Precious And Honoured In His SightEgzanp

On 11 September 2001, Welles Crowther, a young equities trader, died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in the United States. He died after helping at least ten people escape the South Tower before it collapsed. He was a stranger to those he helped; they knew him simply as ‘The Man in the Red Bandana’, for the handkerchief he wore as a protective mask. And yet, despite having no personal connection to those he saved, Crowther sacrificed his life for them.

It’s a big thing to die for anyone, let alone a stranger. But Jesus went even further. He sacrificed himself and died for us, while we were his enemies. We were sinners. Powerless. Unable to help ourselves. In Jesus’ sacrifice, God showed us how much he loves and values us unconditionally. 

This central truth of the Christian faith is something we often take for granted. But today, let’s dwell deeply on this amazing act of love. As the old hymn puts it so beautifully: 

Here is love, vast as the ocean,

Loving-kindness as the flood,

When the Prince of Life, our Ransom, 

Shed for us His precious blood. 

Do you ever take for granted the sacrificial love that Christ has shown you? How could this love motivate you to sacrificially love others?