On 25 April, we celebrate ANZAC Day. We remember the sacrifices made by defence servicemen and women in all wars, past and present. We remember their courage and service as they work for justice and peace. Lest we forget.
Have we forgotten?
Last year on ANZAC Day, I wrote that maybe we HAVE forgotten. ANZAC Day Someday, Sometime, We’ll Understand
Now, in 2026, just look around – wars are still happening! We have death, war, failure, battles, poor planning, fighting, arguments, pain, suffering, death. Life on earth seems to be a mess. If anything, it seems to be getting worse. Have we forgotten the battles and the wars that have been fought in order to bring peace and freedom?
Lest we forget
According to Anzac Portal DVA Lest we Forget, the phrase ‘Lest we forget’ is from a line in an 1897 poem, Recessional, by Rudyard Kipling. The poem is often sung as a hymn at ANZAC Day services.
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies
The captains and the kings depart
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice
A humble and a contrite heart
Lord God of hosts be with us yet
Lest we forget – lest we forget.
How interesting. This poem is calling us not to forget God!
ANZAC Day sacrifices
It’s important that we do remember those who have served to protect our country. ANZAC Day is not about glorifying war. Rather it points to something, to someone, greater.
A Christian Veteran reflects on ANZAC Day says, “A self-sacrificial love for people, although central to the ANZAC ethos, was not invented by soldiers. In fact, it is a foundational element of the biblical message.
Jesus repeatedly tells us to love God, and therefore to love others. Now the sort of love shown by Jesus, and by our veterans, is much more than a warm fuzzy feeling. Jesus tells us:
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13
True love means putting other people first, putting their needs above your own and serving them, even if it is costly. Again, this is what the ANZACs, our war veterans, and service personnel embody, and this is why we honour them. Not because we agree with war on a political level, or because we think killing is romantic, but because of the love they showed for people, even to the point of death. They were willing to lay down their very lives out of love.”
Jesus showed his love for us in actions:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16
Jesus loves you – to death and beyond!
“The core of the gospel is this: Jesus loved God and loved people, so He willingly died for us. Humanity was separated from God due to sin, and deserved punishment. Our very lives were in danger—just like the people around the world soldiers die to protect.
Yet Jesus, the Son of God, loved us and therefore went into battle against sin, and was victorious by dying in our place. He sacrificed His life so that we could be saved and have relationship and peace with God.
So, even as a veteran, I’m not pro-war. But I think—regardless of how you view war—we should be willing to honour those that lay down their lives. Even more so, we should honour and worship Jesus for the sacrifice He made in order to save believers.”
The Easter sacrifice
Not long ago, we celebrated Easter. We remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made to save us. He willingly gave up His life, so that we wouldn’t have to face the natural and just consequences of our sin. He paid the price – for you!
Now, you get to enjoy eternal peace in heaven. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, His death and resurrection, you get to escape hell:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
You can celebrate forever and ever, without pain, or tears, or fear, even without prickles and thorns. You can be where you really belong, at home with your heavenly father:
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21: 3b-4
Now, that’s worth remembering. Lest we forget.
What about you?
What are your thoughts about ANZAC Day?
What do you think about all the wars and struggles going on right now?
What are your thoughts about Jesus dying to save you from eternal punishment and eternal separation from God?
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ANZAC Day Someday, Sometime, We’ll Understand
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