By Dr. Paul David Tripp

Sacrifice
Everyone makes sacrifices—
for physical beauty,
for body health,
for athletic victory,
for career advancement,
for relational unity,
for sound investment,
for a physical dwelling,
for the hope of fame,
for parental love,
for spiritual growth,
for environmental health,
for political power,
for a noble cause,
for a dark addiction,
for the cause of peace,
for liberation from bondage,
for making a point,
for exposing an evil,
for meeting a need,
for offering mercy,
for settling a score,
for extending a hand.

Every day sacrifices are made.
Everyone does it.
No one can avoid it.
Life requires it.
Good calls you to it.
Evil demands it.

Sometimes we’re willing.
Sometimes we’re resistant.
Sometimes we regret it.
Sometimes we sacrifice with great joy,
sometimes with deep sorrow,
sometimes in the bright light,
sometimes in the darkness of night,
sometimes private,
sometimes public,
the young and the old,
men and women,
girls and boys,
of every language,
of every ethnicity,
from every place on the globe,
from every period of history.

But in all of those places,
with all of these people,
in all of those epochs of time,
with innumerable sacrifices,
there is only one man
who had sacrifice as his solitary purpose.

There was only one man
whose sacrifice would meet everyone’s need.
There was only one man
who paid for what he did not do
so others would get what they did not earn.
There was only one man
who was qualified.
There was only one man
who was the God-man,
Son of God,
Son of Man.
“There was only one man.
who would live a righteous life.
There was only one man
who would die an acceptable death.
There was only one man
who would satisfy God’s requirement.
There was only one man
who would not only make that sacrifice
but who would be that sacrifice.
There was only one man
who would be the Lamb of God.
There was only one man
whose sacrifice would change everything.

Sin defeated.
Life given.
Hope restored.
Destiny secure.
God and man reconciled,
once for all.
“It is finished.”
Billions of sacrifices made;
only one sacrifice
for life now
and for all eternity.

Dr. Paul David Tripp is a pastor, event speaker, and a best-selling and award-winning author. With more than 30 books and video series on Christian living, Paul’s driving passion is to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.