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"Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man
Lay Down His Life For his Friends" (Jn 15:13)
By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow
(Preached at Life BPC, Good Friday service, 18 April 2003)
Text: Matt 26:36-45
Tonight is Good Friday Night. Chambers
Dictionary defines it as "a fast in memory of our Lord’s
crucifixion" on the Friday of Passion Week, i.e. the week leading up
to Easter Sunday. In the newspaper I often see advertised
remembrances of certain good people in their deaths by their filial
children. How much more should we remember our Lord by whose death
we are saved from our sin unto life everlasting. I understand we
have a thousand who come to this Service every year. And the Lord
has blessed us because we love Him.
Now there are deaths committed by various people
for various reasons. One that became very stirring to my heart was
that a soldier should be willing to die for his Emperor. This was a
new cult introduced by the Japanese Air Force so that volunteers
when called to duty would take one step forward to become suicide
bombers to attack and sink enemy warships. This they did by aiming
their planes at the funnel or funnels. These suicide bombers were
known as Kamikazes (Divine Winds). The devotees were duped. I don’t
think the Japanese who are now delivered from worshipping their
Emperor as God will do it again. Let me sing you this sad Kamikaze
song:
Umi Yukaba, Mizuku Kabane
Yama Yukaba, Kusamusu Kabane
Okimino Henikososhiname, Kaerimiwasezi
It means roughly:
If I go to the ocean
I’ll become a corpse in the water
If I go to the mountain
I’ll become a corpse in the grass
O my Emperor, for Your sake only
I will never return
But suicide bombers have suddenly appeared in
the struggle between Jews and Palestinians. The motivation of the
Palestinian bombers is total hatred. To coax their striking the Jews
the honour of martyrdom is given them and they would be rewarded
with many virgins when they ascend to heaven. This lamentable
mission is still being pursued to the suffering of scores of
innocent Jews bombed to death.
Now I’ve just heard of a newest type of suicidal
bombing out of Iraq. It is forced on the bomber on the terms of
obligation. The man has committed an offence worthy of death such as
murder. Since he would be put to death he is made a suicide bomber.
In the Iraq War one such bomber by such surprise tactic killed four
American guards, as reported in the papers.
The above three kinds of death are Satan’s
tricks upon a lost mankind. Life without God is miserable enough.
Dear listener, have you fled the terror of death and stepped into
the joys of life in our Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus is the Son of God.
He has come into this world to die for our sins. He says, "For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." And He says further, "Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Christ’s death for us is quite different from
the Japanese Kamikaze, from the Palestinian suicide bomber and the
Iraqi bomber. These are all from Satan’s damnable tricks. Christ’s
death is out of love.
In the passage we have just read, Jesus, before
He went up to the Cross to die for us, came under severe testing. He
needed the prayer support of His disciples. In the Gospel of Luke it
is further recorded that an angel appeared to strengthen Him. Jesus’
sweat was as it were great drops of blood that He might have the
strength, not as He willed but as God willed. Because He loved each
one of His disciples by name, even you and me He conquered. He was
now so strengthened by His love for us that He faced His death
willingly without fear.
In return let us love Him too. Jesus says, "If
any man will come after me, let him take up his cross (be prepared
to die) and follow me."
Tonight we come not only to thank Him for saving
us by His love, but also to render our love that we may be ready to
die for Him. Amen.
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