The Meaning Of Love: Easter 2005

The Meaning of Love

Text: Matt 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

On Monday (March 21st 2005) 16-year-old Jeff Weise put his plan in action. He walked up to his grandfather, a local police officer, and his girlfriend in Red Lake Minnesota pulled out a gun and shot them to death. Next he took his grandfather’s police cruiser and armed with guns he drove to his high school with murder on his mind.

Some weeks before he thought aloud to his friends, “it would be cool if I shot up the school.” He felt that finally he would make teachers cringe with fear and shiver when he walked into their classrooms with two loaded guns. Students that teased him would now beg him for their lives and he would just blow them away.

He thought school officials would give in to his demands and he would get the notice of the world. He thought people would panic and be running and screaming as he walked through the school and execute students and teachers at will.

What he did not think about was Derek, the 23 year-old security guard. Derek presented a setback to Weise and slowed him down. Derek and his partner were the first that Jeff Weise encountered when he drove up to Red Lake High. As he walked out of the cruiser and headed into the school building with guns in hand Derek faced him and calmly began to talk to him.

Derek knew what he was doing. He realized that he was going to die shortly and Weise would continue his shooting rampage. However he also knew that by facing down the gunman he would give his partner time to run away and warn the school as well as alert the local police. Derek walked slowly toward Weise and looked him in the eyes. As his partner escaped she heard Derek trying to persuade the shooter to end the violence. Soon she was out of harms way and able to alert the school. Then she heard two shots and she knew Derek was dead. Derek’s unusual courage saved her life and the lives of many teachers and students as it gave them a little time to secure themselves.

Weise killed nine people, injured eight others then turned the gun on himself. Had it not been for Derek the security guard, he would have killed many more. Derek realized to save others he could not save himself. His sacrificial act demonstrates the true meaning of love.

God in His infinite love and unparalleled mercy saw humanity in our condition of despair and depravity, left to the whims of a despotic executioner with murder on his mind. As satan systematically plundered, pillaged, crushed and murdered the human race, what he did not think about was Jesus. Paul the apostle says it like this in Gal 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

One day in the city of Nazareth a teenage Jewish girl was stunned when an angel appeared to her.

Luke 1:26-38 reads “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.