DCLM Daily Manna 12 May 2026: High Price of Redemption
Key Verse: “Save thyself, and come down from the cross” (Mark 15:30).
BIBLE READING: Mark 15:27-32
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
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It was around 1941 when Nazi brutality was getting to its height that a Polish Franciscan Priest named Maximilian Kolbe became the symbol of sacrificial death for others during World War II. The inspiring incident happened in the Auschwitz concentration camp, when he voluntarily took the place of a fellow prisoner, Franciszek Gajowniczek, who was condemned to die. Kolbe offered his life so that Gajowniczek, a husband and father, could live. This monumental and inspiring act is now tagged: “The Sacrifice of Maximilian Kolbe (1941)”.
Apart from the iconic sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, this relatable story has inspired generations of believers and missionaries to consider nothing too precious to give up in order to rescue people from impending damnation. There have been countless number of missionaries that have paid the supreme price in South America, Africa, Asia and elsewhere. Others faced the harshness of the Iron Curtain nations in the Communist era, and confronted other hostile communities in an attempt to share Christ’s gospel of redemption.
Kolbe’s act of selfless love and sacrifice no doubt mirrors the infinitely greater redemptive love of Christ that believers must model. Of course, the narratives in the New Testament and the actual historical event of His passion, agonising prayer at Gethsemane, betrayal by one of His close disciples, His kangaroo court trials, cruel treatment, mocking and eventual crucifixion, only affirm His sacrificial love for mankind.
It is said that when Jesus was nailed to the cross, our sin was also nailed there. He was punished so that we will be set free from condemnation. He died so that we can live. As prophetically revealed in the Scripture, Christ paid a high price for our salvation.
There are a few lessons we need to take away from this meditation. These include our obligation to reciprocate that sacrifice through our unconditional love for Christ and His sheep; our total submission to His perfect will; our commitment to take the gospel message to others, lest His suffering and death at Calvary be a waste in the lives of those who may perish without hearing and receiving the good news.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Christ paid the high price that makes salvation free to all sinners
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 1-3
DCLM Daily Manna 12 May 2026
