“Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We spend time remembering those who lost their lives and could not come home, reflecting on their service and why we have the luxury and freedom that we enjoy today.”
Row upon row the poppies grow,
Each one a symbol to brave men we will never know.
They stood before us, they stood up straight,
For they were the men, the brave and the great.
The seasons come and the seasons go,
But unlike these men, the poppies will always grow.
We should always wear our poppies with pride
In tribute to those that fought and died.
For Christians, the day also serves as a vivid reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that was paid for our spiritual freedom- that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, willingly bore our sins on the cross so that all who believe in Him might be reconciled to Him and have eternal life. John 15:13 states, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” There have been many Christians who have given their very lives that the wonderful message of the gospel would “set men free” from their sins and its penalty. The pages of history are filled with their names.
Billy Graham preached a sermon in 1955 to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Boston. Here is a portion of that message.
“Yes the bells of liberty ring in America today because these men we honor today got through for us. The sacred memory of their sacrifice will always live in our hearts, and we have a sacred and holy trust—and we cannot fail them!
My mind goes back 2,000 years to another battle which was fought on a hill called Calvary. It was a battle of one young man against all the forces of evil. It seemed like a futile, hopeless struggle as Jesus Christ took on Satan’s task force single-handed. The jeers of the rabble, the spittle of the soldiers and the sneering of the people were incidental compared to the inner struggle which was taking place in His soul. But I watch Him, in fancy, as one hand is stretched out toward God and the other toward rebellious man, and He makes the connection and says: “It is finished.” He got through for us! If we are to be strong spiritually, it will be through Him. Thousands today are finding a fresh, new meaning of life through Him. They are learning to say with confidence, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthened me.” We can best keep faith with those who have gone before by keeping faith with ourselves, with our highest ideals and with God.”
Let’s remember today the sacrifices of many and the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ.