“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13 NIV

The ultimate gift that one can give is their life. There is no higher expression of love than to sacrifice your life so another can live. There simply is no other gift that can be given beyond one’s life.

I once listened to a World War II army veteran who was talking about combat after the Allies were pressing into Germany. He was talking about how they built their fox holes so two soldiers could fit but only one could partially lay down. He made a comment about enemy grenades being tossed in fox holes, and he said that it was a frequent thing but so was one of those two American soldiers throwing themselves on top of the grenade to save the other from its fatal impact.

The thought occurred to me that the decision to fall upon a grenade so your fighting partner doesn’t die was one that was likely made before the opportunity ever showed itself. That is a pure expression of love and much like the one the Godhead made when sin entered the Garden of Eden, deciding that when the fullness of time would come (Galatians 4:4), Jesus would lay down His life for us on Calvary’s cross.