Self-Sacrifice

By now you all have heard what happened on Wednesday - the attempted hijacking of a flyDubai jet by the co-pilot of the plane. The pilot was stabbed, the plane descended over 14,000 in less than 30 seconds. There were 174 people on board.

Think about that for a moment. 14,000 feet. That's 2.65 miles in half a minute.

Yipes!

"A video shared by Netanyahu’s office showed passenger Yaniv Hayoun, who grappled with the attacker, wearing a bloodied shirt and hugging the prime minister, who told Hayoun: “I look at you and I see a lion. I see a great hero.” - AP

Is that something you and I would have done? Stormed the cockpit, knowing one of the guys in there had a knife? Hmm.

Many have theorized what the terrorist would have done. A 9/11 style attack perhaps? Or a hostage situation? It has been said that the Iranians were involved somehow. So what would you do? What would God want us to do?

We know that God does not like the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17). Nor does He want us to murder anyone (Exodus 20:13). But Jesus sacrificed Himself so others could live. Wasn't this similar in a way? This passenger was willing to risk HIS life to save others.

This incident reminds me of Flight 93, the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania when passengers stormed the cockpit on that horrible day. They were willing to sacrifice their lives, and they did.

I tried to think of other "sacrificial" examples from the Bible, and there are a few, but, next to Jesus, only one comes close. Sampson.

"Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life." - Judges 16:30

This is from BibleHub.com . . .

Biblically, sacrifice always costs the offerer something precious (Genesis 22:2; 2 Samuel 24:24). Samson’s life is the costliest asset he can lay down. His plea, “Let me die,” echoes the Hebrew nephesh, the entire self. The text stresses volition: he “pushed with all his might,” surrendering life at God’s directive moment.

Jesus's death, and Samson's, were both sacrificial. Both of them were betrayed for silver. Both were handed over to Gentiles to be publically displayed and mocked. Both Jesus and Samson stretched out their arms in death to defeat the enemy.  But only Jesus was sinless, sacrificing HIS life for the whole world.