READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13; 1 JOHN 4:19

Gunshots—they were distant, but the sound jolted through Kor’s body like bolts of lightning. He knew with every shot, another of his comrades could fall.

CRACK! His friend Finn was going to be a doctor.

CRACK! Mika dreamed of being a professional athlete.

CRACK! Zade just wanted to get home.

In the trenches, Kor always thought about how many were lost, praying that he wouldn’t be next.

“Fight the good fight, Kor,” his dad had said before boarding the military jet.

“There is no greater love…” his mother had said tearfully when they got the news that Dad wouldn’t be coming home.

“You’re my hero,” his little brother had declared, the first time Kor tried on his uniform.

“You know,” Kor had answered, “I’m fighting for lives that have already been saved by someone else. Jesus is the real hero.”

Kor froze at the memory. Without Christ, there was no hope. He glanced at the others around him, crouched in the shadow of the trenches. Did Finn, Mika, and Zade know?

Suddenly, from somewhere in the darkness, an object whistled through the air and hit the dirt with a thud: a grenade.

Kor’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at the weapon about to destroy a trench full of soldiers. The memories swirled around him like a blur of silver stars in the blackness: “Fight the good fight.” “There is no greater love…” “You’re my hero.” Then, he thought of a night long ago, of dropping to his knees, asking for forgiveness, and putting his trust in Christ.

“Is Jesus your hero?” his little brother had asked.

Kor stood and began to run.

“You bet.”

Others needed to know Him. They needed what Kor already had. He jumped through the air, crossing the last few paces in a moment.

They needed hope.

He threw himself onto the grenade. An explosion shook the ground. • Anita Seavey

• Today’s fictional story provides a poignant picture of the kind of love Jesus has for us—a love so strong that, once we’ve experienced it for ourselves, we are compelled to love others. Have you ever experienced a sacrificial love like this? What was that like?

• Romans 5:7-8 says, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” When Jesus died on the cross, He sacrificed His life for us so that we could be forgiven for our sins. And when He rose from the dead, He made the way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to become God’s friend and live with Him forever (verse 9-10). What questions do you have about what it means to know Jesus? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to about this? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• When we know Jesus, we have confidence that death is not the end for us and that Jesus will be with us no matter what. How could this hope give us courage when we find ourselves in difficult situations? (Romans 8:35-39; 1 Timothy 6:11-12; Revelation 21:1-5)

[Jesus said,] “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT)