Over 50,000 graves of men and women are buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. My wife’s grandfather, Roy Teague, is buried there. He served in World War II. It’s not a stretch to assume that members of the surviving families have asked themselves: “What did they die for?”

Knowing the patriotic reason doesn’t make their deaths any easier. Artist Twila Paris answers the question “What did he die for?” in a song she wrote, comparing the life of a war hero to the life of a Jewish man.

“He was 21 in 1944.

He was hope and he was courage on a lonely shore.

Sent there by a mother, with love beyond her tears.

Just a young American who chose to rise above his fears.

And as I watch him struggle up that hill

without a thought of turning back,

I cannot help but wonder,

What did he die for?

When he died for you and me.

Made the sacrifice

so that we could all be free.

I believe we will answer each to heaven,

for the way we spend a priceless liberty.

Look inside and ask the question,

What did he die for when he died for me.”

There are a lot of folks who walk through the doors of many churches only on Easter and/or Christmas. I wonder if they ask themselves, “What did Jesus really die for anyway?” They may have heard about Jesus, but do they know him? They may have seen a cross hanging on a wall, but can they answer, “What did he die for?” Twila Paris continues:

“To the darkest day in A.D. 33

came the mercy and compassion of eternity.

Sent there by a father with love beyond his tears,

Blameless one, the only son, to bear the guilt of all these years.

And as I watch him struggle up that hill,

without a thought of turning back,

I cannot help but wonder

What did he die for?

when he died for you and me

Made the sacrifice

so that we could all be free.

I believe we will answer each to heaven,

for the way we spend a priceless liberty.

Look inside and ask the question,

What did he die for when he died for me.

He died for freedom, He died for love

And all the things we do to pay Him back

could never be enough”

We all have a termination date. Jesus defeated death on the cross. Paul says: “We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin…”(Romans 6:9-10a, NLT) How should Jesus’ actions affect you and I? Paul continues: “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ.” (6: 11, NLT) Ask yourself, “What did he die for?”

pictures courtesy of Nelson & his I-Pad and Gina Haynes & her I-Phone.