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Verse:For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:7, 8
In February 1943, an American troop transport ship was traveling as part of a naval convoy bound for Greenland.
The USAT Dorchester was carrying nine hundred people, including military personnel, merchant seamen, and civilians.
Transporting servicemen during World War II was a dangerous business. While the ship was off the coast of Newfoundland, it was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. Many died in the blast, and many others were wounded.
Although lots of the survivors had life jackets, there weren’t enough for everyone. But the four chaplains on the ship —a Catholic, two Protestants, and a Jew— encouraged the troops, helped them off the ship, and then gave their life jackets to soldiers. Singing and praying together, they went down with the ship into the frigid water and died. They gave their lives for others, not only for their friends, not only for those of their religious belief but also, in effect, for all of the men on that ship. Four brave men, four dedicated individuals, made the ultimate sacrifice.* The divine Son of God, the Maker of the world (John 1:3), had such love in His heart for a fallen planet that He gave His life so that others might live. This was no small thing. This was God dying for sinful humanity, the perfect for the corrupt, the pure for the vile. In dying for the world, Jesus didn’t play favorites or show preferences. Today He says that “whoever believes” in Him may have everlasting life (John 3:16). He did not die only for others; Jesus died for you.
We can only imagine how the four men who received the chaplains’ life jackets were affected, knowing that they lived because the four chaplains chose to die in their place. How is your life affected today, knowing that the Son of God chose to die for you?