Memorial Day is an American Holiday, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the United States Military. John 15:13 states, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” These Patriots are rightly called heroes. Because they believed in our freedom, they were willing to pay the ultimate price and give the ultimate sacrifice. We know what a person values by what he lives his life for. We really know what a person values by what he is willing to die for. When no one in Israel was willing to fight against Goliath and the Philistines, the enemies of their nation, David said, “Is there not a cause?”. He stepped forward and his victory delivered his people. Paul was being warned of the danger ahead for him as he was going to Jerusalem to preach the Gospel. His response is found in Acts 21:13, “Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Years ago in the history of our country, the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was fought primarily between the Kingdom of Great Britain and her Thirteen Colonies in America, resulting in the overthrow of British rule in the colonies and the establishment of the United States of America. Patrick Henry’s ‘Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death! ‘ Speech was given as the Virginia convention debated whether to send troops to fight in the Revolutionary War, Henry urged them to do so. “Give me liberty, or give me death!” he demanded, shattering the complacent and evasive mood of his fellow delegates. Throughout the course of the war, an estimated 6,800 Americans were killed in action, 6,100 wounded, and upwards of 20,000 were taken prisoner. Historians believe that at least an additional 17,000 deaths were the result of disease, including about 8,000–12,000 who died while prisoners of war. Our military has certainly paid the price of freedom many times since then. We honor and remember them today.
This Memorial Day, take a moment to remember those who lost their lives so that we could enjoy life, peace, justice, and the freedom to enjoy the blessings given us by God. 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. Romans 5:7-8, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
“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.”