Sacrifice: To sacrifice is to offer something up to God that is precious. Sacrifice involves surrender of something for the sake of something else. Sacrifice involves suffering, renouncing, and sometimes destruction for an ideal, belief or end.
On Memorial Day we remember the sacrifices made for an ideal, freedom. This is an ideal worth sacrificing for and we commemorate the men and women who gave their lives in defense of the liberty that we enjoy. Memorial Day reminds us that freedom isn’t free.
For Christians, Memorial Day also calls to our mind the sacrifice that Jesus made for us so that we could live free from sin. This Sunday, Memorial Day weekend, as we remember sacrifices made for earthly liberties, we will observe the Lord’s Supper, a reminder that who the Son sets free is free indeed (Jn. 8:36).
Our text for this Sunday is Mark 6:30-44. My focus is on the theme of “Sacrifice” that emerges out of verse 37. The disciples were confronted with a choice, to live selfishly or to live sacrificially. Jesus was teaching the disciples, and us, that nothing surrendered to God is really a sacrifice because first, God is the giver of all that we have, and second, nothing surrendered to God is ultimately sacrificed or lost. This Sunday, as we remember sacrifices made, may we rededicate our lives to surrender all that we are for the benefit of others and for the glory of our great God!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Reading: Mark 6:30-44 (NIV)
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.
36 Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37 But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
38 "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
42 They all ate and were satisfied,
43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
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