On September 11th, 2001, a great evil was revealed.

19 hijackers.

23 NYPD police officers..

37 Port authority police officers.

343 firefighters.

2996 people in all, tragically died that day.

This was a great evil.

The days, weeks, months and years after, were evil.

Many parts of the world, and the US, its allies and the Middle East became enthralled in war, as the world sought justice and fought terror. Many people laid their lives down. Fathers. Mothers. Sons. Daughters. Children. Death is indiscriminate, and this day, and the wars that followed after, were shrouded in death.

But there was a great evil when sin separated us from God, and death entered the world.

Nearly 2000 years ago the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Rome, saying “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” (Romans 5:12, NLT).

Death reigned as king, until the King reigned.

Jesus, the blameless one, was crucified for the sins of the world. He took the punishment we deserved. He paid the cost. He laid down his life. The greatest evil, for our greatest good.

As Paul says later in Roman’s “But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.” (V. 15, NLT).

A short time before he was crucified, Jesus began preparing His disciples. These men and women were his closest friends. He knew they wouldn’t understand at first. He knew the day the soldiers would come to kill him, they wouldnt understand why it had to be so.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13)

He laid down his life, for us. To conquer death. To give us life. How were we to live? How were we to respond to evil, like the events of 9/11?

In a love like this.

As Christ loved us. Unconditionally and unwavering, to the full extent of willingly sacrificing everything.

There will be evil in your life. It no longer reigns, but it’s very present and persistent. You will have to overcome much darkness and despair, with the light and hope of Christ.

This 9/11, let us never forget all of those who perished, and let us honor them with our sacrificial love.

For further reading, I recommend David Eubank’s Do This For Love.

For watching, For The Love Of Their Brother and Boatlift.