The Sacrifice

The fall has to be the most nervous season of the year for turkeys, at least in the United States and Canada. According to figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, over 45 million of the birds are eaten in the States alone over Thanksgiving. Chickens are also heavily consumed, especially in expatriate communities around the world where turkeys aren't as readily available. In other words, it's pretty foul to be a fowl this time of year.

Of course, if you have ever spent a lot of time around turkeys you know that they aren't the brightest of creatures, so I doubt they spend many nights worrying about ending up on someone's dinner table. But imagine what it would be like to know that you were being raised to die, that your reason for living was to meet the needs of others. Imagine that your entire purpose in life was to be a sacrifice.

Jesus knew his destiny, knew that he was born to die for others. He went willingly to the cross to sacrifice himself for the world, providing the necessary bridge between God and sinful man. I sometimes wonder if we remember that Thanksgiving is just that, a time of giving thanks for all that God has done for us, from the cross to our families and, finally, to the feast before us. How easy it is to mumble a prayer and then dive in to the bounty on the table without taking the time to remember what we are celebrating, and Who provides it. As we reach this year for an extra helping of Thanksgiving goodies, may we take the time to reflect on where it truly comes from.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

--Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)