Sacrifice

The Lord’s death is first and foremost an atoning sacrifice, and as such is absolutely unique; but there are aspects of this death which we are called to imitate. As a revelation of love it makes a claim upon us, and is intended to elicit a response of grateful self-sacrifice. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Here is the great obligation, “We ought”; here is the great source of that great obligation, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” In the death of our Lord we have the highest expression of love… That love binds us to Him with cords of devotion. “We love, because He first loved us,” and in loving service even unto death we shall “fill up that which is behind in the afflictions of Christ for His body’s sake, the Church,” and reveal to the world the greatest of all powers, the power of loving self-sacrifice.