Sapagkat ang Anak ng Tao ay naparito hindi upang paglingkuran kundi upang maglingkod at upang mag-alay ng kanyang buhay para sa ikatutubos ng marami.

Marcos 10:45

Every last Monday of August is National Heroes’ Day in the Philippines. It has been declared a holiday so Filipinos could take the time to honor the heroes of the revolution.  

Our national heroes died for a great cause — to liberate our people from Spain’s colonial rule for more than 300 years. Today, let us take the time to thank God for our heroes who sacrificed their lives for a great cause. As we do that, may we also remember that there is Someone who spent His life and willingly gave it up for an even greater cause. May isang nag-alay ng Kanyang buhay para sa ikatutubos ng marami.

Jesus Christ, the only Son of God made the ultimate sacrifice of dying on a cross in Calvary. The crucifixion was considered one of the most brutal and shameful modes of death. It was made public to expose the half-naked criminal and torture him to a slow and humiliating death.

But Jesus was not a criminal. His dying on the cross was a deliberate act. Unlike our heroes who fought the Spaniards with all their might before they were killed on the spot, or captured and imprisoned and later executed, Jesus did not retaliate against His enemies. He knew that His death was part of a grand plan to save sinners from eternal damnation and bring them back to God (1 Peter 3:18). It was a mission propelled by God’s incredible love for the world (John 3:16).

Friend, you and I — and the rest of the world — are the greatest cause that brought Jesus to the cross. All of us need to be ransomed from the grip of sin in our lives. Only Jesus can save us. Will you let Him be your Savior today? Let us pray: