The Sacrifice
May 25, 2025- Memorial Day
(E-Service, plumbing issue)
Scripture- John 15:12-14
Introduction: A Day to Remember and Reflect
This weekend we are celebrating Memorial Day. This is a time of remembrance and gratitude. It’s a time when we look to the sacrifice of the brave men and women who have died in service to our country.
Something that is just as personal to me as a veteran, is the last week was also the national EMS week, where we recognize those who have and are serving as first responders, EMTs and Paramedics.
So I ask that tomorrow you take a moment, step away from the grill, the cookouts, and the gatherings and remember brave men and women who have fallen in war, as well as those in protective services—firefighters, EMS personnel, and police officers—who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our safety and freedom. Their courage and selflessness remind us of the profound cost of the liberties we enjoy and the peace we cherish.
As followers of Jesus, Memorial Day invites us to reflect not only on sacrifices that people have made but also on the divine example of love that undergirds it.
The Gospel of John, chapter 15 Jesus give us instructions on how to remember and to live this ideal.
Jesus reaches through the ages to us saying in verse 12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:12-14, CSB).
Let’s seek HIM in prayer this morning
Today, we are going to remember and honor the fallen, reflect on their sacrifices, and see in them a reflection of the greatest love of all—the love of Jesus Christ, who laid down His life for us, His friends.
This morning’s sermon will unfold in three parts.
First, we will remember and honor those who have fallen in war and protective services, acknowledging their courage and the legacy they leave behind. Second, we will explore the meaning of sacrifice and the love that motivates it, drawing parallels between human selflessness and the divine pattern of Christ’s love. Finally, we will consider how Jesus’ command to “love one another” calls us to live out this love in our daily lives, becoming friends of Christ by following His example.
Let’s start off with
Part 1: Remembering and Honoring the Fallen
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. It had its start after the Civil War to honor those who died in that brutal conflict. Over time, it expanded to commemorate all American service members who gave their lives in war—World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and countless other conflicts. These men and women left behind families, dreams, and futures to serve a cause greater than themselves. They stood in the gap, defending freedom, protecting the vulnerable, and upholding the values of justice and peace.
Think of the soldier or Marine who ran into enemy fire to save a wounded comrade, knowing the risk to their own life. Picture the sailor who because of their belief in the duty entrusted to them, stayed at their post as their ship sank, ensuring others could escape. Recall the airman who flew one last mission, fully aware it might be their last. These stories are not just tales of heroism; they are testaments to a love that puts others first, a love that says, “Your life matters, and I will protect it, even at the cost of my own.”
But our remembrance today extends beyond the battlefield. We also honor those in protective services who have given their lives in the line of duty. Firefighters who rush into burning buildings, police officers who confront danger to keep our communities safe, paramedics who risk their bodies and their mental health to save the sick—these are our everyday heroes. I say mental health because the greatest killer of our protective services is not the immediate danger of their job- it’s the incredible strain in places on their hearts and minds, leading some to suicide.
Their sacrifices are no less profound, no less worthy of our gratitude.
As we honor these fallen heroes, we recognize the weight of their sacrifice. They did not seek glory or fame; many simply answered a call to serve. They laid down their lives—some in a single, defining moment. Most others, through years of quiet dedication that that resulted in missed family events, significant sleep deprivation, on the job injuries, and even violence from the very people they swore to serve.
Finally a very difficult decision to retire from their life calling. It wasn’t a retirement with palm trees and beaches- it was simply a realization that their bodies and minds could no longer sustain their passion and calling. Both their lives and their deaths remind us that freedom, safety, and peace are not free. They come at a cost, paid by those willing to give everything.
Let us take a moment of silence now to honor these men and women—soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen, police officers, firefighters, and first responders—who gave their lives for us.
[Pause for a moment of silence.]
Part 2: The Greatest Love—Christ’s Sacrifice
As we hold these sacrifices in our hearts, we turn to the words of Jesus in John 15:12-14, which provide a framework for understanding the depth of such love. Jesus says, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” These words, spoken during the Last Supper, were not hypothetical. They were not a nice spiritual saying.
They were a reality that Jesus’ follower were about to experience.
Jesus was preparing His disciples for His own imminent death on the cross, the ultimate act of laying down His life. In this passage, Jesus defines the pinnacle of love—not as a feeling, but as an action, as a choice, and as a sacrifice.
The sacrifices of our fallen heroes mirror this divine love in profound ways. When a soldier dives on a grenade to save their squad, when a firefighter carries a child out of a burning home at the cost of their own life, when a police officer steps into harm’s way to protect a stranger, they embody a love that prioritizes others above self. This is the kind of love Jesus describes—a love that is selfless, costly, and unconditional.
But Jesus’ sacrifice goes even further. Jesus gave His life for all humanity—past, present, and future, friend and foe alike. As Romans 5:8 tells us, “God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus didn’t die for those who deserved it; He died for those who rejected Him, betrayed Him, and crucified Him. His love extends to every person, without exception.
Consider the context of John 15. Jesus spoke these words on the night before His crucifixion, surrounded by His disciples—His friends. Yet, even among them, there was Judas, who would betray Him; Peter, who would deny Him; and the others, who would scatter in fear.
Still, Jesus called them His friends.
He knew their flaws, their failures, their doubts, and yet He chose to lay down His life for them. This is the love He commands us to emulate: a love that does not discriminate, that does not waver, that gives everything.
The cross is the ultimate expression of this love.
Jesus endured betrayal, mockery, torture, and death—not because He had to, but because He chose to.
He could have called down legions of angels to save Himself (Matthew 26:53), but He didn’t. He chose the cross because it was the only way to reconcile us to God,
As the Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor 5:21 CEV Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.
Jesus paid the debt we owed for our sin, and through belief in HIM, offers us eternal life. In doing so, He showed us what “greater love” looks like.
When we think of our fallen heroes, we see echoes of this love. Their sacrifices were not in vain; they protected lives, preserved freedoms, and upheld justice. But Jesus’ sacrifice goes beyond the temporal to the eternal. His death defeated sin and death itself, offering us not just safety in this world but salvation for eternity. As we honor those who gave their lives for us, we are reminded of the One who gave His life for all.
So how do we live our lives with this ideal in mind?
Part 3: Living Out Christ’s Command
Jesus’ words in John 15 are not just a description of His love but a command for us: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This is not a suggestion; it is a directive for every follower of Christ.
As verse 14 days, To be His friend is to do what He commands—to love others with the same selfless, sacrificial love He showed us. But what does this look like in our daily lives, especially as we reflect on the sacrifices of Memorial Day?
First, it means gratitude. We honor the fallen not just with words but with lives that reflect the values they died for. This means cherishing the freedoms they secured, fostering peace in our communities, and supporting the families they left behind. It could be bringing your family out to a veterans’ cemetery to show them the cost of their freedom. Or maybe volunteering with organizations that serve first responders. Gratitude is active, not passive; it moves us to action.
Second, it means living sacrificially. While few of us will be called to lay down our lives in the literal sense, we are all called to lay down our selfishness, our comfort, and our pride for the sake of others.
This might mean sacrificing time to serve at a homeless shelter, skipping a meal and donating that food or buying some extra groceries for a food bank. Helping an elderly person or a single mom with yard work or snow removal. Acts of love that will empower your words about Jesus and show people HIS power in your life.
Sacrificial love is not always dramatic; it is often found in the small, daily choices to put others first.
Third, it means loving without boundaries. Jesus’ love extended to everyone, even those who opposed Him. We are called to love not just our friends, but our enemies; not just those who agree with us, but those who don’t; not just those who are easy to love, but those who challenge us.
This is hard. It’s very hard for me not to always confront blatant error when it’s shoved in front of me. This isn’t something you can do on your own. It requires the heart of Jesus through the empowering of the Holy Spirit to show humility, patience, and grace.
But it is what makes us Christ’s friends.
Finally, it means pointing others to the source of this love. The sacrifices of our fallen heroes inspire us, but they also point us to Jesus, the ultimate example of love.
This Memorial Day Weekend, as we share stories of the heroes we have known, we must also share His story—the story of a Savior who laid down His life so that we might live. This Memorial Day, let us commit to being ambassadors of Christ’s love, showing the world what it means to love one another as He has loved us.
Conclusion: A Call to Remember and Respond
As we close, let us hold fast to the memory of those who have fallen.
Their sacrifices are a testament to the power of love—a love that puts others first, that stands firm in the face of danger, that gives everything for the sake of others.
But let us also look to Jesus, the One who showed us the greatest love of all. His death on the cross is the foundation of our faith, the source of our hope, and the model for our lives.
This Memorial Day, may we honor the fallen by living lives worthy of their sacrifice.
May we love one another as Christ has loved us, laying down our lives—whether in big ways or small—for the sake of others.
And may we be His friends, obeying His command to love, so that the world might see His light shining through us.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to others. We honor their memory and pray for comfort for their families. We thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who showed us the greatest love by laying down His life for us. Help us to live out His command to love one another, reflecting His sacrificial love in all we do. May our lives be a tribute to those who have gone before us and a testimony to Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
