Anzac Day

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

The significance of Anzac Day to Australians has grown remarkably over the last decade. When I was growing up Anzac day parades were attended by a significant but small group of committed families and veterans. Pilgrimages to Gallipoli were uncommon. The media coverage was on the ABC.

This Monday the coverage will be on every channel with live crosses to Turkey, France and even places where our soldiers are stationed.  Thousands will line streets around Australia to celebrate our courageous veterans as the true heroes of Australia.  Dawn Services will be held all over the country.  We will hear the reflections of those who have served in various campaigns and we will be reminded of the sacrifice that men & women made for their countries and one another.  But all of this points to something even greater.  As we stop to reflect on ANZAC day we should also pause to reflect on Jesus’ words in John 15.  “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”.

This is a verse that is reflected in one aspect of war that’s grown in significance as the decades have passed; the idea of mateship; particularly Aussie mateship.  This was what battle in the trenches has come to symbolize.  The camaraderie shared and at times the ultimate sacrifice being given as one mate died for another.

As we reflect on this idea of sacrifice, the Bible talks about a greater sacrifice that was made on our behalf.  Greater even than one mate laying down his life for another on the battlefield.  This greater sacrifice was made by Jesus, the Son of God, and its significance for us lies in the fact that the Bible tells us that when Jesus died on the Cross in our place we weren’t his friends, we were actually his enemies.  Another part of the Bible puts it this way:  

You see, at just the right time when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8) 

There’s no more powerful demonstration of what God’s love for really means than him sending his Son to die in our place, even when we were his enemies.  Even though by nature we want to be rulers of our own lives without God and even though this attitude means that before God we are guilty and deserve punishment, Jesus’ death means that those who put their trust in him can enjoy forgiveness and friendship with God forever.

On ANZAC Day it’s good to stop to reflect upon the selfless courage of our fallen soldiers who gave their lives in battle, some even laying down their lives for their friends.  As we reflect on that sacrifice, why not take time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice: Jesus giving up his life, dying on the cross in our place dealing with the problem of sin and death and giving deeper meaning to the words, “I triumph still if Thou abide with me.”