Freedom's Price

READ: MATTHEW 27:27–28:10; 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26

Turiel glanced solemnly around the cemetery, noticing their planet’s tri-colored flag waving over many of the graves. He’d only lived on this planet for a few months, but he would recognize that flag anywhere.

“Sunan, why do only some of the graves have flags flying beside them?” Turiel asked. He pointed to a section of the cemetery. “All those over there have them.”

“Those are graves of people who fought in the Dread War,” Sunan explained. “They defended Planet Tutania when the Uhyre attacked long ago. Many of them gave their lives to protect our freedom.”

Turiel was silent for a moment, thinking about how his family had found refuge here on Tutania after their home planet had been taken over by Uhyre. “They paid the ultimate price for us, didn’t they?”

Sunan nodded, placing flowers on a nearby grave. “It makes me think about the Great One. He paid an even greater price for our freedom.”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way before.” Turiel kept his gaze on the flags. “The Great One bore not only the pain of physical death, but also the punishment for our wrongdoing. I can’t even begin to imagine that.”

“It’s mind-blowing,” Sunan agreed. “And He did that because He loves us. What an amazing thing. It wasn’t like we were innocent civilians—we were His enemies. Our sin has caused so much harm to the good universe He made. Yet, if we trust in Him, we don’t have to suffer the punishment we deserve.”

“Yeah,” whispered Turiel. He looked around at the graves adorned with beautiful flowers. “I’m grateful, but it pains me to think of what He went through for us. I want to honor His sacrifice somehow. But there’s no grave to decorate for Him.” Then a smile spread across Turiel’s face. “And I guess that’s a good thing, because He lives again, now and forever.”

“That He does!” Sunan shared his smile. “There is something we can do to remember His sacrifice though.”

Turiel gave his friend a quizzical look.

“When we take the bread and the cup,” Sunan continued, “it’s a way of remembering the Great One’s sacrifice, how His body was broken and His blood was shed, for us. And it also shows that we’re looking forward to His return. When He comes back, He’ll rid the world of wrongdoing and death—then horrible things like war will be no more, and all of creation will be made well, and everyone who knows Him will be raised to live with Him forever.”

Turiel looked up at the sky, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. “Then there won’t be any graves to decorate.” • A. W. Smith

• How did Jesus pay the ultimate price for our freedom? If you want to know more about what Jesus has done and what that means for us today, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• On the night before Jesus went to the cross, He took bread and wine and gave them to His disciples, telling them to continue to do this together in remembrance of Him. Many churches take communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, as part of their regular gatherings. When you take the bread and the cup, consider taking a moment to remember Jesus and what He’s done for you. We can thank Him for the sacrifice He made so we could be saved and not have to suffer the punishment for our sin. We can thank Him for loving us so much. And we can have hope knowing that He’s alive and will someday come back, and everyone who trusts in Him will live with Him forever.

• What questions do you have about communion or the Lord’s Supper? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to about these questions? If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26 (CSB)