March 10 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Jesus' life was service, and in his death he gave everything. Jesus' life is the pattern for us. His death sets us free to follow that pattern.

Jesus' death was a "ransom." We read the word ransom in the newspa­per when someone has been kidnapped. "The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of $200,000. If they don't get it, they will kill the banker's daughter."

A ransom is the price to set a prisoner free—usually a prisoner who is doomed to die. In return for the ransom, a captive receives both life and freedom.

Since Christ has given his life as a ransom for those who believe in him, we are no longer under the power of the arch-criminal. We have a new Master. We may now live in the house of our Father. But we must live by the rules of his house, the patterns of the One who came to serve, not to be served.

Jesus said that he gave his life as a "ransom for many." Many does not include everyone. He died for his own. In saying this, Christ did not mean to emphasize that some people would not share the benefits of his death. His point was rather that he would go to his death as "one for many."

War stories are usually gruesome, and war must not be glorified. But there are some heroic tales that can inspire us. In every war, it seems, some brave soldier throws himself on a grenade just before it explodes, catching all the fury of the explosion in his own body and saving the lives of all those around him.

That's the meaning of "one for many."

Jesus' life of service is our pattern. By his death he set us free to follow that pattern.

REFLECTION

Imagine that you are among those soldiers whose life was spared when a friend fell on that grenade. What would your reaction be? What does that suggest about your reaction to Christ giving his life for you?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.