is to sacrifice, PERIOD!
· He sees all our inequities and still sacrificed Himself for us
· So, we should do the same!
So, today we honor those who sacrificed it all for us
Always remember: "Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American Soldier One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."
