This week two Christian County sheriff deputies lost their lives in service to our county, Deputies Gabriel Ramirez (30) and Michael Hislope (40), who both grew up here, graduated from our local high school, and served in combat in the US Army. Both killed by a ruthless, wicked criminal act. Our entire community mourns with these families and their fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement, along with their families. We lament the evil that caused these senseless deaths. We come together to support each other.

In the midst of all this, there is a glimmer of light. Both these deputies in their selfless acts reflect something much bigger than they. There is an echo that rings down through the centuries. Their acts of bravery point toward a much greater act of kindness in human history. Their loving sacrifice for their neighbors mirrors in a small way the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which was the truest demonstration of love in all of human history.

The Ultimate Example of Love – The Greater Light

Just a few hours before Jesus would die on the cross, He talked with His disciples in the upper room. There, he shared a meal with them and gave to them His last words of instruction, warning, and encouragement before He would die on the cross. In this most intimate moment, He shared with them this instruction:

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:12-14).

In this conversation, notice what Jesus says.

Love each other as I have loved you.

His command to each of us is to love each other – not according to whatever we decide is love, but as He has loved us.

Little did they understand in the moment that He was getting ready to demonstrate His love in a way that would make all other manifestations of love glow dimly in comparison. He explained to them what true love is before they even understood what He was saying.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

He explained the greatest act of love – to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Again, they did not realize the real depth, height, width, and length of the love He was describing in that moment. Whatever idea they thought He was teaching them failed to convey the true significance of what He was saying.

In mere hours, He would go to the cross as the God-man, the only perfect person to live. He would die unjustly at the hands of wicked people. His death would demonstrate nothing less than pure evil on full display. The God-man, Jesus, hanging on the cross like a common criminal – perfect, holy, and sinless.

Yet, this act demonstrated His love because He chose to lay down His life for His friends. If He had not died – the just for the unjust – then no other man could ever earn heaven. Hell was the inescapable end to all mankind. But for Jesus. He died so that those who seek His forgiveness for sin do not have to die. Instead, those who believe in Him – which means they turn to God realizing they are sinners, repent of their sins against a holy God, and ask God to forgive them while trusting that Jesus’ death was enough to pay for their sins – will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Jesus laid down His life for His friends.

The Human Examples of Love – The Lesser Lights

Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us. Here is where it is vital for each of us to understand what Jesus was asking us to do.

He wants each of us to love each other with a sacrificial love – one in which we die to self as we choose to serve others.

Jesus did not call us to die for each other; however, He does call us to die to self as we serve others in love. Jesus is not romanticizing death. He is revealing the depth of love that gives itself away for the good of others.

Sometimes, that very well may include one’s life, but most often, it includes the daily choices of serving others by love as more important than oneself.

Every time you choose to love someone else more than yourself, you are demonstrating the light of Christ as you die to self in order to serve others. As the Apostle Paul explained, you have the mind of Christ when you put others ahead of yourself, when you look on the interests of others ahead of your own, and as you choose to not live with selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves (Phil 2:1-11).

Laying down your life does not mean you go about seeking danger or mean that we should ever glorify violence. Jesus is not teaching us to chase danger. He is teaching us to love others more than ourselves. This expands this command far beyond death.

This is where this verse and principle becomes very livable.

Although most of us will never be asked to give our lives in one moment, we are called to give our lives in faithful ways over each day, each week, each month, each year, and our life.

So what can we do?

• We can show up when it is inconvenient.
• We can tell the truth when it costs something.
• We can protect the vulnerable.
• We can choose service over comfort.
• We can love people who may never thank us.
• We can be present when we had rather withdraw.
• We can speak honestly even when it risks relationships.
• We can stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
• We can give our time when rest would be easier.
• We can stay engaged when others walk away.
• We can confess sin rather than hide it.
• We can pay attention to those who are overlooked.
• We can spend our resources for others rather than indulging ourselves.
• We can sit with someone in grief instead of offering quick answers.
• We can correct a lie even when it benefits us.
• We can use our influence to shield others rather than dominate.
• We can serve without being asked.
• We can continue to care when appreciation never comes.
• We can choose faithfulness over flexibility.
• We can keep our commitments when no one would know if we have backed out.
• We can pray faithfully for longstanding needs.
• We can walk with people even though they are slow to change.
• We can choose gentleness and self-control when authority could be used harshly.

We are not called to be heroes in order to demonstrate the love of Christ to those around us. Instead, we are called to focus on daily, costly love where we put Jesus first, others second, and ourselves third. For most of us, laying down our lives will not happen in a single moment, but instead, laying down our lives will happen in thousands of quiet choices to love others the way Christ has loved us.

The greatest love is not only shown in how someone dies, but in how someone chooses to live.

Love is often proved not by intensity, but by consistency.

Deputies Gabriel Ramirez and Michael Hislope

Both Deputies Gabriel Ramirez and Michael Hislope demonstrated their love this week. When men and women choose a calling that involves protecting others at real personal cost, we see a reflection – however imperfect in terms of daily living compared to Jesus – of the kind of love Jesus describes here. They willingly gave their lives for their friends to protect and serve for our beneficial good. They protected us. Deputy Hislope gave his life as he sought to rescue two other officers who had been shot and were in the field bleeding. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of others. In this way, these two sheriff deputies echo Jesus’ love. Although most of us will never be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice with our physical lives, these two deputies did. We honor them for their sacrifice.

For each of us

We honor those who serve.
We grieve those who are lost.
But, our deepest hope rests in the One Who laid down His life and then took it up again.

John 15:13 reminds us that love is costly, that service matters, and that our world desperately needs people who are willing to put others before themselves. As followers of Christ, we grieve with hope, we honor service with gratitude, and we live our lives seeking to be shaped by the love of Jesus. We strive to follow His example to give our lives for our friends – to put the needs of others before our own.

The greatest love is not only shown in how someone dies, but in how someone chooses to live. Share on X Jesus wants each of us to love each other with a sacrificial love – one in which we die to self as we choose to serve others. Share on X