HEBREWS 9:26

Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

TO PONDER

We’re heading up to Christmas. And Christmas isn’t really the time to talk about sacrifices, is it? Have you heard of Maximilian Kolbe? Maximilian was born in early 1900’s in Poland. He became a priest and started a monastery. When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, Father Kolbe realized that his monastery would be taken over. The monastery became a refugee camp for thousands of Poles and Jews seeking escape from the Nazis. For this reason, Father Kolbe and his friars soon came under suspicion by the Gestapo. Father Kolbe was considered a threat to German domination. In 1941, he was arrested, and charged with aiding Jews and the Polish underground. He was sent to prison, singled out for special ill treatment, then he and four others were deported to Auschwitz, the labor and death camp. When they entered Auschwitz, The Commander told the prisoners that Jews had the right to live only two weeks, and priests one month. Father Kolbe was put to work carrying blocks of stone for the construction of a crematorium wall. A month later a prisoner escaped, and the men from Kolbe's bunker knew what to expect. For every one man that escaped, 10 prisoners were killed. One man from each line was selected at random, including a man named Francis. He cried out "My wife, my children, I’ll never see them again!" Then Maximilian stepped out from the ranks and offered to take his place. The Commander didn’t care who was sent to die, as long as there were ten of them, so he nodded. "Who are you?" he asked carelessly. "I am a priest. I wish to die for that man. Father Kolbe and the others were led to the death chamber. 

An example of someone who sacrificed their life for someone else. A model of Jesus. Jesus, who was part of the masterplan from the cradle to the cross, which was the ultimate sacrifice, once and for all.  

PRAYER:We cannot comprehend God, the amazing gift of your life you sacrificed for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping