Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

The 27 military cemeteries in Normandy, France, are a practical result of this verse. More than 9,000 American service members are buried in the main American facility there — men and women who gave their lives for the safety of those they loved.

Being a veteran, married to a veteran, it hurt my heart to walk among those graves. And, I don’t think for a minute that veterans are the only ones affected as they walk those grounds.

Of course, there was another who gave His Son, Jesus, for those He loved — not just for their temporal safety, but for our eternal lives. Jesus’ death hurts my heart too, because I know my sin had a part in it. But I can rejoice that, in the end, instead of walking through a cemetery, I will get to walk with the resurrected Christ in heaven.

Gayle Jones
Highlands Ranch, CO

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to redeem us. Amen.

Reflect: Think about those you know who serve others.

Read: Romans 5:6-8 and 1 John 3:16-18