During the Spanish Civil War of the 1930's, the 16th-century fortress Alcazar became a battle ground as the Loyalists tried to expel the Nationalists from its perch atop the highest hill in Toledo, Spain. One day the Nationalist commander in charge of the Alcazar, José Moscardó Ituarte, received a phone call in his office. The man on the other end identified himself as a Loyalist and informed Moscardó that they had his 16-year-old son. The terms were simple: turn over the Alcazar or they would kill his son. After carefully weighing his options, the commander asked to speak to young Luis. He then told his son, "Commend your soul to God and die like a patriot, shouting 'Long live Christ the King' and 'Long live Spain.'" "That," answered his son, "I can do."

As much as I shudder at stories like this one, isn't this just what God did for us? He was willing that His own Son should die for the Salvation of the world. In John 11:49-50, the High Priest, Caiaphas, told the rest of the Sanhedrin, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Even though Caiaphas was thinking of a different meaning, his words would be proven true. Jesus died for the people so that "whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Do you believe?

Accepting the sacrifice,

Pastor Sutherland