James Wallace Yarbrough was a senior in high school in Mechanicsville, Virginia, when he entered into military service with the Army during World War II.  Because he chose to serve our country in the military, he never graduated from high school.

On Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2019, after WWII interrupted his education over 75 years ago, Yarbrough received an honorary high school diploma from his alma mater, the former Washington-Henry High School.  In a Veteran’s Day program at Washington-Henry Elementary School, Yarbrough, now 93-years-old, was presented the honorary diploma with gratitude for his service and the sacrifices that he made to serve our country.

“Just being here with the veterans and the kids. It was quite an honor,” the 93-year-old veteran added about receiving his honorary high school diploma. “I never expected such an occasion.” *

May I direct your attention to another Veteran who made tremendous sacrifices for the benefit of every person in the world?  He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

We were not only losing – we were lost in our battle with Satan and with sin.  Because of our sins, we were destined for destruction (Romans 6:23; Matthew 7:13-14).

But God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to our rescue.  He left heaven to come to earth.  Deity became one of us in order to save us.  “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  We can only imagine what Jesus gave up in order to accomplish the will of God to save us.

Many believe that Philippians 2:5-11 was an early Christian hymn.  It “tells the story” of Jesus’ humiliation:

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8 NIV).

Why did He do this?  He did it for us, to save us.  Only Jesus, the sinless Son of God, could pay the price for our sins.  And He did when He died on that cruel cross.  It cost Him His life, but three days later, He rose from the dead and won the decisive victory over Satan, sin, and death!

The hymn in Philippians 2 culminates in the glorification of Jesus: “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vs. 9-11 NIV).  In other words, the Veteran who gave His life for us was honored for His sacrifice.

He deserves our highest honor, love, appreciation, and submission.

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

The One who gave His life FOR us, is the One that is worth giving our life TO.  Won’t YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Virginia veteran, 93, who dropped out of high school to fight in WWII, gets honorary diploma” by Frank Miles of Fox News. www.foxnews.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org